Nice, they are about in a few different adverts, I spot them every now and again.
Choking :(
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What are 'bully sticks?'
"We give bully sticks, at least 12 inch, and take away the last 2 inches, before they can swallow." Anne
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I don't give my current Basenji rawhide chews since my last 2 Basenjis used to gag on trying to swallow little pcs years ago. Too dangerous!
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I think DexterDex will be safe now. In general, as mentioned, it's best to supervise when they are chewing anything. We also take away the bully sticks when they get too small. Thankfully the 12" ones do last a decent amount of time for us.
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I don't ever give them to him when I'm not home, and I am always in the room when he chews on them. And OBVIOUSLY if I said that I won't be giving them to him any more SO I DO GET IT NOW, THANKS. I won't say anything else regarding the "snarky" response. I Usually do take them away when they get too small, but he goes through them so fast that sometimes I don't see when he is ready to eat the last bit- I guess my idea of supervision didn't include watching him and only him for the entire duration of the chewing. The ones that I give are the smallish square pieces, the 12in sticks seems much better and I will try those out. I will be sure to keep an eye out to take away the last couple inches. He doesn't want to chew on toys at all and the rawhide is the only thing that seems to amuse him inside.
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Have you tried the compressed rawhide…where it is rolled really flat, and then compressed back together, and cut into shapes. It is usually dark tan, instead of white. And while a dog could still choke on those, they tend to come apart in smaller, more digestable 'sheets' instead of chunks. It is the only kind of rawhide I will use, and I have never had a problem with it. I do take it away when it is 2-3 inches. Some dogs will consume a 12inch bone quickly, some will work on it for weeks.
Also consider that this might be a behavioral thing. A lot of times, a dog is engaging in resource guarding when they gulp food or treats down un-chewed, particularly if they feel like someone is about to take it. The fact that the blanket fell on him, and startled him, then he squawked, then he swallowed the chunk (or tried) makes me think he might be doing some resource guarding. You might see about doing some treat exchanges with his favorite things, to make sure he doesn't panic if he thinks someone might take something from him
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I give rawhides under supervision only and I give the rolled rawhides that are over a foot long. I also give bullysticks under supervison. The girls do have access to antlers. Z's is about a foot long and the malinois' is a little bigger and thicker. They got them for Christmas and are still in good shape. I have not seen any pieces come off the antlers and the dogs' seem to enjoy them but like the bullysticks better. I do not feed hooves b/c they can chip teeth. (And hurt like a #$$%% when you step on them in the middle of the night!)
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Well, I am not sure if this is evidence against him resource guarding, but he really doesn't seem to mind me taking his treats or food from him ever. I actually take the rawhide from him while he is chewing if we move rooms or something and he doesn't seem to mind whatsoever. I touch his mouth (outside obviously) and face while he eats treats sometimes and he doesn't react whatsoever to that either. He doesn't seem to ever eat quickly or gulp down the treats, I think the problem with the rawhide is just that the two times he choked/swallowed a sharp piece was that they were too small to hold with his paws and break pieces off like he usually does, so he just put it all in his mouth and didn't chew it enough. I WILL NOT give him those any more though and anything that I do give him will be taken away toward the end of it.
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Have you tried the compressed rawhide…where it is rolled really flat, and then compressed back together, and cut into shapes. It is usually dark tan, instead of white. And while a dog could still choke on those, they tend to come apart in smaller, more digestable 'sheets' instead of chunks. It is the only kind of rawhide I will use, and I have never had a problem with it. I do take it away when it is 2-3 inches. Some dogs will consume a 12inch bone quickly, some will work on it for weeks.
I believe that's the kind I use with my B. It's a darker color. I have just flat strips (squares usually) and Kananga chews them down to basically nothing, and then swallows what's left. I'm never concerned because he never has tried to swallow a large piece.
I would agree there is a behavior thing to it as well. Some dogs will simply try and consume it without thinking about it, so you'd have to be careful with practically anything at that point.
