# Rawhide?



## Ava. (Oct 21, 2020)

Do not feed your dog rawhides, EVER. Blockages happen so often, and not worth the risk. No bones is better than possibly killing your dog, don't you think? Raw bones, and yak chews are great alternatives.


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## Basil_the_Spoo (Sep 1, 2020)

Objectively, you can get treats for cheaper if you shop around online. Buying in stores can generally be more expensive because it takes more steps to get to the end consumer and treats have to get marked up every step of the supply chain for freight and overhead.

Also, you can rotate your treats like you would toys even if they've already been started. For example, Basil has 4 to 6 8-12" bully sticks she's munched on at various stages that I rotate until they become a nubbin. Bully sticks marketed as "oder free" with low moisture last longer and don't smell as bad.

Hoofs arent that expensive and have a long lifespan. Good for the rotation.

You can take Mia's treats and roll them up in a small towel (like you would to whip an old friend at the pool) then tie it in 1 knot. Mia's will try to shake it apart to get the treats. That's cheap and 30-60 minutes of entertainment.

Mia might like to munch of a cows tail. They're a lot softer then a bully stick and good for a light chewer and around the $1-2/ea (I think, don't quote me).. Cow tails last 1 minute with Basil (SPOO) so I stopped buying them, but could be a good to try one and find out.

So yeah, there are other ways to treat Mia for cheap. It might cost more up-front, but it's not rawhide and will lasts long.

A Cow hoof, oder free bully sticks, towel treats, cow tails. I would try those.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

Avoid rawhide, some dogs bite off large pieces that can cause intestinal blockages.

My vet also warned me about antlers and anything hard. He said if you can’t dent something with your finger nail then it’s too hard and can break your dogs teeth. His practice has seen many dogs with broken teeth From antlers and raw bones. A long time member here who is sadly is no long with us, Mollymuima used to feed her dog Molly raw bones and Molly had to have broke teeth extracted. Mollymuima was a vet tech and Molly was fairly young so she was being careful. 

I do feed bully sticks. Yak cheese is popular but my dog adores her nightly kong stuffed firmly with some of her dinner. It’s fun to see her work at that kong. Her food is the texture of meatloaf and I push it in with my finger.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

I would stick with digestible chews. Peggy loves yak cheese, but there are plenty of options.


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## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

If your dog loves rawhide, look for pork skin chews. They have a similar texture but are supposedly 100% digestible. Should be a very easy switch. I also really loved baked cow ears. They are not greasy at all and I have not had any issues with them. They are much softer than rawhide. I also use bully sticks. Some brands smell and others don't. You can buy them in bulk for much cheaper online. Yak chews are good too but my dog only likes the softer ones.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

My late chihuahua ate a piece of rawhide (under my supervision and she had them before) and I wasn’t fast enough to keep her from swallowing a big piece whole. 3000$ later (surgery to remove it from the oesophagis) she almost died.

Never again. DO NOT feed rahwide.


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## Luna the Spoo (Dec 29, 2020)

Beef or lamb trachea chews are good alternatives to rawhide. Not quite as pricey as bully sticks but more expensive then rawhide. As someone else said try shopping around online. I actually find the best price locally at the shop inside a dog training center. Another alternative is raw carrots. My dogs love them and very inexpensive! I buy a big bag of organic carrots at the market each week just for them.


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## Basil_the_Spoo (Sep 1, 2020)

Luna the Spoo said:


> Beef or lamb trachea chews are good alternatives to rawhide. Not quite as pricey as bully sticks but more expensive then rawhide. As someone else said try shopping around online. I actually find the best price locally at the shop inside a dog training center. Another alternative is raw carrots. My dogs love them and very inexpensive! I buy a big bag of organic carrots at the market each week just for them.


Do raw carrots have any issue passing through your dog?

I asking because I think that's a great idea, but I chunks of raw carrots don't feel good, like a bad stomache ache, as they pass through my own body and I'm worried Basil might feel uncomfortable lol.


