Safety of chew treats... booda bone velvets, rawhide, and bones

[alisiaj78]

I have a 6 month old pit bull who LOVES to chew. I know that rawhides and bones aren't safe to leave with your dog unsupervised, so I bought her a 6.5 in. Booda Bone Velvet chew. I gave it to her yesterday and went out for about a half hour, and came back to find all but a small chunk completely devoured. Is it OK for her to eat something that large in one sitting? So far, she's shown no signs of an upset stomach, but I don't know if this would be safe to do on a regular basis. (Thinking it would last longer, I had originally intended to buy her 1/week to leave with her when I'm not home). Also, when she gets rawhide bones, she will eat about a quarter of an 8 in bone in about 20 minutes (I've been taking it away at that point, but given the opportunity I'm sure she'd eat the whole thing). How much rawhide is safe for her to eat in one sitting, and how often should she be given rawhides? Real bones last much longer with her, but again, I'm not sure for how long I should let her chew on one (I've been letting her chew her bone for an hour or two at a time). Finally, if the Booda Bones don't turn out to be a good option to leave with her every day, can anyone recommend a chew treat/toy that is safe to leave with her unsupervised, will keep her busy for several hours, and will not be completely gone when I come home? I know these are a lot of questions, but I appreciate any advice anyone can give me. Thanks!!
Alisia

[technodoll]

oh boy... my dogsitter owns one of these "chewing machines", LOL! nothing lasts with him either... he will destroy kongs in a day, goes through a large rawhide in an hour (completely eaten), has stolen and bent metal spoons and fork into exotic shapes, etc... is it a pitbull thing? LOL

have you tried a large nylabone?... it might work...

http://www.nylabone.com/default.aspx...d=106&subcat=7

[Dogastrophe]

My Lucy is also a chewing machine. If she puts her mind to it, she will take the nubs off a large 'powerful chewer' nylabone in a couple of hours. We've found that the dinobone type will last longer than the regular bone shaped ones. However, don't fall for nylabones hype that "A dog chew SO BIG and SO STRONG that even your Big Dog cannot destroy it!". We have replaced two of these over the past 6 months .... Lucy is 45lbs, certainly not a big dog!

With all these products, they should ideally only be used with supervision as they can pose a choking hazard. Perhaps you could try a large kong filled with peanut butter and have your pup work at getting the PB out rather than chewing (putting the PB filled kong in the freezer works well).

[alisiaj78]

Hey, thanks for the advice! She does have a nylabone, but not realizing what an intense chewer she would turn out to be we got her one for normal chewers, which she has now destroyed. Maybe we'll have better luck with a harder one. She's also got a kong and a greenies smart chew. The problem with the plastic/rubber toys is that they only seem to hold her attention for a short while, and then she'll lose interest and chew on something else (like the kitchen cabinets!). It's the edible chews that she really gets into, so we were hoping to find an alternative to rawhides or bones. What about nylabone edibles? Do those pose the same choking hazard as regular rawhides? I also saw something on dog.com called an N-Bone, but I'm not very familiar with that particular chew treat. My old dog used to eat busy bones, but the package says they're not recommended for puppies... she's 45 lbs, though, so maybe they'd be ok? Someone also recommended bully sticks as a product that doesn't pose a choking hazard, is that true? Any other suggestions? Thanks!!

[rainbow]

I also have two very aggressive chewers. I will not give them any edible chews, rawhide, greenies, boodas, pig ears, etc. They are all bad IMO.

My dogs have the hard nylabones in different shapes (they really like the wishbone one) and the black kongs. They didn't like the kongs at first until I started filling them. I stuff canned dog food in them or some kibble and plain no-fat yogurt and freeze them.

[ChancesMom]

Hi!

Try the hard nylabones, the big ones... He hides them though and lord knows where! But I pick them up in several different scents so he has a bit of variety.

Also large rope toys. My boy LOVES to chew on the ropes... just have to watch them and when they start to unravel, get him a new one.

He also likes tennis balls, but he can tear them apart, so this is something that should be supervised...

I have given him a busy bone or 2, they do not last very long.... I picked up a big green edible bone once that lasted longer than any other edible bone lasted, but it made a green mess! lol!

Take care.

[alisiaj78]

Hey, guys, thanks for the info. Rainbow, I was wondering what you find bad about the various edible chews... can they cause stomach problems, or are you worried about the choking hazards, or are they just generally unhealthy from a nutritional standpoint? Thanks for the advice on the yougurt, I hadn't thought of that. We've done frozen peanut butter a few times, but didn't want to do that regularly because we worried it would make her fat!

ChancesMom, I was wondering if you could remember the name of the green edible bone you gave your dog, and if it was something that would be safe to leave with the dog unattened. Thanks!

[rainbow]

Originally Posted by alisia78j

I was wondering what you find bad about the various edible chews... can they cause stomach problems, or are you worried about the choking hazards, or are they just generally unhealthy from a nutritional standpoint?

