Friday, July 8, 2011

Jon Farleigh and Dewi Weigh in on Their Favorite (Edible) Chewies

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. 

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).

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.

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?

*****

Have a great weekend!

15 comments:

  1. I got the split antlers (medium sized) from Hang Ten K-9 and they have lasted three weeks so far. It's the only thing the baddogs don't take out the dog door -- they keep their antler splits inside. They hide them and then get them back out for chewing. I'm not sure why my Cardis love them best, but they do.

    We can't do anything with stuffing -- creates major drifts. The other thing they really like is the firewood which I continually put back up on the wood rack.

    So the best to JF and Dewi from the Jaws (a/k/a baddogs)

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  2. It's always interesting to see with the little pooters will enjoy and what they'll turn their noses up at it, isn't it?

    That's why I keep suggesting someone start a dog toy rental business. Where you can rent some pricey dog toy and test out if your dog likes it before spending the money on your own. Any entrepreneurs out there? I'd use it.

    I sometimes buy marrow bones but I find that Honey is even able to break off pieces of those and I have to watch her carefully. But if I can get some that have pretty thick walls, they're as good as Kongs for stuffing with peanut butter and other treats.

    I'm been too scared to use any kind of rawhide. Especially after Honey's squeqkertoyectomy when she was 6 months old. But she loves nylabones. Have your fellas tried them?

    Oh, and if you have a stray antler hanging around, why don't you have a contest and give it away to a reader? I bet you'd find lots of curious folks willing to try it out.

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  3. Please please please do not give them the marrow bones!! The weight bearing bones of large ungulates (is that the right spelling? - Cows, Bison, Buffallo, etc) are meant to withstand over a thousand pounds of weight. They can, and will, break, crack, and shatter your dogs teeth.
    Many people give beef rib bones as recreational chewing bones. They are softer, and non-weight bearing, although some dogs have still broken teeth on them.

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  4. I would suggest a different type of antler. Not the ones processed for dogs but the cut offs from show piece antlers. You can buy them on ebay Don't know what they do to them when they process them and make them dog friendly but it seems to make them soft. The real ones last for months around here and we have 3 cardigan power house chewers.

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  5. I agree with Alta, I'd try a different antler. I get mine from etsy usually and they last for months and months.

    This is one I've ordered before:
    http://www.etsy.com/listing/61020608/large-half-antler-dog-chew-sized-for

    I've also ordered from here:
    http://www.etsy.com/shop/WSPuppyeyes?page=1

    The other staples I order from bestbullysticks are Merrick "Miss Porky" ears (these are huge), pork skin rolls (these are a little greasy), and Himalayan yak cheese. The cheese is more for a treat though as the XL size doesn't usually last more than a day or two, and it's not exactly cheap.

    For a quicker chew they get bully sticks, bladder sticks, tracheas, or the flat dry cow ears. They're not spoiled at all though! haha

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  6. Marrow bones here -- on the recommendation of their breeder and with whole-hearted approval of their veterinarian. Pumpkin flew home with me with a bone nearly the same size and she was inside her carrier! The only problem with the bones is that I have to keep the girls separated until most all of the goodness is off the bones or Pumpkin will FIGHT Darby for BOTH bones. I've had good luck with antlers lasting a long time, too, but they are much more expensive than the marrow bones.

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  7. To "Grandiose's" point -- my daughter's dog did break a tooth on a marrow bone, but one of our Golden Retrievers broke a tooth on the rocks she loved to chew! Dogs do chew and sometimes they break teeth -- just like I did crunching down on a piece of almond shell. I think it is good to get lots of opinions before making decisions. Grandiose and I both love our dogs! We just view marrow bones differently!

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  8. I'll do the marrow bones every few weeks as well. I love how cheap they are, and my pups like them frozen (which lasts even longer!). Lucky for me, once they've cleaned all the marrow off they are done with the bone, but they aren't professional chewers like Dewi or Jon Farleigh!

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  9. They are yummmE but nothing lasts long enough for us. Thank you for that review
    Benny & Lily

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  10. Marrow bones cause issues at our house...Rufus is so determined that HE is the only one deserving that he will take Nick's plus his own and then guard them jealously. Not worth the hassle.