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## Luna the Spoo (Dec 29, 2020)

Basil_the_Spoo said:


> Do raw carrots have any issue passing through your dog?
> 
> I asking because I think that's a great idea, but I chunks of raw carrots don't feel good, like a bad stomache ache, as they pass through my own body and I'm worried Basil might feel uncomfortable lol.


I've never had any of my dogs have any issues with carrots including my sensitive stomach boy. He cannot tolerate bully stick trachea or any other "natural" chews, and the vet actually recommends carrots in moderation. I use organic and wash and peel before feeding.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

For those of you feeding trachea to your dogs, be very careful that the thyroid glands have been completely dissected out otherwise your dog will be getting exogenous thyroid hormone which could cause hyperthyroidism. It’s as if you are feeding your dog thyroid medication. Honestly I doubt anyone packaging trachea for dogs are bothering to be that careful to remove a gland that wraps around the trachea.









Exogenous Hyperthyroidism and Thyroid Hormones in Pet Food


FDA investigated a cluster of cases with three dogs of various ages, in separate households, that exhibited symptoms of hyperthyroidism.




www.fda.gov





There is a diagram here








Can raw diets cause hyperthyroidism?


Is your pet’s raw diet at risk of causing adverse heart conditions, weight loss, and more?




therawfeedingcommunity.com





Its probably safe as a random rare treat but not fed regularly.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

Another No here on rawhide. 

My Noel was a rawhide fanatic. They were always supervised but it only takes a few seconds of attention elsewhere. She’d chew off hunks and one night before I noticed a chunk lodged in her throat. It was Heimlich time, but I wasn’t sure how to pull that off. Instead, I grabbed her back legs and tipped her upside down, bouncing her til she coughed it out. I’m just glad it wasn’t sharp as well. This could have ended very sadly.


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## wingsandpaws (Oct 28, 2020)

Carrots sound like a good idea, as well as cow ears! They wont break our bank account like a bully stick will. Mia likes carrots too so that is a win-win. I’ve looked at Himalayan Chews but they cost about 80 dollars with shipping to my country and dollars are like, 7 liras or something soo uh carrots, cow ears and kongs are the way to go I guess. I’m lucky she’s a light chewer otherwise she would’ve chewed up the house while I was looking for something safe for her to chew on.


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## Asta's Mom (Aug 20, 2014)

When we went off rawhide because of danger - we switched to SmartBones. Asta loves them. I get the medium for a standard. Great size and shapes., etc.








SMARTBONES Chicken Wrapped Sticks Peanut Butter Flavor Dog Treats, 8 count - Chewy.com


Buy SmartBones Chicken Wrapped Sticks Peanut Butter Flavor Dog Treats, 8 count at Chewy.com. FREE shipping and the BEST customer service!




www.chewy.com


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## icedteana (Oct 25, 2020)

I was warned off rawhide by both our vet and our trainer as well. I found a "No Hide" chew at our groomers and trainer from earth animal which Joonie absolutely loves: Chews & Treats - Earth Animal . They come in different sizes/flavours; the medium ones might be a bit too big for a toy but the small "stix" are about the perfect size I think for their smaller mouths.

Anyone else try these? It starts off stiff and hard much like regular chews, but softens as he goes and so nothing he swallows is a choke hazard. Yak chews also seem like a good second option, but my Joonie doesn't like those as much.


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## wingsandpaws (Oct 28, 2020)

Those chews do sound good, but one of them’s shipping is 50 dollars to my place and the others only for United States I think. It’s a shame, because Mia would have loved those I’m sure. I added cow ears and thighs in my shopping cart, those are much cheaper than bully sticks. There’s also a liver chew stick available.


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## ttownjayne (Mar 30, 2014)

WingsandPaws are you in Turkey? Do I have my flag identification correct? 😉. If you can get some large sweet potatoes, they can be sliced in various sizes and dried slowly in an oven. For my standards I will cut 1 sweet potato into 4 wedges and dry it in an oven.... About 250° F for a few hours. You can take them out depending on how hard you want them. Then I keep them in the freezer. They won't last as long as a bully stick or raw hide, but it's a nice healthy treat. Carrots are a big hit too, and one of my dogs likes frozen broccoli. 