All of the above reasons you listed. I don't like them or rawhide or pig's ears which are also full of bacteria. They are not for aggressive chewers IMO.



http://www.nbc4.tv/news/5373855/detail.html

http://norfolkterrier.org/articles_p...ggreats01.html

[Prin]

I never post in these threads because I still feed rawhides. I find the rolled stick kind with no knots can't be broken into huge intestine blocking pieces and my doggies eat them slowly. But I would never recommend them without serious caution. My doggies can also eat and digest pig ears, but because of the bacteria, I only ever give them to my babies when their bellies are empty so the kibble doesn't slow it down. So far they have been fine, but it's just plain ol' luck.

[rainbow]

Wow, Prin, you're braver than I am.

I occassionally have given mine the pressed rawhides but only under strict supervision. Hope you wash your hands after handling the pig ears.


http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media...999_107_e.html


http://www.care2.com/channels/solutions/pets/600

[Prin]

Heck yeah! I only hold them between one finger and my thumb but I still deep clean my whole hands and I make the doggies eat them outside, even in the winter.

[rainbow]

BTW, when you said the rolled stick kind, did you mean the bully sticks and if so, what brand?

[Prin]

No bully sticks are different. I mean the 2 inch thick rolled rawhides..
like this: http://www.naturalrawhide.com/chewroll.asp (it's a crappy pic, but you get the idea).

For bully sticks, I don't know the brand because Woofers (where I buy them) only has bins. Merrick makes some huge ones though.. Well, I guess they don't "make them"...

[jessi76]

my dog is a power-chewer too. I give bully sticks, and take them away when that are questionably small. he only gets them when supervised too.

My dog will rip through a regular rawhide in minutes, i'm now afraid he'll crack a tooth on bone, he pukes after anything that's "basted" (so no beef basted chews or bones), he likes hoofs but they are too small for my liking and smell horrendous, I never give greenies because they just scare me, my dog won't touch a pig ear, snout, etc...

as for the kongs, I mix a tablespoon or 2 of peanut butter into a small cup of non-fat plain yogurt - so it's like a peanut butter yogurt... then fill the kong & freeze. I also use low-fat cream cheese too (one of my dog's favorites!).

but for agressive chewing, bully sticks are my favorite, and the super hard nylabones are ok.

[phoenix]

I used to give rawhides, but had a choking episode where I had to fish a soggy piece out of Sam's throat. Scared me to death and now I don't give them.
I use Kongs, stuffed. Also Orka makes good chew toys (blue ones). Rope lasts for a little while and they don't tend to eat it. I do give bully sticks, and raw bones (big beef knuckles, bison or venison ones...I've always fed bones and never had any tooth problems)- keeps them busy. Does anyone give the chopped up rawhide 'pressed' ones? I've wondered about those.

[rainbow]

Originally Posted by phoenix

Does anyone give the chopped up rawhide 'pressed' ones? I've wondered about those.

I have a couple of times. They basically break up into real small pieces. I don't think I'll get them anymore as I really don't like rawhide period. I'm just going to stick with a variety of hard nylabones and kongs filled with frozen plain no-fat yogurt or canned dogfood or raw carrot sticks.

[Prin]

Yeah, I thought about giving stuffed kongs instead, but my doggies just slice up their lips with the licking.

[rainbow]

but my doggies just slice up their lips with the licking.

Slice up their lips???

[Prin]

Their lips get caught or rub on their teeth somehow, especially Boo with his underbite, and end up raw really quickly.

[alisiaj78]

Thanks everyone for the great advice. I'll throw in a couple comments, too, so I don't feel completely useless :-) I've been giving my dog pressed rawhide, and pressed porkhide, as well (supposedly it is more easily digested, but my dog doesn't seem to have trouble with either). Our trainer at obedience school had said the pressed rawhide is preferable, because it shreds off is small pieces so it doesn't pose much of a choking hazard. I had originally bought her the small rolled sticks, but once she got them soft she would swallow them whole, which kind of scared me (although it never caused any problems). The rawhides and porkhides I buy say they've been sterilized, and also that they are processed without any chemicals (apparently a lot of rawhides contain formaldehyde, so if it doesn't explicitly state that it was manufactured without chemicals, I don't buy them). I thought of buying pigs ears, but when I saw the warning to wash your hands after touching them, I decided I didn't want to feed my dog something I couldn't even safely touch!!

I'll give the bully sticks a try, does anyone know where I can buy them at a good price? The pet stores charge about a dollar an inch. If I buy them, how much should I let a 45-lb, 6mo old puppy eat in a day? And how often should she eat them?

I also just tried the Puppy Ziggies that Kong makes. They're a nice chewy material, and when one end is put in Kong, the last inch that a dog might choke on falls into the Kong, and she can't get it out without help (I can barely get it out myself!).

I've ordered an N-Bone, they're supposedly made of a "safe" material (rice gluten, I think), and have some nutrients as well, I'll let you know what I think of it after I get it.

