What are the most safe dog chews?
The short answer…nothing is totally safe, but some are less dangerous than others. Here are some options and the pros and cons of them all.
Bully Sticks (edible chew)
Bully sticks are considered one of the most safe of the edible chews, yet we do know of one dog who died due to an intestinal blockage from a bully stick. They are generally safe until the dog chews the bully stick down enough to swallow it whole. Selecting the appropriate size bully stick for your dog and using a bully stick safety holder can reduce risk.
Beef Tendons and Collagen Sticks (edible chew)
Beef tendon chews and collagen sticks may not last as long as a bully stick, but we find them to be comparable and are good bully stick alternatives. They are highly digestable and are also a healthy snack!
Antlers (non-edible chew)
Antler chews for dogs are naturally shed antlers from deer or elk, so don’t worry. No deer or elk were killed for this chew! Antlers are a safer dog chew options as far as they are something dogs will not tend to swallow, however the risk with antlers is they are hard and may cause tooth fractures. Antlers come whole or split. Split antlers are a bit easier for dogs to chew on as the center of the antler is exposed.
Hooves (non-edible chew)
These are too hard for dogs and are very likely to cause tooth fractures.
Rawhides (edible but not at all recommended)
Least recommended of all dog chews. These bleached hides are full of toxic chemicals in addition to the high risk of intestinal blockages. Rawhides can rehydrate and expand inside of your dog’s stomach. Here’s how rawhide is made. There are Rawhide alternatives that look like a Rawhide, but that are completely digestible. These are fine to allow your dog to chew and ingest.
Baked or Cooked Bones (non-edible and not recommended)
Not recommended at all due to risk of splintering. Cooked bones tend to splinter off into sharp shards because of how dried out they’ve become. These sharp shards can cause intestinal perforation.
Stuffed Chews: Kongs
Kongs are excellent chews, but must be supervised as these can also cause intestinal blockages if chewed up and swallowed. Kongs have landed many an aggressive chewer in the ER for emergency surgery to remove them from the digestive tract. If your dog is not an aggressive chewer and focuses on the contents of the Kong more than the Kong itself, it can be a great option. Stuffing Kongs with food and freezing them can provide puppies and dogs with some good fun. Always remember to choose an appropriately sized Kong – make sure it is larger than your dog’s face and mouth so it cannot be accidentally swallowed.
Kong stuffing suggestions: Pure peanut butter is too caloric to use repeatedly, so we recommend using a rehydrated powdered dog food such as Sojo’s or the Honest Kitchen. You may also mix peanut butter in with cooked oatmeal and pureed canned pumpkin to cut the calories. Pumpkin is great to firm up stools, so that’s another benefit. You can also try canned food in Kongs as a nice and healthy treat. Kongs are also a great way to get in your dog’s supplements. Mix in supplement with whatever stuffing! We recommend the working dogs direct complete supplement for its anti-inflammatory properties and joint protection.
Benebones vs. Nylabones (non-edible chews)
In our opinion and in the opinion of the resident dogs, Benebones is the winner here. No artificial flavorings and the shape of their wishbones seem to be more attractive for dogs to hold on to and chew. The dogs certainly seem to prefer the natural flavorings. Both Nylabone and Benebone are made of nylon and made in the USA, but Nylabone has artificial flavorings. As a caution to people with allergies, “Benebones may contain peanuts, tree nuts, chicken, pork, fish, beef, and/or wood ingredients for flavoring purposes. Therefore, Benebones should not be purchased for use in households where a human or pet may have an allergy to nylon, peanuts, chicken, pork, fish, beef, and/or wood.”
As with any chew, choosing the correct size is important and err on the size of too big than too small.
Rawhide Alternatives (edible chews)
There are now many rawhide alternatives available that are MUCH safer and non-toxic. The biggest downside we have found with these options is they tend to be pricey and may not last long with some larger dogs. Still, we highly recommend these options as much safer alternatives for dog chews. Here are some options to try out:
Himalayan Yak Cheese Chews these are a digestable alternative that your dog will enjoy. Some dogs with sensitive stomachs may have loose stools after consuming.
Earth Animal No Hide is another great alternative. These may not last too long with an aggressive chewer and also may cause loose stool for some dogs.
Raw Bones:
Raw bones are considered on our safest dog chew list and can be an excellent choice for giving your dog something to occupy their mind with (they’re also great natural toothbrushes), but there are a few concerns to keep in mind when selecting your bones. Not recommended – thick ‘weight bearing’ bones from large animals (such as: knuckle bones, beef leg bones, marrow bones, sliced femur bones, etc.) Thick bones like this are often found in pet stores and many grocery aisles have soup bones or marrow bones set out. These types of bones are popular but if you have a power chewer or a dog that tries to actually chew on the bone and not simply eat the marrow out, you risk a major tooth fracture. These bones are made to withstand the weight of huge cows, they’re simply too dense and hard for your dog’s teeth!
If you are going to feed bones, also make sure to use only raw, unenhanced (no added sodium!) edible bones that have not been machine cut. An example of machine cut bones are the split pork necks you see at the grocery store…Even though the pork bones themselves are not incredibly dense, the machine used to chop them into pieces leaves extremely sharp edges that if swallowed can cause damage. Some safe bone choices include chicken quarters (leg and thigh attached), whole or split chickens, pork ribs in slab form, turkey necks, duck necks, and other poultry bones.
Watch your dog closely when they first start eating bones. Dogs are not built like humans, they do not chew up everything carefully before swallowing, so a rip, tear, and swallow style is absolutely okay – don’t be alarmed if you see them swallow a huge chunk. That being said, try to pick bones that are appropriately sized for your dog. If you have a large breed dog, a GSD for example, bones such as chicken wings will likely just be swallowed whole. Though digestively this is okay, an overenthusiastic dog may choke…a larger cut such as a chicken quarter would be a better choice.
When looking at bones try to make sure you also do not feed ‘naked’ bones (bones that have no meat on them). Dogs can handle consuming bones entirely, but make sure they’ve still got meat attached to them or you will encounter some serious constipation. The meat also adds a bit of cushion and padding on the way down.
Also, click here for a CBS new article with more information.
Safety Note
While all chews carry some kind of risk, knowing your dog can reduce this risk. If you know your dog has a tendency to eat non-edible items, do not leave any non-edible chews with your dog unattended. If they tend to swallow inedible items even when you are watching, then do not give them anything but edible chews. We leave stuffed kongs with dogs we know are not aggressive chewers as we know they will only eat the contents of the kong and not try to eat the kong itself. So know your dog and choose your chews accordingly!