Do you have access to goats or lamb? I wonder if goat/sheep horns would be a good chew? I think they are suitable for dogs, but I've never tried. Good luck!


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## wingsandpaws (Oct 28, 2020)

Yeah I’m in Turkey. I can get sweet potatoes as well as carrots! I dont know about horns , I’m sure I could find them in butchers but I’m afraid of them splintering. I could also find tendon chews and lamb foot, so I’ll be trying them all as time goes. This morning I spread a little hazelnut butter around her spiked chew ring and she spent nearly 30 mins on it so that’s good!


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## wingsandpaws (Oct 28, 2020)

Good news; I tried carrots and lamb ears with her and she loved them both! The ears are a really good substitute for rawhide sticks, and cheaper from bully sticks too! Half the price actually.


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## For Want of Poodle (Feb 25, 2019)

I am also too cheap to buy bully sticks.

Hooves and horns can be good chews, they are made of keratin, like your fingernails but OMG do they stink when wet (like if a dog chews them). Do not recommend. Annie also loves the cow ears, goat ears, and lambs ears. She can't handle the fat in pigs ears or pig skins. 

Our 11 lb dog loves raw chicken wing and duck wing tips, and chicken feet. If they are frozen they last even longer. 

We can also occasionally buy 'whimzees' which are basically flavoured potato starch chews and pretty cheap, though not anywhere near as long lasting as a bulky stick. Lots of dogs really like them.


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## ttownjayne (Mar 30, 2014)

icedteana said:


> I was warned off rawhide by both our vet and our trainer as well. I found a "No Hide" chew at our groomers and trainer from earth animal which Joonie absolutely loves: Chews & Treats - Earth Animal . They come in different sizes/flavours; the medium ones might be a bit too big for a toy but the small "stix" are about the perfect size I think for their smaller mouths.
> 
> Anyone else try these? It starts off stiff and hard much like regular chews, but softens as he goes and so nothing he swallows is a choke hazard. Yak chews also seem like a good second option, but my Joonie doesn't like those as much.


We LOVE the No Hide chews at our house. They can get pricey if you need the big ones. My boy unfortunately will demolish one in about 20 minutes. However my girl will get lots of mileage out of a large one. She'll parade it around and chew on that thing until it looks like a sad scrap of old dish rag. I've ordered them on Amazon. And about 1x a year the independent pet shops around me (tacoma) will will run specials. A friend swears by the multivitamin made by the company.


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## wingsandpaws (Oct 28, 2020)

OKAY BAD NEWS; Mia liked the ear chew so much that she growled like Ive never seen her do. So I immediatelty snapped into training mode to stop the resource guarding behaviour and touched the chew while rewarding her for not growling and taking and giving it back to show that I wouldn’t take it away from her forever. That crap scared me oof. She is now doing better after the quick training I did because let me tell you I will not tolerate growling in this house.


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## wingsandpaws (Oct 28, 2020)

She isn’t growling when I take it from her momentarily or when I touch it now, so that’s good. But she is still anxious she’ll lose it if she stops playing with it. So she has been chewing on the ear for nearly an hour I think.


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## wingsandpaws (Oct 28, 2020)

Screw this, I’m never giving her lamb ears again. She still has NOT let go of the ears. She never used to do this with other stuff. I’ll risk the rawhide if it means I wont have to deal with resource guarding and anxious behaviour.


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## wingsandpaws (Oct 28, 2020)

The ears are now in thrash and Mia is back to normal. Never again.


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## Ava. (Oct 21, 2020)

?? hope you dont end up with a dead dog because you are unwilling to train your dog


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## wingsandpaws (Oct 28, 2020)

Dramatic much? There isn’t even any rawhide at hour house anymore, I got rid of them as soon as I learned about their danger. I was just shocked at Mia’s behaviour and even though I stopped the severe growling with a quick training session I just needed time to process. There are more ear chews in the pack I bought, but I’m going to wait a few days before I give her the chews again. Maybe a smaller amount next time so she doesn’t spend nearly two hours on it.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Ava. said:


> ?? hope you dont end up with a dead dog because you are unwilling to train your dog


Not necessary, @Ava.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

I understand what you’re feeling, @wingsandpaws. Peggy growled at me over a raw chicken wing and it was such a shock, they were immediately removed from her menu. Best to take a breath, make a plan, and work your way up slowly from lower value items.

