K9 Instinct: Holisitic Dog Health Care Blog
  • Home
  • Shop
  • Nutrition
  • Testimonials
  • Blog

Long lasting treats for your dog to chew on! (Dog Chews)

1/20/2013

21 Comments

 
Picture
We love to keep our dogs busy and the old saying is true: A tired dog is a good dog! When we pair good, age-appropriate exercise with mentally stimulating things to chew on in the house, we can create balance and stability in our canine companions. Giving your dog something to chew on is a great way to entertain them on a instinctual level. Dogs were born to chew bones and antlers, that is what wolves and other wild canines entertain themselves with in the wilderness!

The best long lasting chews are ones that are healthy, grain-free, perhaps single ingredient and easy to digest. They should be made within North America to ensure quality, and should be wheat, corn and soy free!

Elk antlers
and deer antlers are excellent choices for long lasting chews. I've had one that lasted approximately 8 months, but the length in which they last depends entirely on each individual dog. Elk and deer antlers are easy to digest, contain a spongy marrow in the center, are 100% all natural, taste great, don't leave a mess or stain, and are full of vitamins and minerals! It is also fair to mention that elk and deer antlers look pretty cool on your floor!
Bully sticks are one of my favourite options, as they are single ingredient treats made from 100% pure beef muscle (beef pizzle). They are 100% digestible protein and can be given in place of rawhide. They are long lasting, tasty and help promote clean teeth!

Beef tendons, much like bully sticks, are 100% pure digestible protein. These treats are made from the Achilles tendon of cattle, and last fairly long. They are single-protein treats as well, which it good for dogs with sensitive stomachs or food allergies.

Raw knuckle bones and marrow bones are very long lasting, delicious and nutritious chews. Make sure you get the raw bones from a safe local supplier such as a butcher or raw food business. Get a bone sized appropriate for your dog, you don't want them to be able to swallow it or break it apart and swallow the pieces. Raw bones are safe, but some dogs tend to try to crack bones in half and may damage their teeth. This goes for any hard chew, so keep watch and make sure you dog is chewing and gnawing as opposed to trying to break it and swallow it.
Beef trachea chews are lean pieces of cartilage and meat that when dried make for a crunchy, healthy chew that lasts almost as long as a bully stick. This is once again a single ingredient, pure protein treat that is great for dogs with food sensitivities.

Z-Bones by Zukes are healthy alternatives to poor quality dental chews like Greenies, DentaStix or the VET brands. These are grain-free, whole food ingredient treat bones that will last longer than regular treats. Depending on the dog, they can last from 5 to 15 minutes. You also have the benefit of herbs and beta-carotene with the Z-Bones!

Giving your dog something to chew on relieves boredom, helps promote clean teeth, can be a source of nutrition and exercises their genetic instinct to chew on something! A variety of different chews on rotation can prove to be very rewarding and exciting for your dog!


Want to make dramatic positive changes with your dog's nutrition? K9 Instinct provides a collection of great canine diet and nutrition eBooks to help you keep your dog healthy and strong!

Angel
K9 Instinct
www.k9instinct.com


21 Comments
Amelia
3/14/2013 04:41:40 am

My 12 week old puppy is doing a ton of chewing and teething. She has lots of toys and chews on them, but she gets bored quickly and loves to chew on things that are pretty hard. Are any of these options safe for puppies? Thanks!

Reply
Fiona
8/22/2013 04:40:25 am

I gave my dog the deer antlers when she was around 12 weeks, on the advice of my vet. She still loves them, but it helps if you run hot water over them first. It brings out the "flavour". Bully sticks are her favourite though and they were safe for her as a puppy too.

Reply
fiona
8/22/2013 04:41:07 am

LOL your post was from March! I guess your dog isn't a puppy anymore :)

Patricia Abel
3/21/2013 09:35:35 am

This is really a great website for dogs, just found it and I love it.

Reply
Ashley
5/30/2013 02:36:54 pm

Another healthy chewing option that I've found for my heavy chewer are cattle hooves. I've bought a lot of chew options including antlers and bones, and her favorite by far are hooves. Fortunately, they are long lasting (avg. 2-4 weeks per hoof) and dirt cheap (under 50 cents per hoof in bulk). Best bulk price I've found is Dr. Foster and Smith: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=348

Reply
Ken link
6/21/2013 09:17:05 pm

I just ordered some trachea and Z-bones based on your advice. I'd read about trachea in previous articles you wrote, had wanted to try it. Concur on pizzle sticks. Our local Maxi Zoo (we live in Europe) carries the MultiFit brand in 3', 10" and 5" varities. We now have 2 GSDs, 16-months and 2.5-months. Th 16-month old has been getting them for training and pleasure since he was 2.5-months with no negative effects. When we catch them chewing the wrong things (our wooden kitchen chair legs come to mind) it's "No" then "Stick" for pizzle stick and then I reward them with the pizzle stick, sometimes playing with them with it (a little stick tug-of-war) and for the next 15-30 minutes it's happy dog time. We learned not to give them these too late at night as they make them thirsty--the 16-month old lets me know this by walking over to the bed and putting that cold wet nose in my ear ;-)

Reply
Tina
6/22/2013 05:15:17 am

Three of the poodles and the Sib loves bones and chewies. My fourth poodle, the silver toy (my mostly formally Mr. Picky eater) just doesn't get it, he plays a little with bones and chewies and never finishes them. Guess I just have to keep giving him bones and chewies and hope he finally gets it? Suggestions?