[jessi76]

Originally Posted by alisiaj78

I'll give the bully sticks a try, does anyone know where I can buy them at a good price? The pet stores charge about a dollar an inch. If I buy them, how much should I let a 45-lb, 6mo old puppy eat in a day? And how often should she eat them?

I don't know about your area, but where I live I pay between $3.99-$5.99 for a 12" bully stick. I always dig through the whole bin to find the thickest ones. I even saw a 2 FT bully stick the other day at the store for about $10.

I let my dog chew on one (12") a week, in spurts. not all at once, or he'd eat the whole thing. let him chew while we eat dinner, then take away, or while I mop the floor, etc... I basically use it to keep him busy while I HAVE to be doing something else. I don't give more than one 12" stick a week though.

another thing i use for chewing, that I forgot to mention, is raw carrot sticks. I get a bag of big ones... peel, trim ends, and let my dog chew on that. it's not a great "chew" - but it does satisfy the need, helps rub some plaque off his teeth, and is a healthy alternative.

I've used those other ones that are rawhide bits, reshaped into a "bone". holy cow those make a royal mess... my dog loved them when he was little, but now it's the very LAST thing to get chewed on. (sort of a "last resort" chew)

[rainbow]

Originally Posted by jessi76

I've used those other ones that are rawhide bits, reshaped into a "bone". holy cow those make a royal mess...

LOL...that's what I said. I was picking out little bits of rawhide that stuck to the carpet for a week.

[technodoll]

I even saw a 2 FT bully stick the other day at the store for about $10.

wow that must have been some BIG bull!

(we all know that bully sticks are actually bull penises, right?)

[rainbow]

Originally Posted by technodoll

wow that must have been some BIG bull!

(we all know that bully sticks are actually bull penises, right?)

Wow, I didn't know that. Awful skinny aren't they?

[technodoll]

well... it's just the "inside bone", not the, er... whole appendage!

[rainbow]

Whew.....thanks for the clarification. But, now, explain the two feet.

[ChancesMom]

Hi!

Yes, I looked it up for you as I could not recall what it was.

It was a Jumbo Greenie Treat.

I was picking up some things from Lucky Vitamin so I just picked it up for him as a special treat... It was $4.99 for one 4 oz Jumbo bone at LuckyVitamin.com

but I see that there are edible nylabones, which are gluten free... not sure how long they last, but they have them at http://www.valleyvet.com a 3 pack of the extra large are under $6. I think that I will pick up a pack myself just to try them out...

I wanted to add about the chewing... Chance was once in a study for a new ball that was supposed to be indestructable as I had signed him up for a dog test program. He destroyed the ball almost immediately and when I reported the results, they never called him for another test... lol!

[technodoll]

a-ha. info on bully sticks (aka pizzle sticks). the cloud of mystery has been lifted, LOL

http://www.answers.com/topic/pizzle

pizzle
Pizzle is an old English word for penis, derived from Low German pesel or Flemish pezel, diminutive of Dutch pees 'sinew'.

Original uses
It is used in heraldry, where the adjective pizzled indicates that part of an animate charge's anatomy, especially if coloured differently.

It is also known, at least since 1523, especially in the combination bull pizzle, to denote a flogging instrument made from a bull's penis - compare bull-whip, and the modern Dutch word bullepees 'bull sinew' which fits a bull pizzle, a term specifying the material is from a bull.

Modern uses
Bull pizzles are almost exclusively used/produced today as auxiliary food for dogs. The pizzles of bulls are cleaned, stretched, twisted and then dried at a very high heat. The result is a very hard, 80-100cm long brown stick, which is then sawn into pieces appropriate for the size of the dog, usually 10-20cm (this process also makes its anatomical origin rather unrecognizable). The bull pizzles are then excellent chewing toys, which are fully digestible. Since they consist mostly of proteins, they can usually be ignored for the daily calory intake of the dog. As is the case for most chewing toys, the dog will clean its teeth by itself during the lengthy chewing process. However, most humans find the smell of a half-chewed bull pizzle rather unpleasant, which is probably the reason why synthetic digestible chewing toys have become increasingly popular and displaced the dried bull prizzle into a niche for dog owners who prefer more natural or organic food for their dogs.

[rainbow]

The pizzles of bulls are cleaned, stretched, twisted and then dried at a very high heat. The result is a very hard, 80-100cm long brown stick, which is then sawn into pieces appropriate for the size of the dog, usually 10-20cm

Never realized they were that long.

[raingirl]

Originally Posted by alisiaj78

I've ordered an N-Bone, they're supposedly made of a "safe" material (rice gluten, I think), and have some nutrients as well, I'll let you know what I think of it after I get it.

personally, I don't recommend the nylabone edible bones at all. They easily break off into HUGE sharp chunks. Sorta like if you have a hard candy or peice of ice, it breaks almost like glass. I don't think they are safe at all.