[Kayla]

I noticed my Dog loves to chew but he is very picky on his bones and treats. Any ideas? He has one rope bone thing that he loves to tug and play with…and tries to chew on it but I always take it away from him because it has tiny strings on it and I don’t want him actually ingesting it.

I also tried to buy rubber ball and bone toys but he won’t mess with him. Needless to say, his favorite toy is the rope bone thing. His rope is like this one.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/BOODA-Pet-Products-Two-Knot-Rope-Bone-Dog-Toy-in-Red-White-and-Blue/15573238

[Dog_Obsessed]

Lily also has rope toys that she loves to chew on. She’s not particularly picky though. She likes Nylabones, but it sounds like he wouldn’t like those too much. They can also be choking hazards if the dog bites off large pieces, and the harder ones can break teeth. Lily also loves the Himalayan Dog Chews, a hard, edible chew that softens as the dog chews. They are a bit pricey but they last a really long time.

I know many people on the forums use Raw Meaty Bones for chewing, and they are also supposed to help with teeth cleaning. I don’t use these so I can’t exactly recommend them, but if someone else comes by they can talk about those more in detail.

Also, natural chews like Bully Sticks and Pig Ears can be good for some dogs. In my experience bully sticks have smelled really bad, but they do make low-oder ones. It is important to get them from a reputable, USA made company to avid contamination. Same with the RMBs. Also, with any chew you are giving, always supervise your dog while chewing. Watch for him biting of chokeable sized pieces, and take it away when it is small enough to be a choking hazard.

[theBCnut]

If your dog is gnawing on the rope toy, using side and back teeth, then it’s fine. It is a problem when they use their front teeth to pluck the strings loose because they get longer pieces this way, but if they are only plucking at the ends after the knot, they still won’t get fibers that are too long.

[Bobby dog]

Hi Kayla:
My JRT used to love her rope bone. Bobby also has a rope toy that he loves to play tug-of-war with and chew on.

Bobby does not like to chew many things either. I have tried RMB’s and he just buries them in the yard. He has found a couple of deer antlers in our yard before and he buries them too. Up until five or six months ago he didn’t like chewing on anything other than his stuffed toys. I’ve tried pig ears, pizzle sticks, and several other things I cannot remember. He really likes beef tendons and also tracheas though not as much. He is about 42 lbs. and is a steady chewer, but not aggressive. It takes him about 1/2 hour to 45 minutes to devour a tendon. Tracheas take him about 20-30 minutes. Good luck finding something and stop back if you find something, maybe I’ll try it too!

[Sharmila S]

I have Beagle in my home and Rottweiler in my sisters home they both like Benebone Bacon Flavored Wishbone Chew Toy. I think they really love this Toy. I bought the item from ebay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281865979856

[Jack M]

Hello Kayla,

Have you gotten a better replacement?

You can check here for ideas: https://ecopetlife.com/dog-toys-for-aggressive-chewers/

[Patricia A]

https://www.caninejournal.com/are-bully-sticks-good-for-dogs/

Bully sticks are natural and provide protein for your dog. It lasts a long time and comes in many sizes. What they’re made of isn’t so attractive but definitely a healthy alternative to other chews.

[anonymous]

“Natural” means sh*t and is a marketing ploy.

Just give the dog a raw carrot to chew on once a day (not the baby carrots they are bleached and are a choking hazard due to their size)

Bully sticks are bull penises, they are loaded with bacteria and bleached and processed with toxic chemicals.

Ask your vet.

Example:
https://www.azrescue.org/rescue-article-info-center/19 excerpt below
There are a lot of pet treats out on the market and it seems like every week a new brand is getting recalled. I don’t even touch any chicken jerky manufactured in China due to the widespread contamination problems.
More recently I’ve been choosing deer antlers and bully sticks, thinking that they’re safer since they’re all natural. But according to a study published in the Canadian Veterinary Journal, there are two potential problems with bully sticks (also called pizzle sticks).
The first concern is an excessive amount of calories. The scientists calculated nine to 22 calories per inch, meaning that a 6-inch bully stick could represent nine percent of the daily recommended calorie count for a 50-pound dog or a whopping 30 percent of the requirements for a smaller 10-pound dog. This I’m less worried about as I usually adjust my pets’ dinner if they get a large treat during the day.
The second finding is much more serious. In testing 26 bully sticks, the researchers found one contaminated with Clostridium difficile, one with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and seven with E. coli. The scientists admitted that the sample size was small, but recommended that people should at least wash their hands after touching bully sticks.
I hope that they repeat the study on a larger scale, differentiating by finishing process. Some bully stick companies sun-bake their product, while others irradiate or bake the sticks indoors. I’m sure that these differences can affect bacteria levels.
It would also be good if they gave recommendations on how to get rid of the bacteria. I know that some people bake bully sticks in the oven before giving them to their pets, but it’s not a proven method.
I think that this study goes to show how careful we have to be in researching our pets’ food. I already know a lot about picking a good kibble, but this study has inspired me to do a better job at finding out the origin and manufacturing process for the treats I feed my crew. And it underscores the many benefits of making your own treats at home!