Have you ever managed resource guarding before?


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## wingsandpaws (Oct 28, 2020)

Resource guarding isn’t a completely new thing, but Mia must have been overwhelmed by the sudden delicious treat haha. I have worked with her on trading toys with treats and she never had problems. I could touch her food bowl with no problems either. That growling was probably the first actual resource guarding episode she had. I now realize I shouldn’t have given her a high value treat that quick. I’ll probably cut it into pieces and give her small amounts first. As I said, last night I could stop her from growling at me when I touched the chew so at least she takes to training quickly. I hope with training+time she’ll see there is no need to protect the chews from me. The reason I was so panicked was because my child cousin was also here and when she approached Mia, she growled as if she was going to snap and that was just icing on the cake. Mia is now cuddling with me, no trace of the growling from last night. As you said @PeggyTheParti, I probably need to work my way up from lower value treats. I also saw the thread about Peggy growling when the jerky you traded her for a christmas decoration was tried to be taken away.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

wingsandpaws said:


> I also saw the thread about Peggy growling when the jerky you traded her for a christmas decoration was tried to be taken away.


Oh jeez. Yeah. That was over a year ago now. 

If I recall correctly, I somehow hit one of the lights on the Christmas tree, breaking it and scattering shards on the floor. Puppy Peggy picked up one of the pieces, but traded willingly for a piece of chicken jerky. In my panicked state, when I told my husband what happened, he mistakenly thought she still had a piece of broken lightbulb.

Uh oh.

Now panicking himself, he reached into her mouth and _grabbed_ the jerky out. Peggy was shocked, but didn’t put up a fight. She was about 6 months old at the time.

When my husband realized his mistake, he gave her the jerky back and she retreated to her dark pen. My husband felt bad and reached over the side of the pen to pet her. That’s when she growled, I can only assume because she thought he was about to yank the jerky away again.

Such an unfortunate situation, and one that absolutely fuelled later resource guarding episodes. I wish it had never happened.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

With Mia now, I would probably leave her alone to peacefully enjoy her chews, but occasionally walk past (not so close that you trigger guarding) and toss something even yummier. Eventually, she should look up excitedly when she sees you coming.

In the future, I would also keep kids away from her when she’s eating or chewing. That’s something we should do regardless of whether or not our dog has shown signs of being a resource guarder.


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## wingsandpaws (Oct 28, 2020)

Dropping treats is a good idea. Unfortunately I have little to no control over my little cousin because she gets offended easily and her mother has even blamed us for liking Mia more than her but that is a story for another day lol. Even though we warn her to be gentler with Mia she still whips out toys from her mouth with no warning and I’m glad Mia is such a patient dog otherwise...


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

wingsandpaws said:


> Dropping treats is a good idea. Unfortunately I have little to no control over my little cousin because she gets offended easily and her mother has even blamed us for liking Mia more than her but that is a story for another day lol. Even though we warn her to be gentler with Mia she still whips out toys from her mouth with no warning and I’m glad Mia is such a patient dog otherwise...


Uh oh. That could go very bad, very quickly. I hope you can explain to her mother how dangerous that is. Mia’s learning not to trust little humans around her cherished possessions. Maybe put the toys away.


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## wingsandpaws (Oct 28, 2020)

I wish I could. Mia has growled at my cousin several times because she played with her too rough or etc. She does not seem to care, and continues the behaviour. If I spoke to her mother I guarantee she would be offended and would pout behind our back like a child. And another baby cousin is on the way. For now our best bet is to give Mia a safe place like her crate. If I were an adult I think my cousin would take me more seriously. Wish me luck lol. Also, thank you for all the advice. I’m grateful.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

wingsandpaws said:


> I wish I could. Mia has growled at my cousin several times because she played with her too rough or etc. She does not seem to care, and continues the behaviour. If I spoke to her mother I guarantee she would be offended and would pout behind our back like a child. And another baby cousin is on the way. For now our best bet is to give Mia a safe place like her crate. If I were an adult I think my cousin would take me more seriously. Wish me luck lol. Also, thank you for all the advice. I’m grateful.


