Dog Community

Chewing -- what to give her?

Posted : 7/4/2006 11:38:22 PM

Dweezil is about 8 months old now, Cairn/Cocker mix. I stopped giving her bully sticks because she devoured them within three days (the 12 inch ones ... and even when I would take them away during the day while I'm gone) ... and her nylabones, she loves them, but doesn't seem as satisfied as when she had something to "eat" off of. So, now she's very interested in pulling things off shelves, grabbing potting soil ... yes she did some of this while she still had "real" things to chew, but now it's getting ridiculous because there's nothing she loves to keep her busy.

What does everyone else give their puppies? She's so A D D ... and I would love to go back to the bully sticks, but it seems like too much to keep putting in her system, and it's also ridiculous to buy two $4 sticks every couple of weeks. Rawhide was nice to give her, but even people who recommend rawhide, there are so many stipulations (made in USA, not basted, etc) that it's really not worth shopping around for the perfect rawhide. HELP!

astaracheetah

Posted : 7/4/2006 11:45:53 PM

I give my dogs raw marrow bones and chicken necks. The marrow bones last a long time.. they chew on them for a week or two before I have to replace them with a new one.

bichinpanda

Posted : 7/4/2006 11:57:46 PM

are the marrow bones the hard bones with the gap in the middle that are sometimes filled? she has one of those, and because it's kind of smooth and she can't really bite anything off, she really just doesn't touch it. unless there are more textured ones? or maybe it's just too big for her ...

loveukaykay

Posted : 7/5/2006 12:55:34 AM

A raw bone is the kind with some meat on the outside and marrow in the middle. You can freeze it and then give it which will take longer. She may not do much with it until it starts to thaw a little... but she will stay busy with this! Make sure its raw. No cooked bones. Its generally not much meat at all on the outside but they spend forever pulling every piece off. Natures Variety makes them or you can ask the grocer but to start I would look for the kind already ready for you so you know what you need.

They have a busy dog ball or other types of things you can fill to keep their interest while they try to get the treats out.

You can fill kongs and empty raw bones with all sorts of good stuff and freeze it before giving it.

sillysally

Posted : 7/5/2006 1:16:01 AM

I give Sally raw marrow bones/knukles or Nylabones if it is just for chewing. She throws up rawhide and is allergic to wheat, so that leaves us with few options. She likes the Zukes dental bones. I give her bully sticks as well, but they don't last long.

Even after all the yummy stuff is gone from the marrow bones she still chews on them.

mondayblues

Posted : 7/5/2006 5:10:51 AM

ORIGINAL: loveukaykay
A raw bone is the kind with some meat on the outside and marrow in the middle. You can freeze it and then give it which will take longer. She may not do much with it until it starts to thaw a little... but she will stay busy with this! Make sure its raw. No cooked bones.

Why can't you give dogs cooked marrow bones? What if you boil it a little?

Julitza

Posted : 7/5/2006 6:07:01 AM

If you give your dogs boiled or cooked bones you can actually kill them because cooked bones can become brittle and break.

brookcove

Posted : 7/5/2006 6:58:58 AM

My current favorite for puppies is pork necks. They chew for hours, because they can get just a teeny bit of bone off if they work really hard, and eventually eat all but a little nub (which Maggie finishes off - pork bones are just cookies to her).

Beef bones are better for hard chewers - I like beef ribs because there's a lot of meat and connective tissue there to gnaw off, which is great for growing puppies. They'll gnaw enough bone off to balance the meat, and again it will take hours and blessed hours.

Actually, my hooligan is reminding me that it's bone time right now . . .[sm=rofl.gif]

sillysally

Posted : 7/5/2006 11:52:27 AM

Please don't give you dog any kind of cooked or boiled bone. I almost lost Sally from a cooked bone.

loveukaykay

Posted : 7/5/2006 1:27:31 PM

Cooked bones splinter and break off in sharp pieces... not only that but are not easily digested if at all so its a good chance a splintered piece could travel all the way out the other end still pointy like it was when it went in. This is very dangerous for them and can kill them.

Raw bones are much harder to get a piece off in the first place but if your dog does get a piece the body turns it into a jelly like consistency as it disgests it very quickly. You still want to be there because choking is always a possibility as with anything they chew.

loveukaykay

Posted : 7/5/2006 1:28:14 PM

Even boiling it just a little begins to change the chemical makeup and allows it to splinter and not be digested easily.

Kara

Posted : 7/5/2006 2:58:39 PM

Cow hooves are very firm and they don't seem to lose their taste.

Margaret Tyler

Posted : 7/5/2006 3:51:35 PM

Hooves and raw bones are great. I also like Booda Corn Starch bones, but my dog does go through 1 weekly and their about $4.00 a piece. Pedigree makes soy protien bones called dentabones, but read the ingredient before you buy, because some of them contain BHT and BHA, which is a cancer causing preservative, so read carefully.

Over all raw bones are probably the healthiest.

sillysally

Posted : 7/5/2006 3:53:07 PM

Be warned though--the hooves STINK!

Karen

Posted : 7/5/2006 3:53:58 PM

Depends where you live you could ask a butcher, you can also get them cut in half to make them smaller.

My boy loves his marrow bones they keep him out of trouble for ages.