Nearly two months ago I wrote a post about a
prize I had received from BestBullySticks. If you recall, at post time, Jon Farleigh - in only 24 hours - had nearly devoured an entire
large-sized deer antler, and that I was waiting for
both antlers to be completely chewed before bringing out the bully sticks.
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Our prize loot from BestBullySticks (chewy antlers and bully sticks) |
Well, guess what?
The dogs finished the one antler and then promptly lost interest in the other. It's still here - unchewed. *sigh* So after about a month of waiting for one of them to regain interest - with no luck - I held my breath, swallowed real hard and dolled out the bully sticks (2, 6-inch braids).
After some gagging and excessive salivation (me - not the dogs), both bully sticks were completely chewed (and devoured) within one hour. No exaggeration. Probably not the best choice for my power chewers. (I have to admit that I'm a little relieved about the bully stick fail :-).)
So what does one give a couple of Corgis with serious chompers to chew on that will last longer then a day or two?
We've tried USA-made rawhides with mixed results. Jon Farleigh can motor through these in a couple days, too, and Dewi has a tendency to bite off chunks and swallow them (which makes me really nervous).
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Pressed Rawhide |
I've used pressed rawhide in the past with Molly (my first dog), so a couple weeks ago I purchased two 8-inch bones (from a high-end dog treat retailer). At $1.89 each, they were a steal. It took Jon Farleigh and Dewi about a week to get through them. Not too bad!
The dogs never lost interest and there were no large sheets (of soft rawhide) to worry about anyone swallowing (although when Dewi got down to the last softened bit of his, he swallowed it whole; thankfully it was small and went down easily). I just wish I could find pressed rawhide that's made in the USA.
And then there are raw beef marrow bones.
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NomNomNom |
I've been giving them to the dogs (about once every 3-4 weeks) for several months. I buy them in two-packs at my local grocery store (fresh from the butcher) for about $1.65 a pack. The dogs get them in the kitchen (on hardwood floors) raw. I've tried to keep them on a towel, but it just wasn't worth the fight. (So, yes, I have to wipe up the mess.)
The dogs clean the meat off the bones first and then go for the marrow. This, alone, can take a few hours. If they get tired, I take the bones, wrap them up, refrigerate and then give them back the next day. Once the marrow is gone, the dogs have the bones to chew for several more days. They love them! And for the price, convenience, nutritional value and longevity, so do I.
So yeah, I'll be skipping the bully sticks and antlers (unless we score some more free ones) and opting for the raw bones and pressed rawhides ('til the boys get tired of them, too). And in case you might be wondering, they also like a good Kong or cotton rope to chew on. :) (Everything else gets shredded.)
Has anyone had luck with something else for a power chewer that I've missed?
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Have a great weekend!