[anonymous]

Dangers of Bully Sticks: Popular Treat Can Carry Bacteria and Add Calories

Excerpt below
Even if you can get past the issue of feeding your dog an uncooked, dried penis of a bull or steer as a treat, there are more potential problems with bully sticks. One is that they may be contaminated with bacteria. We tested 26 bully sticks for bacteria and found that one was contaminated with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a type of staph bacteria that is resistant to certain antibiotics; one was contaminated with Clostridium difficile; and seven were contaminated with Escherichia coli (including one antibiotic-resistant sample). This certainly doesn’t prove that all bully sticks are contaminated but does emphasize the importance of washing your hands after touching these treats, as you should with any raw meat or raw meat diets. People at high risk (very young, elderly, pregnant, or immunocompromised individuals) should avoid all contact with raw animal-based treats and raw meat diets.

[anonymous]

Per the search engine. /forums/topic/antlers-a-safe-alternative-to-bones/#post-98128

[Patricia A]

Anon I use wrapped bully sticks made in USA. They chew for about 15 minutes and then I take it away. I’ve been letting both of mine chew on these for over eight years. As a pet owner I am very observant when something I fed caused vomiting or diarrhea. Never once in all the years has this happened. I would imagine if it’s so contaminated with bacteria that many dogs would be experiencing upset. At my local food store the bin is always low because it sells out after delivery by end of week.Most pet owners would take note that after their dog chews on bully sticks they get violently ill. I do give raw baby carrots to my one. The other one throws it all up the next day so she does not get them anymore.
Nothing is bacteria free. Even the great “big four”. Purina below

Nestle Purina Commits ‘Significant Violations’ at Pet Food Canning Plant

Article below includes of course Royal CANIN (Mars)
Millions’ of roaches plagued maker of Pedigree, IAMS, Cesar, other pet foods

By Phyllis Entis on June 7, 2018
The Mars Petcare U.S. Inc. low-acid canned pet food production facility in Columbus, OH, was crawling with an infestation of German cockroaches between October 2016 and July 2017. Mars markets wet dog and cat foods in cans, plastic tubs, and laminated pouches under the Pedigree, Cesar, Whiskas, Nutro and IAMS brands.

Pet food from the plant also generated consumer complaints about finding hard plastic pieces and a complaint about a elastic material in Mars’ pet foods.

On Oct. 7, 2016, Mars initiated a recall of 54,255 cases of CESAR Classics Filet Mignon Flavor canned dog food after the complaints about plastic. The recalled products were shipped to 36 states, including to three government facilities.

Ensuing inspections found the company had not completed repairs as promised.

Documents obtained by Food Safety News show during a July 2017 inspection of the Columbus facility, investigators from the Food and Drug Administration observed two significant deviations from current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP):

Failure to inspect, segregate, or otherwise handle raw materials and ingredients used in manufacturing under conditions that will protect the animal food against contamination and minimize deterioration; and
Failure to take effective measures to exclude pests from [the] plant and protect against contamination of animal food by pests.
Roaches and other pests
The infestation was first documented during an Oct. 27, 2016, comprehensive low-acid canned food (LACF) inspection by FDA, according to documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.

Although Mars management undertook to address and remedy the infestation in October 2016, FDA investigators observed a live roach in the manufacturing area adjacent to an area where in-process raw materials and ingredients are maintained, and another near the main hand-wash station at the entrance to the manufacturing area during the July 2017 inspection.

According to the company’s Employee Pest Sighting Log, there were 99 instances of pest activity observed during a 72-day period from Nov. 10, 2016, to July 14, 2017, including one instance described as “millions of roaches.”

Employees also reported birds, spider webs, beetles, multiple flies, maggots and larvae on several occasions.

Mars contracts with a pest control operator (PCO) for routine rodent and insect control.

During their review of the PCO’s reports, FDA investigators found references to photographic evidence of pest activity, disrepair of dock doors, general disrepair of the building — including areas of ingress and egress — excessive spills of raw materials and damaged cans “covered” in flies. The photographs had not been retained by the company.