    Rufus is a power chewer - he has chewed through Nylabones plus the "indestructible" Kongs for power chewers. Gulp.

    Dina had given us some rolled pressed rawhide rolls from White Bone Dog Co. that lasted forever so I picked up a bag at the dog show the other weekend. They LOVE those. Next time I see you, I'll give you a few to try out.

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  11. The rolled pressed rawhide from White Dog Bone is a perennial favorite with the Horde. Ginny can be an intense chewer and those last, even for her. For a special treat, because they don't last more than an hour, we'll give the dogs the Merrick Cow Ears (also avail. thru White Dog Bone). WDB has good price points on chewies, especially if you buy in bulk, and once you start buying from them they are good about regular email deals of 10-15% off - which basically saves you the shipping.

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  12. I've yet to find anything that holds Oskar's interest that he doesn't chew through in no time flat. I might try the marrow bones, but I'm afraid they will gross me out!

    Have a great weekend,
    Oskar's mom person Pam

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  13. DANG I thought antlers are as tuff as marrow bones! I guess not. I love bully sticks. They are so smelly but sooooo good! But I think my most favourite stuff to chew on is raw bones. Have you tried giving the boys raw cow hoofs? Those are pretty tuff too & it really brushes the teefies really, really well. And it smells just as smelly as bully sticks (for some weird reason) but I love it!

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  14. Thanks, everyone. I appreciate all the viewpoints and suggestions. Wouldn't it be nice if there were a perfect solution!

    @Penni - I am wondering whether the antler I have is old/off - it's just odd that they won't chew it. I'm keeping an eye out for some other brands. Also, mine would chew firewood, too, if they knew how to get it.

    @Pamela - Yes, it certainly would be nice to find a toy rental/consignment somewhere. Although, I don't have confidence anything would suit the boys' teeth - other than Kongs.

    I have to watch the boys with the bones, too. For the most part they scrape down the sides, but every now and then JF has cracked a piece off. Those go immediately to the trash.

    I have tried the nylabones (months ago). They lasted about an hour. Darn it. :(

    I could give the antler away. Even if I didn't do a contest, I know Shiva in Canada would chew it. ;)

    @Grandiose - I appreciate that you presented the con side of the marrow bone debate. I did some research previously and noted that there are risks with dogs breaking teeth, especially with cooked bones. I've heard of dogs breaking teeth on antlers, too. There's a risk, it seems, with everything. I certainly don't want the dogs to get hurt, so I'll continue to monitor them carefully whenever they have any chewie (edible or not).

    Thanks again for your input; you have some lucky (and gorgeous) dogs. :)

    @Alta and Jane - Thanks for the antler info. My boys will chew nearly anything so I find it hard to believe that they've sworn off antlers - must be they just don't like this particular one.

    And Jane - My human kids wish they lived as well as your dogs. :) Thanks for the 411!

    @Boo's Mom - Yeah, I have to separate the boys before they get the bones, but JF has gotten much better about not trying to take Dewi's away.

    As with humans, I think some dogs' teeth are harder than others and some dogs' teeth are more prone to break than others (unfortunately, who's gonna know that their dog has a weak tooth (teeth) until it breaks?). Anyway, like you said, we make informed decisions and try to do the best for our dogs. :)

    @Of Pitties and P - Yes, frozen bones are great, too! And be glad you don't have power chewers.

    @Benny and Lily - You two get some good treats over there - they might not last - but their good.;)

    @Builder Mama - I think I saw you with those pressed rolls at the show. I thought they were bully sticks (gag). :) I'll probably order some from White Dog since I know the boys do pretty well with the pressed bones. Thank you!

    @RDM - Thanks for that link! I think it was White Dog that I got the pressed bones from (at the dog show). I'll look at the cow ears - even though the thought of it makes me see the poor cow's face and I feel so ashamed. :(

    @Oskar - They're inexpensive so if you get grossed out, it will only have cost you a buck or two. They are slimy - I won't lie.

    @Amber - I've never seen the hooves around here. I think I might be like Oskar's mom and get grossed out seeing a dismembered hoof in my kitchen. I know it's hypocritical (as i just ate a cheeseburger). But it's the sad truth. :(

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  15. @Benny and Lily - "They're good," not "their good." Rushing! :)

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