Reply
Marianne
8/22/2013 02:16:17 am

I had a plastic toy that wore down her cainines they are flat. I bought the deer antlers but am concerned they will wear down her teeth further. Any thoughts on this..

Reply
Dana
8/31/2013 01:04:29 am

I have a pit bull. I haven't found a treat that will last longer than a week for him. He tends to chew obsess so I often have to take them away from him before he can finish them. Are any of these option super tough and long lasting?

Reply
Susan
11/23/2013 04:04:02 am

Himalayan dog chews are super long lasting. Made from yak milk.

Reply
Gabby
2/26/2014 05:13:11 am

I give my belgian malinois puppy The Tank bone by Merrick (a brand I trust because my dad has been inside the factory that makes the food before) and he loves it. [: it's just a knucklebone that has been smoked for flavor and still has pieces of beef on it. His teeth are clean and bright white. I plan on giving my older dog one to try as well since her teeth are getting bad. I have high hopes it'll help her teeth and gums. You can get them at Petco so if you shop there I recommend the brand! ^^

Reply
Cheryl & Sophie
10/8/2014 02:11:13 pm

Would love to try the tank bone and other similar things from America but light carpet no fenced yard... Sophie does love Pizzle sticks rings and such, have given her roasted duck feet by Merrick, will be 3 in January and her teeth look good.

Reply
Cheryl & Sophie
10/8/2014 02:15:24 pm

She also loves hooves, Himalayan chews, antlers and such. She gets buffalo Esphagus when I am grinding nails after her baths.

Mary Lou
6/25/2014 07:35:24 am

I just adopted a 5 yr old GSD. I bought her a bully stick, but she had diarrhea the next day. Do you have other suggestions for a dog with a sensitive stomach. Love your articles thanks for all you do

Reply
Christine
2/5/2015 04:49:17 am

My 5 yr old GSD has the same issue. The only thing she can chew without problems are the deer antlers.

Reply
maggie
2/5/2015 02:15:07 am

Kneecaps raw from the butcher!!!! You will NEVER have to have their teeth cleaned guaranteed....make sure raw bones are not weight bearing bones such as femurs.

Reply
Ann
2/5/2015 04:52:02 am

have any of these chews been tested on Australian Cattle Dogs? I have 2 of them and the strongest chews I can find in Australia last about 1 - 2 hours tops. So if I can find something's that lasts longer I'll give it a try

Reply
Elisha Smith
5/17/2015 11:47:53 am

having an english mastiff pup - i am paranoid that he will swallow the chews

Reply
beverly link
3/13/2017 08:54:41 am

i need a resapie to make long lasting treats bc i'm making a dog kong toy thats eadable for my invetion so i need a long lasting hard treat so can u get back to me really soon thank u

Reply
Don S Ferguson
12/5/2017 05:07:25 am

Does deer antlers get sold in the UK

Reply
Gregory Mobley link
10/19/2022 07:33:57 am

Get a bone sized appropriate for your dog, you don't want them to be able to swallow it or break it apart and swallow the pieces. Raw bones are safe, Thank you for taking the time to write a great post!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Follow me on Youtube for more amazing content!
    Picture

    A Guide to Raw Feeding eBook

    Picture
    Proudly fueled by Iron Will Raw Dog Food!

    It Takes A Village Dog Training

    Remote training & in person training for Cornwall, Ontario, Canada.

    Amber is an AbsoluteDogs Certified Pro Dog Trainer, Do More With Your Dog! Certified Trick Dog Instructor and Canine Conditioning Fitness Coach, and Dognostics certified Canine Enrichment Technician.

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Bonding
    Chews
    Dental Health
    Diet
    Disease
    Dog Products & Reviews
    Dog Training
    Do It Yourself
    Ebook
    Exercise
    Feel Good Stories
    Flea And Tick
    Health
    Holidays
    Homemade Diet
    Homemade Treats
    Hunter
    Just For Fun
    Natural Remedies
    New Puppy
    News
    Nutrition
    Raw Food Diet
    Real Food
    Socialization
    Supplements
    Treats
    Vaccines


    Looking for a reputable breeder of pet rats in Ontario? Check out Cloverfield Rattery!
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.