For what it’s worth, I’m an adult and I still struggled to get one family member to take me seriously when Peggy was a puppy. Some people believe you should be able to play rough with dogs with no consequences. It’s hard.

I think giving Mia a place to escape to is a very good idea.


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## Cricket’s Schnauzers (Jan 13, 2021)

wingsandpaws said:


> Mia LOVES rawhide sticks. I tried giving her flavored nylon bones like Tastybone, but she didn’t really like them. I tried dipping them in her food, still no budge. I’m not keen on bullysticks because theyre REALLY expensive and they smell. I cant find any antlers or elk that ship to where I live either. I am about to try a Kong toy, but we’ll see. My question: Are rawhides really that bad? I supervise her while she’s chewing, don’t give her crazy amounts and she has not had any health problems. I want to keep giving her rawhide bones and such but I’m worried. She gulps down things like jerky in seconds. Opinions?


I give my dogs a chewy that is 1/2 a cow hoof! It’s been dried so no smell! My dogs chew on them fir months! When they start getting to small i pick them up! I raise Schnauzers so I wash the small pieces and give them to my puppies when they start to chew! I’m sending a pic in the wrapper so you can see what to look for! One thing.... look through them, and pick out the ones with both sides thick! One side tends to be a little thin. 
don’t get the stuffed ones! Yuk! 

I get these at Tractor Supply! I have also found them at PetSmart!
I would never give rawhide! It is not digestible, and they can get pieces off and swallow them! Then it takes surgery to get it out! It can be deadly too! I have one boy that is much bigger and Han my other dogs and he has a powerful jaw.... I don’t give him these cow hoofs. He can break them into pieces! He is 16 lbs of muscle! 
I’m assuming you’re dog is small. My schnauzers are from 4 to 13 lbs!


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## PandasMom (Mar 28, 2020)

wingsandpaws said:


> Mia LOVES rawhide sticks. I tried giving her flavored nylon bones like Tastybone, but she didn’t really like them. I tried dipping them in her food, still no budge. I’m not keen on bullysticks because theyre REALLY expensive and they smell. I cant find any antlers or elk that ship to where I live either. I am about to try a Kong toy, but we’ll see. My question: Are rawhides really that bad? I supervise her while she’s chewing, don’t give her crazy amounts and she has not had any health problems. I want to keep giving her rawhide bones and such but I’m worried. She gulps down things like jerky in seconds. Opinions?


Well I’ve known 3 friends that have had to have surgery on their dogs because the raw hide stayed in their stomachs undigested. They suddenly quit eating and began vomiting bring nothing up. I wouldn’t ever give rawhide.


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## reraven123 (Jul 21, 2017)

Zephyr gets a Virbac chew once a day. It looks and chews (and tastes?) like rawhide, but is digestible, with the added benefit of enzymes for dental health. He loves it!


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## wingsandpaws (Oct 28, 2020)

The hooves and the Virbac chews sound great! Maybe I could find hooves, I’m not sure about the Virbac chews though. I think petsmart doesn’t ship internationally so-
But I did see something called Bow Wow Beef Minis Chews available near me, I’ll have to take a look at that.


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

Please please teach your dog to give you anything and everything. Start with things that are not high value and gradually work your way up.

My spoo has no interest in nylon bones, or kongs no matter that is in them. He does not like plastic and chemicals. He also is not interested in carrots after eating a bit. It goes straight through him. He too gobbles rawhide too fast so I do not give them. So I do give him meat with bones (always raw, never cooked as cooked can splinter), but I supervise every time. Because I have trained him that I will give everything back, or something better, he readily gives me anything. Because this has happened so often, the couple of times that I thought something was dangerous and did not give it back, or have something else to give him instead he was ok with it.