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Well, I am not sure if this is evidence against him resource guarding, but he really doesn't seem to mind me taking his treats or food from him ever. I actually take the rawhide from him while he is chewing if we move rooms or something and he doesn't seem to mind whatsoever. I touch his mouth (outside obviously) and face while he eats treats sometimes and he doesn't react whatsoever to that either. He doesn't seem to ever eat quickly or gulp down the treats, I think the problem with the rawhide is just that the two times he choked/swallowed a sharp piece was that they were too small to hold with his paws and break pieces off like he usually does, so he just put it all in his mouth and didn't chew it enough. I WILL NOT give him those any more though and anything that I do give him will be taken away toward the end of it.
Perfect! Keep up the good work!
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Thank you!
I appreciate that. Also, the fact that more than once our neighbors leave their trash out and cats tear up the bag so Dex discovered a chicken bone laying around, he didn't even mind me taking that straight from his mouth. He just looked up at me like "Awwww mannnn….Oh, well, Let's continue our walk!" haha. -
I give rawhides under supervision only and I give the rolled rawhides that are over a foot long. I also give bullysticks under supervison. The girls do have access to antlers. Z's is about a foot long and the malinois' is a little bigger and thicker. They got them for Christmas and are still in good shape. I have not seen any pieces come off the antlers and the dogs' seem to enjoy them but like the bullysticks better. I do not feed hooves b/c they can chip teeth. (And hurt like a #$$%% when you step on them in the middle of the night!)
Oh my… you have that right... about the hooves....
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suki choked on a flat square rawhide piece once. now i give her the the skinny rolled kind (about the diameter of a pencil). they don't last as long, but she won't choke, at least. i also give bully sticks, which she loves (but they're a little more pricey).
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Thank you for the suggestions!
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Best Bully Sticks will actually mail you a free sample if you would like to try one out for Dexter:
http://www.bestbullysticks.com/home/bbs/sample_main.htmlYou've obviously learned your lesson now, so have fun exploring the wide world of durable dog chews.
We don't give rawhide anymore EXCEPT in with C.E.T. dental strips that we sometimes give, though under close supervision. Not a huge fan of hooves around here either (they kind of stink! and yes, I've stepped on them before and OUCH!). But we like Himalayan Yak Chews, antlers, and various edible dental chews like Zuke's and Terrabones (though the latter don't last very long).On Himalayan Yak Chews, it appears to chip off in shards, which alarms some people. We've never had a problem with it though. When it gets down to the last little stub, you do need to remove it. But if you microwave it for 40 seconds or so, it will puff up and become extremely porous, like a giant, hard Cheez-it. And then your dog can safely consume the last bit without serious fear of choking.
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we had sort of luke-warm responses to the Yak chews in this house. Sad, because I think it's a great product, but okay because they are a bit pricey.
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So many good chewing items in quality pet store. I think if you shop at one, you will find a whole herd of things for the b's to chew on.
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I tried beef tracheas and beef tendons recently. Dogs love them. Beef tendons seemed to last as long as a bully stick. Tracheas are such an odd shape that it takes them a little bit of time to work on those. I did try elk antlers but I think that is what may have broke one of my dogs teeth so I tossed those out. It's a shame, they looked like a good idea.
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we tired the elk antlers…only a so-so response...I think they are a little too hard for my guys to really get into...but maybe a younger pup would like the hardness. Bella chewed hers more than Hippo did.
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we tired the elk antlers…only a so-so response...I think they are a little too hard for my guys to really get into...but maybe a younger pup would like the hardness. Bella chewed hers more than Hippo did.
That's why only the girls got them for Xmas. However, both Diggie (14) and Jet (13) have sort of shown a little interest in them. Diggie licked it a little and seemed to say "where were these 12 years ago??" Yes, I think they were too hard for the old men. Girls (4 yrs) nibble on them here and there.
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Megan, watching a dog choke to death is traumatic. Watching 4 adults trying to hold the dog down to get it out of its mouth, the kennel owner getting chewed up horribly in the process, the terrible death.. it certainly charged my response and horror that your dog choked once and yet you still gave it. Glad you won't again. When I could sit and WATCH my Rottie, I gave him a huge honking knotted on the ends rawhide someone gave him…once. Decided more effort on my part than worth it.
Antlers? Really? Wow wouldn't have thought but aren't they brittle like bones?
I have never tried bully sticks, lol. The thought disturbs me. But I know dogs love them. I feed raw a lot so my guys get plenty of chewing. I also have lots of chew toys, chew bones, etc. I may have to give in and buy the bully sticks.
