Hello everyone! So we made a trip to Pet Smart to get Shelby some new rawhides to chew, because when she runs out of them she always finds a destructive method to focus her entertainment on, (like my laptop charger & other important things )
Anyways, When we went to check out, the sales lady told us to be very careful with rawhides because they can cause blockage when swallowed..& a friend on Facebook shared an article where this girl's husky died from it? Well it was more from a faulty surgery but still enough to make me think of it. Anyone reccommend any rawhides that last a really long time & are safe for them to ingest? She doesn't care much for those nylabones or whatever. She loves flavored bones. But she usually has them gone within a week or so!

I completely stay away from rawhides, as do a lot of people on this forum. They're just not worth the risk. Antlers are great and durable. If she's not interested in it at first, you can soak t in chicken broth to add flavor.

We have rawhides but he doesn't really chew on them anymore, but he used to go through them in one night. So we thought we would try antlers as was suggested on this forum and they are great. Onyx loves his deer and elk antler. We gave him a moose one but it came apart in flakes where most of it ended up in the carpet. I know some people are leery about animal bones, but we gave him one(cow bone) form a local pet store and he loves the thing. I think he is down to the marrow in one spot so that is where he focuses now.

We give Loki Odor-less bullysticks, antlers, a himalayan yak chew, and meaty femur bones.

My girl loves her deer antler, bully sticks and fake wooden sticks (I swear she thinks they are real)...all three of those will keep her attention for quite a while. I stay away from raw hides due to all the horror stories I hear, I don't want to risk it especially with a pup. I just make sure everything I buy is made in the US.

I'm glad you brought this up. New puppy this week and we are preparing his chew toy arsenal. I have heard all the negatives about rawhides, but what all are actually included in this? Does it include all things once a part of an animal like bully sticks? Are antlers not rawhides or just durable rawhides?

Thanks

seattlesibe wrote:

I'm glad you brought this up. New puppy this week and we are preparing his chew toy arsenal. I have heard all the negatives about rawhides, but what all are actually included in this? Does it include all things once a part of an animal like bully sticks? Are antlers not rawhides or just durable rawhides?

Thanks

Rawhides are notorious for causing intestinal blockages. It's not something that is a problem with all animal parts. Antlers are literally antlers shed from an animal. Rawhides are made from skin.

TAken from http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/rawhide-good-or-bad-for-your-dog

Are there risks associated with rawhide dog treats?

Given the amount of rawhide consumed by dogs each year, the risks are relatively small. Still, risks can be serious, so don’t ignore them. Weigh the risks and benefits of giving rawhides based upon your dog's chewing needs and behaviors.

These are the most common rawhide risks:
Contamination. As with pet toys, rawhide chews can contain trace amounts of toxic chemicals. And, as with other pet (or human) foods, Salmonella or E. coli contamination is possible. Even humans can be at risk when coming into contact with these bacteria on rawhide treats.
Digestive irritation. Some dogs are simply sensitive or allergic to rawhide or other substances used in their manufacture. This can cause problems, including diarrhea.
Choking or blockages. Rawhide bones and other edible chews can pose a choking and blockage risk. In fact, this is a much bigger risk than contamination or digestive irritation. If your dog swallows large pieces of rawhide, the rawhide can get stuck in the esophagus or other parts of the digestive tract. Depending on its size and where it is located, a vet may be able to remove these pieces fairly easily through the throat. But sometimes, abdominal surgery is needed to remove them from the stomach or intestines. If it isn’t resolved, a blockage can lead to death.


For Bully stick: http://thebark.com/content/bully-stick-danger

The first concern is an excessive amount of calories. The scientists calculated nine to 22 calories per inch, meaning that a 6-inch bully stick could represent nine percent of the daily recommended calorie count for a 50-pound dog or a whopping 30 percent of the requirements for a smaller 10-pound dog. This I’m less worried about as I usually adjust my pets’ dinner if they get a large treat during the day.

The second finding is much more serious. In testing 26 bully sticks, the researchers found one contaminated with Clostridium difficile, one with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and seven with E. coli. The scientists admitted that the sample size was small, but recommended that people should at least wash their hands after touching bully sticks.

