Stick ouchie

[Candy]

I tried Joy with one of those plastic sticks when she was a pup. I seem to remember that it was also allegedly meat flavoured. No interest whatsoever! What she really wanted to chew was wood. This included the garden furniture.
It was getting a bit old and tatty anyway!

 

[Selina27]

It was getting a bit old and tatty anyway!

I had a couple of old kitchen chairs I happily sacrificed to Cassie's puppy days

 

[HAH]

We have a sacrificial table, piano and three kitchen benches that have given great service to Stilton…

 

[Kelsey]

I bought Snowie an expensive plastic “bone” when he was a puppy. I forget the name, but they’re highly recommended. He was absolutely not interested. He loved sticks!

How about a raw meaty bone for Hugo? Really good for strengthening jaws. And takes time to chew. Snowie gets a raw meaty edible bone (chicken feet, turkey feet, pig tail, ostrich wingtip, chicken head) or something with lots of cartilage (cow trachea, ostrich kneecap) every day as part of his meal.

I was looking at the bones the other day, I usually do bigger bones such as knuckle bones, less worry of choking in my brain, but his teeth aren’t ready for that tough of a bone just yet. I have such a fear of dogs choking on the chicken necks or chicken feet etc. But maybe your knowledge in that area would help ease that worry for me. I worry that he will chew a few times and just swallow it. When he (or Axe wouldl) chew something smaller that they don’t need to use their paws to hold on to, I panic and worry they will swallow it instead of wanting to chew it all up. (I know, I’m crazy, I frustrate myself )

 

[Kelsey]

Maybe that’s my problem, Hugo hasn’t gone for my furniture in a few months, so as soon as he’s outside he goes in to overdrive for sticks

 

[Parodius]

I was looking at the bones the other day, I usually do bigger bones such as knuckle bones, less worry of choking in my brain, but his teeth aren’t ready for that tough of a bone just yet. I have such a fear of dogs choking on the chicken necks or chicken feet etc. But maybe your knowledge in that area would help ease that worry for me. I worry that he will chew a few times and just swallow it. When he (or Axe wouldl) chew something smaller that they don’t need to use their paws to hold on to, I panic and worry they will swallow it instead of wanting to chew it all up. (I know, I’m crazy, I frustrate myself )

You’re not crazy, I worry about this too and Neo hasn’t helped alleviate this on several occasions! When he was younger he swallowed a rabbits ear whole with no attempt to chew whatsoever and fairly recently I tried him with a beef tail with similar results, chewed for a bit then swallowed practically whole. Fortunately he didn’t choke either time but it does put me off giving him certain chewies. I tend to stick to the braided ones with him as pieces tend to come off easier so he’s more inclined to keep working at it rather than just bolting it back. His current favourites are braided lamb skin and braided ostrich tendons. I think it depends on the dog, some are happy to work on something and others (like Neo) want instant gratification!

 

[HAH]

You’re not crazy, I worry about this too and Neo hasn’t helped alleviate this on several occasions! When he was younger he swallowed a rabbits ear whole with no attempt to chew whatsoever and fairly recently I tried him with a beef tail with similar results, chewed for a bit then swallowed practically whole. Fortunately he didn’t choke either time but it does put me off giving him certain chewies. I tend to stick to the braided ones with him as pieces tend to come off easier so he’s more inclined to keep working at it rather than just bolting it back. His current favourites are braided lamb skin and braided ostrich tendons. I think it depends on the dog, some are happy to work on something and others (like Neo) want instant gratification!

Me too @Kelsey and @Parodius , Stilton bolts his chews and we've had a few instances where whatever it was (goat ears, rabbit ears, chicken feet, trachea) has come back up fairly quickly so I've beed avoiding giving them again. We tend to go for beef skin rolls which last a while, but are pretty pricey. I'd love something else a bit longer lasting, but we avoid bones as they're either too hard for his teeth (I'm pretty sure he'd go at them hammer and tongs) or choking risks.

 

[Selina27]

I'd love something else a bit longer lasting

Have you tried the Cotswold Raw chews etc - I get the beef tendons for Cass, it's been known for one to last 45 mins, but they vary in size sometimes only 5! The tails are also good I find.

Sorry Kelsey, probs not available in Canada.

I can't bring myself to get the little furry goat and rabbit ears. I struggle with chicken feet too.

 

[Candy]

Have you tried the Cotswold Raw chews etc - I get the beef tendons for Cass, it's been known for one to last 45 mins, but they vary in size sometimes only 5! The tails are also good I find.

Sorry Kelsey, probs not available in Canada.

I can't bring myself to get the little furry goat and rabbit ears. I struggle with chicken feet too.

Me too with the little furry things and feet!
I found the best things for Joy when teething were frozen stuffed Kongs. I put part of her daily food allowance in it, with fat free natural yogurt and bits of raw vegetables or apple. These kept her busy for quite a while and no worries about choking.
Don't really know why I'm using the past tense here, she still gets one every evening now!

 

[M.F.]