And please don't train your dog not to growl. That is their way of saying no, and it they are not allowed to do that they may go straight to biting. My sister accidentally did this with her dog. Very upsetting, and hard to untrain.


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## reraven123 (Jul 21, 2017)

wingsandpaws said:


> I’m not sure about the Virbac chews though. I think petsmart doesn’t ship internationally so-


Darn. I thought Amazon shipped anywhere.





Amazon.com : C.E.T. Enzymatic Oral Chew Dog 11-25lbs 30ct (3 Pack), Natural, Model Number: 90603-3 : Pet Supplies


Amazon.com : C.E.T. Enzymatic Oral Chew Dog 11-25lbs 30ct (3 Pack), Natural, Model Number: 90603-3 : Pet Supplies



smile.amazon.com


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## wingsandpaws (Oct 28, 2020)

@reraven123
ooh thank you I couldn’t find it on Amazon! Thanks for the link! I’ll get those with my next order.


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## reraven123 (Jul 21, 2017)

wingsandpaws said:


> @reraven123
> ooh thank you I couldn’t find it on Amazon! Thanks for the link! I’ll get those with my next order.


Good! I am not sure how big your dog is, that link is for medium size dogs 11-25 lbs. They also have for big or small dogs.


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## FloofyPoodle (May 12, 2020)

I used to live overseas, and getting things from amazon and such was such a hassle. I feel the struggle. 😩 I seem to recall Greenies being fairly cheap to ship. Fluffy usually takes a little bit to go through one, although they don't last nearly as long as other chews that have been mentioned (maybe 30 minutes, if that). My JRT mix is a big chewer and is a fan of things like these: https://www.amazon.com/Canine-Natur...d=1&keywords=dog+chews&qid=1610733819&sr=8-20. They usually last a few days to a week depending on her mood.

I wonder if maybe some European users might have some suggestions. Shipping might be cheaper that way.


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## wartorn (Nov 15, 2020)

wingsandpaws said:


> Mia LOVES rawhide sticks. I tried giving her flavored nylon bones like Tastybone, but she didn’t really like them. I tried dipping them in her food, still no budge. I’m not keen on bullysticks because theyre REALLY expensive and they smell. I cant find any antlers or elk that ship to where I live either. I am about to try a Kong toy, but we’ll see. My question: Are rawhides really that bad? I supervise her while she’s chewing, don’t give her crazy amounts and she has not had any health problems. I want to keep giving her rawhide bones and such but I’m worried. She gulps down things like jerky in seconds. Opinions?


Raffi just ate one of my socks and a brand new alpaca glove. I found two face masks and one of his bow ties in his feces. There seems no way to keep him from eating anything he sees. I am diligent in keeping paper towels and small things away from him, but occasionally I miss something. And then find it in his poop or vomit some time later. No lectures, please. He's a wily puppy. Have never had a poodle like this. As noted before, he's my 6th and the absolute most challenging. He also likes antlers, but they are pricey. If you give one of these to your dog, make sure it's big enough. I am now hiding or disposing of the smaller toys as he grows. Articles of clothing? You have to be fast enough if you drop something! As I said, please don't lecture me. This is not the fun part and I am not making light of it.


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## NormaJ (Jan 12, 2021)

Basil_the_Spoo said:


> Do raw carrots have any issue passing through your dog?
> 
> I asking because I think that's a great idea, but I chunks of raw carrots don't feel good, like a bad stomache ache, as they pass through my own body and I'm worried Basil might feel uncomfortable lol.


I give my little dog shredded carrots in with her dry dog food. If you give them separately, just slice them thinly & they will be much easier to chew,&/or swallow, & digest.


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## wingsandpaws (Oct 28, 2020)

Update on the ear chews: I gave Mia a small amount while leaving her downstairs for a while and she didn’t cry one bit. When I came back she didn’t growl and let me approach her. She finishes the chew afterwards and we played frisbee. So, a good ending to it.


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