Thanks for the advice everyone. Ill need to try the antlers & bully sticks. Everyone's suggestions were informative & helpful! I don't know what I'd do if I lost Shelby to something that is so preventable!

What exactly is Himalayan yak chew though? Lol I've never heard of it..

They are boil yak 's milk. It makes it hard. It smells like smoky cheese and when the parts get to small that you think they may swallow the piece put it in the microwave for 30 secs and it puffs up. Loki loves it and it last a long time with him. You can find them under yeti chew of himalayan yak chew or himalayan chew. I order from Amazon or bestbullystick when I reup.
http://www.amazon.com/2pack-Yeti-Chew-Pieces-Large/dp/B0094B0KYW/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1361380365&sr=8-6&keywords=himalayan+chew

You can find it here: http://www.petexpertise.com/dog-toys/himalayan-dog-chew.html
They look like soap smell like musty sock if you have your nose right up to it and Bella absolutely LOVES them. A medium one, which is roughly the size of my palm lasts a long time for a consumable chew. Usually around three hours if she chews it down completely.
They don't make a mess, don't get slimy, and don't smell bad from more than a foot away. It's literally just a really hard cheese. Great chew.

Thank you! I hope Shelby will like her new chew toys i'm about to order her.
She's so spoiled.

Be careful with antlers my vet says she is seeing a lot of broken teeth with them.

Akela loves beef tracheas, but they don't last him a very long time. He also does well with marrow bones, bully sticks, and catfish skins.

As many people have said, I would steer clear of rawhides.

Balonsmom wrote:

Be careful with antlers my vet says she is seeing a lot of broken teeth with them.

I got koda elk anylers that are sliced so the middle is exposed on both sides.. It is softer for teeth and he loves them!

Just a friendly reminder to remember to use the search button . There are lots of threads with lots of wonderful information on this and many more topics!

Between the horror stories of blockage with rawhide & broken teeth with antlers, we avoid all of that with Koopa. He only gets Kong toys (which you can fill with long filling or peanut butter) and we give him dentastix as occasional treats. They only last about 2 minutes, but they have really cleaned his teeth well & they freshen his breath. But he really loves his kong toy that's shaped like a stick but it's thick red rubber. We also have a classic kong toy we fill with ice & he loves that.

Thanks for the idea of filling the Kong with ice Bourbon loves ice cubes and we do have a bone ice mold for the summer but the kong do you add cubes or freeze water in it?
I think I am gonna try and put an ice cube in the Kong!

By the way the Nylabone fake wood (w real wood in it) is a blast for him plus the squirrel dude that I put kibble in and he plays to get it out.

I just put cubes in Koopa's because it has a small hole at the other end as well so I don't know how to plug that to be able to fill it with water. But I have also filled a Tupperware bowl with water and froze that to let him have on the back porch.

has anyone had negative experiences with composite bones? i think that's what they are called. from what i understand they are pieces of bone all crushed up and pressed into the shape of a bone. They are really inexpensive and its tempting to buy some.

thanks
I was able to buy a kong type half bone half mold that once you freeze, it is a ice kong bone but that is a lot of water when melted not great for indoors.
As far as the freezing kong if you put peanut butter at the small hole and a pieces of saran wrap (don't forget to pull off before giving) and freeze while sitting in a typerware container I think you smosh the peanut butter but freeze the water. (I am gonna try that this summer.)
Definately trying the cubes in it because he can go through them so fast.

Composites I have not tried in about 10 years had several "loose" accident with them when they have more than one.

Bandit ate a t-shirt the other day, but i recommend staying away from clothes

Antlers go down well in our house and are clean, however I find marrow bones to be the best Arya will literally go to her crate for 2 hours and nurse the marrow from the bone.

plush toys are great but last less than 5 mins, Kong with some peanut butter and/or natural yogurt frozen is also a favorite.

Seriously recommend "Romp'n Chomp" treats.
They slide (difficult to insert) into a Nylabone with a groove.
It takes Bodhi a l-o-n-g time to get the treat out.