When feeding bones, you must ensure they’re digestible (soft, not weight bearing bones like legs of large animals). And covered in meat. Dogs generally go crunch crunch crunch swallow! They break the bone just so that it can be swallowed. And it’s perfectly safe if it’s encased in meat. Younger dogs tend to take longer when eating meaty bones. Snowie started with 45 mins on a shoulder (I forget whether it was pig or sheep). But eventually it took him a matter of minutes to eat it. The only thing now that he takes a long time to gnaw and chew through are beef tracheas. I think they’re quite springy and don’t break easily, so he has to really chew them well.

Many people recommend guiding young pups on how to eat meaty bones. Some people hold the meaty bone with pliers so that the pup learns to chew and gnaw and not gobble them down. I recall starting Snowie on chicken wings. I tried holding them with pliers at first, but I forget what happened, I’m guessing I gave up and just let him eat then up. Chicken wings are relatively soft bones and shouldn’t cause any harm. Apparently it’s quite common for the bones to come back up in the early days because they don’t chew them well enough. It’s fine; they chew them more and they eventually stay down. It doesn’t take long for the to learn. The “trick” is to ensure the bones are raw, not weight bearing (they must be relatively soft so as not to break teeth), and covered in meat.

Interestingly, when Snowie scavenges and finds chicken bones (on walks, our pavements and promenade are strewn with chicken bones from takeaways), he chews them very well. Perhaps cos they have no meat on them at all. But he is an expert chicken bone scavenger and eater with 12 years of experience!

 

[Selina27]

[

he is an expert chicken bone scavenger

It is interesting. I have always understood that cooked chicken bones to be the most risky for dogs.

 

[Cath]

It is interesting. I have always understood that cooked chicken bones to be the most risky for dogs.

Me too

 

[M.F.]

[

It is interesting. I have always understood that cooked chicken bones to be the most risky for dogs.

I’ve heard this, too. Perhaps these particular bones come from chickens that are so badly raised that their bones are frail and porous. Perhaps an organic free-range chicken would have hard bones, but these are definitely not the chicken bones in the KFC and other takeaways that litter our streets.

Snowie does eat more expensive chicken bones (possibly organic) from time to time when we go for dinner and there is chicken on the menu. I always bring him back the bones, although these always have meat attached, are not scraped dry like the bones in the streets! Thankfully he’s never had a problem. I do make sure he doesn’t eat too much in one go, perhaps just two bones. He once ate a massive bone, I think from a roast mutton. He wasn’t meant to eat it, I thought he’d just gnaw the ends. I was gone for a few minutes and came back and he’d consumed it all! He did chew it into tiny pieces, but it compacted just before his anus opening and caused severe constipation. Had to undergo sedation to have it removed piece by piece by the vet. Since then I am very careful that he does not eat any cooked bones since they seem to be indigestible, except chicken bones.

 

[Kelsey]

Thank you everyone for all the suggestions and information! Much appreciated! When I go to the pet store next I’ll look at everything again, and chat with them about it all. See if we can land on something for me to be brave any just try Bully sticks are good with him but they really don’t last long for how expensive they are.

 

[Beanwood]

Raw chicken bones are fine for dogs, but the problem with cooked chicken bones is that the heating process causes the bones to become brittle with a very real risk of splintering. The actual structure of a chicken bone is also different to say, lamb or beef. They are smaller, thinner and more hollow.

 

[JES72]

I used to give Homer carrots, we started when he was a puppy and he had one after dinner every night until he started getting ill. I’ve heard some people give frozen carrots.

 

[Kelsey]

I used to give Homer carrots, we started when he was a puppy and he had one after dinner every night until he started getting ill. I’ve heard some people give frozen carrots.

Yes, I actually remembered this the other day, I used to give Axel frozen carrots also. I’m going to pick up some Yak Chews today and see how that goes. I like the idea of when it’s too small and becomes a choking hazard, you simply microwave it, then it puffs up so it’s more like a puffy crunchy treat for them to finish it off, therefore no waste unlike the chunks of bully sticks I end up throwing away. I’ll still look in to easy bones. Just working my courage up

My friend gave him a greenie the other day, as she swears by them for her labs teeth, and he did enjoy it but I just don’t see how it helps their teeth? But reviews show they do help with teeth

 

[HAH]

Yes, I actually remembered this the other day, I used to give Axel frozen carrots also. I’m going to pick up some Yak Chews today and see how that goes. I like the idea of when it’s too small and becomes a choking hazard, you simply microwave it, then it puffs up so it’s more like a puffy crunchy treat for them to finish it off, therefore no waste unlike the chunks of bully sticks I end up throwing away. I’ll still look in to easy bones. Just working my courage up

My friend gave him a greenie the other day, as she swears by them for her labs teeth, and he did enjoy it but I just don’t see how it helps their teeth? But reviews show they do help with teeth

What’s a greenie please? Makes me think of a bogey which can’t be right…

 

[Kelsey]

What’s a greenie please? Makes me think of a bogey which can’t be right…

These are greenies! They are fairly soft, and bendy, which is why they say they are great for teeth cleaning, as it apparently bends around their gum line as they chew … I don’t know if I totally believe that though. But people really do rave about them!

 

[M.F.]

I’d steer clear of those processed chews. They are so highly processed, I can’t see how they can be nutritionally healthy. Whole carrots seem like a better choice.