Dog Community

He doesn't like his bully stick!

Posted : 8/7/2006 7:00:26 PM

I have done a lot of looking around on this forum about dog chews and right now I am at a loss of what to try with Jimmy James next!

I won't do rawhide, pig ears or greenies. I can't do anything that has rice or is processed because he is allergic to rice and all the processed stuff seem to give him diarrhea. Anything that is too hard he won't chew. He is sort of dysfunctional in that he doesn't seem to know how to "hold" the bone between his feet to keep it steady for chewing. I have held it for him and moved his legs in a position to show him how to hold it and it doesn't seem to work.

I went to the store today and picked up a bully stick since I had heard so many folks mention that their dogs love them. . . and JJ lost interest in less than 5 minutes! I also got him some things called Texas Toothpicks. They are beef tails and they are by Merrick but he didn't even finish 1 small one and then when I turned my back he went after my bagel with cream cheese. [sm=no%20no%20smiley.gif]

I would really like to find him something safe that he enjoys chewing on to help his teeth. I brush them but I think he needs more than that.

A couple things I have been considering are:
some raw bones (but I am way to chicken to give chicken wings so maybe beef bones???) unsure if these are going to be too hard for him to hold and chew?

or

The CET chews by Virbac- but are these really safe???

Any suggestions you have would be wonderful!
Thanks in advance!

Vinia

Posted : 8/7/2006 7:28:41 PM

My dog had trouble figuring out how to holding bones too- I found that buying bigger beef bones made it easy for her because they tend to be easier to hold than the skinny bullysticks, and with some she doesn't need to hold them up at all.
I think they're worth a shot, anyway [

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Good luck!

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Posted : 8/7/2006 7:42:38 PM

Cow hooves, you can also fill them with peanut butter and freeze them

Julitza

Posted : 8/7/2006 10:00:03 PM

I wouldnt even bother giving one to Lizzie, shes a weirdo when it comes to chewing [&:]

But is there a reason you dont want to give chicken bones? I give Lizzie the ocassional chicken Drumstick with bone and everything and she crunches it right up with no problems

sandra_slayton

Posted : 8/7/2006 10:32:46 PM

Maybe that is a smart dog. A bully stick is NOTHING I would want to eat! And according to my hubby, I eat most anything--liver, gizzards, chicken hearts, etc.

loveukaykay

Posted : 8/8/2006 12:18:07 AM

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Edie

Posted : 8/8/2006 12:20:54 AM

A bully stick is NOTHING I would want to eat!

There's lots of things my dogs love that i wouldnt eat..Raw green tripe being just one of them [

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My dogs devour bully sticks in 5 minutes flat,i have to get the heavy duty braided kinds,and even then they dont last long. Give me a big ole' knuckle bone anyday [

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jjsmom i secomd Julitza's question,why dont you want to give chicken bones? They are the best bones to start off with IMO.They are soft,pliable,excellent for teeth cleaning and easy for them to eat.

jacketmowitz

Posted : 8/8/2006 11:18:46 AM

My Mini Schnauzers loved bully sticks but one would always gulp hers which led to a competition between the two of them to see who could finish hers first and steal the other dog's stick. Silly dogs would try to ingest pieces well over an inch long. I think it was somewhere on this forum that I read the suggestion to give soup stock (marrow) bones from the meat department at the grocery. You can get them for $1.69 - $1.89 per pound. The sizes vary. Some meat departments will cut them down, others won't. You can freeze them, use them and refreeze them. They can be messy but not much messier than a bully stick and they smell a lot better once they've been chewed.

jjsmom06

Posted : 8/8/2006 11:56:27 AM

Thanks everyone for all your advice!

To answer the question about the chicken bones. . .He has food allergies and I haven't ruled chicken out as one of the foods he is allergic too. Also, he doesn't chew his food well and tends to gulp it and I use to work with someone who had more thn a $1000 worth of vet bills after the dog had problems with ingesting raw chicken wings. I don't remember all the details and I don't work with that person anymore so I can't ask. I know that so many people on this forum feed them with no problem, but this just isn't something I am willing to do especially in light of teh food allergies.

I wouldn't mind doing some raw beef bones that were big enough that he woduln't try to gulp and swallow them. Maybe I will try the marrow bones or some of the bones that Amy suggested on the natural pet website. Do the dogs actually ingest the beef bones or do they just chew on them??

Thanks again for all the great suggestions! My female foster is coming home to live with us on Friday so maybe she will like the bully stick. . .JJ just wants to attack it and play with it! [

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sillysally

Posted : 8/8/2006 12:46:30 PM

Sally says not to fret--SHE will take the bullet for Jimmy James and eat that nasty 'ol bully stick for him...

micksmom

Posted : 8/8/2006 2:58:16 PM

How about sweet potato chews? Mick loved them. An added bonus is the don't smell the way bully sticks and cow hooves do.

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jjsmom06

Posted : 8/8/2006 7:52:28 PM

Tell Sally I will mail the bully to her if the new foster Prudence doesn't like it! [sm=biggrin.gif]

Micksmom- I tried those sweet potato chews with Jimmy James a month or two ago (both the big chews slices and the little stick things). He ate the first couple I gave him (and then had orange diarrhea- sorry to be gross!) and then he just wouldn't eat anymore. I finally had to give them to my stepson for his little girl doggie.

I am considering the CET chews but I am just not sure they are safe (can't seem to find much about them).

jennie_c_d

Posted : 8/8/2006 8:06:21 PM

CET chews are rawhide.

Jimmy James sounds like a very sensitive guy! It might be better to wait til you get his tummy figured out, to start looking for a good chew.

The only thing that I've found that lasts any amount of time, and doesn't upset my super sensitive dog is Nylabone Fruit Bones. I hate to give them to her, b/c it goes against every normal thought in my head, but she HAS to chew something.

jjsmom06

Posted : 8/10/2006 1:00:14 AM

Jennie- see I thought they looked like rawhide but someone told me they weren't . I should assume that they are no safer than your average rawhide then??

I agree about JJ being sensitive. . .will see what happens with time.

That said. . . there may be hope for the bully stick yet!

Tonight he started to chew on it. Maybe he is beginning to realize you are suppose to eat it and not attack it??

Siana

Posted : 8/10/2006 1:14:42 AM

ummmm my sugestion?

go to your local Good Will store and get a collection of shoes?

leather ones?

ahhhh nylon?

dress shoes?

hide your REAL ones and give your dog the cheap ones?

I got Sasha a bag of shoes there, got her lots of stuffed animals to gut too. lots of leather belts and things like this as well!

total cost, 9 bucks!

keeps Sasha happy and away from our stuff?

PRICELESS!!!