Chews

[D'Elle]

I would love to give my dogs something to chew on, as I know they both enjoy that, and I would also like the good it would do their teeth since I don't brush their teeth as often as I should. But I'm picky about what to give them.

I don't want anything from which they will  swallow pieces unless it is safe in terms of not having any sharp edges, healthy (without chemicals or other  unnatural ingredients and not plastic), will last long enough to do their teeth some good, is made in the USA (fearful stories have come from people who gave non-american chews to their dogs) and won't break their teeth. Rawhides are out, of course. I know antlers can break teeth. I do not have a good place for them to chew raw bones.  I have heard that beef pizzles are good, but so far have not found any that do not have chemicals in them except for one which had many bad reviews. 

I imagine letting these dogs (two 20-25lb non-border collies) chew on them for a while each day, or every other day,  never leaving them alone with one, and not letting the chew session go on more than  10 minutes or so. It would be helpful if the entire thing were not consumed in that amount of time, since I know they are likely to be expensive.  Maybe I am asking for too much and what I want doesn't exist.  Any suggestions? Thanks.

[gcv-border]

Not sure how long these last, but this company sources USA and doesn't use chemicals. These seem to fit your criteria. I have not used them but am impressed by how 'clean' they seem based on their marketing claims. I just bought the large cow ears, which I cut in 1/2 before giving to my dogs (4). They lasted about 10-20 minutes depending on which dog.

https://smile.amazon.com/Sancho-Lolas-6-inch-Grain-Free-Boutique/dp/B01HK470B0/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=3S9WZKXNIU4ZG&dchild=1&keywords=sancho+and+lola&qid=1613677929&sprefix=sancho%2Caps%2C265&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExQ1U1QzgwTkhVTzRXJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNjcwMzE1MTlPOTRHMTVYWDc0RyZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNjIyMzIwMUdTMkJTVFoyNk8yTiZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

[Sarah S]

My dog loves Himalayan yak cheese chews. They are a bit pricey, but they last her several days (although she is not a super strong chewer). They seem to be pretty digestible compared to other things. Rarely, she swallows a piece that is a bit too big for her, but she is able to vomit it up without further incident. Might be worth a try!

[mseaver]

If "Greenies Dental Treats" by Mars Petcare US / Mars Canada are a product that can be found in your community, is this something you might consider adding to your pantry?

Said to be formulated to AAFCO Dog Food Profiles for adult dog maintenance.  Ingredients and nutritional info below:

   https://www.greenies.ca/dog-treats/dental-treats/greenies-original-petite-dog-dental-treats

For my 48lb BC, I purchase the "Petite" (15-25lb) size instead of "Regular" (25-50lb).  Partly for economy and partly because the larger chews become apparent in stools.  Consistency of the chews is dense enough that breaking or cutting larger versions into sections is inconvenient.

Chew time is perhaps 3-5 min.  I do not hover over him while he chews it, but I remain in earshot - alert for unusual sounds.  I offer one chew every two-three days.  The petite size has 56kcal/serving.

I provide Greenies to supplement the Royal Canin Dental (Medium) kibble that forms a part of the selection of dry foods provided daily.

For my Aussie, I used to alternate between Greenies and another chew called "Tartar Shield Soft Rawhide Chews for Dogs" that I sourced from my Vet at the time.  Tartar Shield are a hollow tubular dry substance, perhaps 1/2" OD x 10" long.  They came in Small and Large.  I bought the Large size, broke the sticks in two and served a half pc at a time.

   https://tartarshield.com/

My BC has not had Tartar Shield because I no longer deal with that Vet and I have not seen the chews in my subsequent travels.  If I came across them, I would have no concerns about serving these chews to the BC.

[D'Elle]

Thanks, gvc-border. I am looking into those. They look as though they might be what I am seeking, although very expensive. If they last a while it would be worth it, though. Thanks!   

mseaver, I don't want to give anything rawhide, as I mentioned in my post. I did look at greenies in my search, but decided that they would get chewed down into pieces too fast, and there are many reports of dogs getting pieces lodged in their esophagus or stomach. Since one of my dogs is a food-inhaler, I don't want to risk that. But thanks for the reply in any case.  :-)

[diane allen]

I too don't like most commercial chewie things.

Kongs are my "go to" - various sizes, various "toughness."  Fill with cream cheese, peanut butter, yogurt, cottage cheese, pieces of kibble mixed in and freeze.  Hard chewers can actually chew pieces off - but it takes some serious chewing!  

diane

[mseaver]

7 hours ago, D'Elle said:

mseaver, I don't want to give anything rawhide, as I mentioned in my post.

Just to be clear, "Tartar Shield" chews have a shape and consistency that is a lot like "Piroulines", DeBeukelaer's rolled sweet wafer biscuits for people.

   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirouline

They are not at all like the petrified sheets of leather one usually thinks of when Raw Hide chews are discussed

[D'Elle]

Diane, does a kong help with keeping teeth clean?

mseaver, thanks for the clarification.

[gcv-border]

My dogs do more licking of the traditional Kongs (cone-shaped with hollow interior) than actual chewing. I do think that the Kong company makes other chew toys that may fit the gnaw/chew category.

[Meghan]

We've used beef pizzels/pig ears etc and our dog loves them but gets through them too quickly and has on occasion swallowed a larger end piece when we didn't manage to get it off him quick enough. We've found some that are 1m long which are great as we don't have to worry about him swallowing it, but they are hard to come by. What we are using now is an olivewood dog chew stick - they don't splinter and are really long lasting, they've really helped our pup through his teething stages!

[diane allen]

D'Elle:  I don't think the Kongs in general do much for teeth, though at least they don't harm the teeth!  I brush daily - yeah, it's a PITA, and it takes awhile for young dogs to adapt.  I have a youngster now, who, for a week, just licked the dog toothpaste off the brush. He's now to the point of letting me swipe at his canines.  By the time he gets his adult teeth, I think we'll have it down.

I just see the "licking" Kongs as an attention diverter (from other things he shouldn't chew!), and brushing to take care of teeth.  

diane

[Lawgirl]

If you are concerned about antlers having a risk of breaking teeth, have you considered something like goat's horn?  It is softer (it took my dogs about a day to chew up instead of days to weeks like antlers do) but should also do the job to help keep teeth clean.  It is a little more smelly than antlers and not naturally shed.  This may be worth researching.

[D'Elle]

Goat's horn. Never would have thought of that. Might be worth looking into. thanks!

[alligande]

My border collies can make beef skin strips last for ages. I don’t have a source for you as I buy it locally but it’s simply dried strips of beef skin.