What Can My Dog Chew On?

What Can My Dog Chew On?

There are many different opinions on what you should, and should never, let your dog chew on.

Dogs chew.

It is mentally satisfying for them and good for their oral health.

There are many options for things you can give your dog so they can practice this healthy habit.

I will list them out and let you know my experience with them below.

Essentially, every dog is an individual and will handle different chews differently.

You should be thoughtful in choosing items that suit your dog and should supervise closely the first few times you give a new chew.

Just like with toys (like rope toys) there are some chews I am more comfortable giving supervised, and ones I will give my dogs before I leave for a long day.

As a reference, my dogs are: Chloe 14yo, 65 lbs mix; Riley 7yo 55 lbs mix; and Ziva 6mo German Shepherd

Alright, here are some popular options.

Artificial bones: Nylabone, Benebone etc.

My dogs look at me sideways if I offer them one of these. They get no response when we walk past them at the pet supply store. For this reason, I don’t buy them. Personally, I think it is weird to encourage dogs to chew on plastic. I know plenty of dogs who will chew on these things, but not mine. I prefer natural product options. Some of these chews are softer than others, but all of them are hard if not impossible to break teeth on.

Rawhide

This one is a hot topic. Lot of people hate hate hate it and recommend people never give it to their dogs. They have a point. Rawhide is indigestible and can be made with some nasty chemicals. Basically, rawhide goes out the way it went in... if that’s an option. My personal experience is that Chloe chews it enough to soften it then tries to swallow it whole. That will get stuck in her system and she has to throw it up or have it removed. Chloe never gets rawhide. There are options that don’t use such scary chemicals and that even pre-shred the hide then stick it back together so that it comes apart in little pieces that are more likely to pass through a dog's system. Some dogs chew little bits off at a time and are at very low risk of an impaction. If you want to give it a try, watch your dog closely the first few times you give it and see what they do. These chews also have a low risk of breaking teeth.

There is a product called No-Hide that looks like a rawhide chew but is made of rice. Dogs love it but It doesn’t last very long and is expensive in my opinion. It doesn’t really check the box of long-lasting, which is a priority to me when it comes to chews.

Wood

I recently found wood chews and my dogs are pretty big fans. I got a puppy recently so I was trying out all the things. It lasted a good long while, then all three dogs ganged up on it and had it gone in a few days. They all seemed quite happy with the way it felt as they chewed it. So Chloe, Riley and Ziva approved. I liked the driftwood chew best. It didn’t splinter and was a nice smooth shape. They didn’t seem to ingest the wood. This is another soft, teeth safe chew.

Antler

My dogs have always liked antlers. Antlers are hard, so some dogs could crack teeth on them. I have known about split antlers for a while but never wanted to pay for them. My dogs are large, so I need big things to chew. The split antlers are amazing. My dogs love them, way more than the whole antlers. The inside of the antler is porous and soft so they can carve out the middle and leave the hard exterior. This greatly lowers the chance of breaking a tooth and makes them safer for puppy teeth. Again, Chloe, Riley and Ziva Approved.

Horn

I have a water buffalo horn that has been around for 6 months or so. It stands up well but isn’t super hard, just thick. My dogs go through phases where they chew on it a lot then it gets forgotten for a while. Chloe hasn’t been as into it…Riley and Ziva approved for sure.

Hoof

Ziva liked the hoof I gave her. She actually went and buried it. Chloe crunched hers into little hard pieces and began to swallow the shards. Riley crunched his, and didn’t eat the pieces. If you have a heavy chewer, make sure you get really thick hooves, or avoid these. They were nice for puppy teeth, but too risky to have in my house. Loved the price of them!

Ears

I fell in love with pig ears when I got Ziva. They kept her busy and quiet, were long lasting and cheap! They don’t stand up well to adult teeth but all my dogs love them. They are digestible, so pretty safe, but too much at once or on a full belly can upset your pup. My adult dogs finish them in under 5 minutes now.

Bully Sticks

Another puppy favorite. Some people call them puppy babysitters. Beloved by all, they are just too expensive for me to give them often. You also have to worry a bit about your dog swallowing it once they chew it down small enough. I usually miss that window and they eat the end. It has gone fine so far, but it is a choking hazard. They make toys you can put the bully sticks in that hold one end and prevent your dog swallowing it, but I haven’t bought one yet. These stand up well even to adult teeth. Plus they come in many different sizes and shapes to suit everyone.

There is a bully look-a-like out there that is actually the dried trachea. These are much less dense. They can work for puppies but my adult dogs chomp them like a snack, kind of messing up the chew object idea.

Bones: Shrink wrapped or in the freezer

I love raw bones. The ones you find in the freezer. That natural marrow is enticing and healthy for your dog. The bones themselves are minimally treated so they are relatively soft. That is good news for teeth and lowers the risk of splintering. I don’t give my dogs bones that have been filled or smoked and are shrink wrapped. These items are dryer and harder since they have been cooked and pose a greater risk to teeth. Raw bones are my go-to’s on days I will be gone for a while. My dogs will chew them for hours and hours and carry them around. My house looks like a graveyard I have so many! I occasionally gather them up and refill them with peanut butter or canned dog food and put them in the freezer. Over time they dry out and get harder. I throw them away after a few months, generally.

These are all the chews I can think of for now.

If I missed something let me know and I will add it in!

Just send me an email or message me on Facebook.

Ta ta for now.

-Rowan