Several of the PCO observations regarding necessary repairs were repeated in multiple consecutive reports. For example, damage to a dock door was first reported on or about Sept. 26, 2016. The report was repeated after each visit until the door was finally repaired on or about Nov. 3, 2016.

Foreign objects – pieces of plastic
In addition to ongoing pest problems, Mars logged repeated violations related to the pieces of hard plastic that spurred the Oct. 7, 2016, recall.

During a March 31, 2017, recall follow-up inspection, Mars informed FDA that the firm had fully implemented corrective actions/preventative actions (CAPAs), including changing all food-contact white plastic material to a blue plastic material, enabling the presence of white plastic foreign objects to be detected more easily.

Despite this assurance, FDA inspectors were told on July 11, 2017, that only the “majority” of the belts and plastic wear plates on critical equipment had been changed out by that date.

As of the July 2017 inspection, Mars acknowledged that it was still receiving complaints from customers about foreign objects in its finished products.

FDA has received two new consumer complaints for plastic foreign objects in Mars canned, tubbed or pouched products since the inspection, according to an agency spokesperson. One of these was for an elastic-type object and the other was for two small, hard plastic pieces. The consumer did not provide a product lot number in the second case, and it is unclear whether the two complaints concerned product manufactured in the Columbus facility.

Refusals and obstruction
The Establishment Inspection Report (EIR) documents a lack of cooperation on the part of Mars management during the July 2017 inspection.

FDA investigators reported Mars officials refusing to cooperate on three points three during the course of the inspection, including:

Refusal to permit photography
Refusal to permit the review of consumer complaints
Refusal to provide photocopies of consumer complaints, manufacturing, shipping and pest control records.
In addition to the outright refusals reported in the EIR, investigators encountered delays in the production of requested documents and information, and denial of complete access to all areas of the facility.

When faced with a refusal, FDA investigators are expected to call attention to the relevant section of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act or the Public Health Service Act, and then to complete the inspection, according to Chapter 5 of the FDA Investigations Operations Manual (2018).

The company’s lack of cooperation resulted in a delay in the completion of the inspection, which was begun on July 11, 2017, but was not completed for more than two weeks, on July 26.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 7 months ago by Patricia A.

[anonymous]

Well, that’s nice. I suppose you can rationalize just about anything that you want to believe.

https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Appeal_to_nature

PS: I would never feed myself or my dogs anything that came out of a “bin”.
Really, I worry enough when I get something occasionally from the salad bar because I am too lazy to make my own salad, lol!

Bully sticks smell to high heaven and wreak of urine odor. That’s enough of a deterrent for me.

[Patricia A]

Anon I buy mine sealed with origin where they are from is on the label. . However bins that have loose ones in various sizes are very popular. Yes..they smell. I guess I am not turned off that they are a cows penis since growing up as a child my european parents served us beef tongue for dinner. lol

• This reply was modified 5 years, 7 months ago by Patricia A.

[isabella M]

Hi,

Choosing the right dog chew can be a tricky business because not all of them are 100% safe, natural and unprocessed. But, with our yak milk dog chews, you can rest assured. These premium dog chews are one of a kind.

In love with what you have seen so far? Visit our website “peaksnpaws.com” to check out the full range of our dog toys and chews. And, while there, remember to register/sign in to stay updated with all our latest products and offers.

PeaksNPaws offers premium natural Yak Milk Dog Chews, Antler Chews & Interactive Dog (Puppy) teething Toys Online in the USA. Free shipping on Dog Chews & Dog Toys.

Visit Website: https://www.peaksnpaws.com

Thank you!

[Patricia A]

My two chihuahuas’ love bully sticks and Himalayan yak bones . https://www.pawstruck.com/collections/bully-sticks-for-dogs?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Hype_Video&fbclid=IwAR1CodaiglSX5tLWpvAReF0fJhEpgXRHjMSwzsfUPky6vBzuuV-eDB9DT1U

[Nadia K]

My bichon loves bully sticks the most. I buy them from Best Bully sticks. I only get the ones that are low odor and made in the USA. She has never gotten sick after eating them. She also gets the baby carrots daily which she also enjoys.

[Philip P]

I liked your version of the bacon flavored toy. I think it’s worth a try for my pet.

[Lisa H]

My pet also loves to play with the Benebone Wishbone bacon flavored chew toy

[crazy4cats]

http://vohc.org/VOHCAcceptedProductsTable_Dogs.pdf

Check out this link. It lists chews that are approved by the Veterinary Oral Health Council.

[Tara D]

I bought many different toys for my dog, but he is indifferent to those. But he plays with logs and sticks with pleasure. So I have a supply of logs at home.

[Author]

Posts