Making your own homemade dog chews is an attractive idea, but you need to choose dog chew recipes carefully. That’s because the wrong choice can be dangerous, even deadly for your dog!
Below I’ve given you some tips on picking safe dog chews and dog dental bones for your pet. And a few recipes that you might want to try for your dog.
Dogs love to chew! They chew on everything from your dining room table leg to Suzie’s socks. And the reason for all the chewing is two-fold–when they are puppies, they are teething–just like babies.
Older dogs, while they have outgrown the teething phase, chew on things to exercise and clean their teeth and gums. It’s instinctive. And it’s healthy.
And it’s why we buy our pets dog dental bones. You might want to try these healthy dental bones that also freshen your dog’s breath.
Puppies love to chew, and it helps
keep their teeth and gums clean and healthy.
While we don’t want our dogs to chew on furniture or clothing, we can easily redirect them to chewing more acceptable items.
My pet bakery, Natural Pet Bakery, developed a line of healthy dog treat chews that your pet will enjoy!
Safe Dog Chews
Choose Dog Treats Carefully
The first thing to keep in mind when choosing dog chews is that you should choose only nutrient rich dog chews, that will dissolve in water (or your pet’s intestines). This is to make sure that he won’t eat the dog chew and cause a blockage.
For example, some products have plastic or nylon pieces that can actually clog up the intestines. These products may be just fine when your dog is still a small puppy.
My miniature schnauzer Skipper loved to chew on nylabone dog bones when she was little. She would chew away for hours at a time and very little of the bone was consumed.
However, when Skipper reached 6 months of age, we gave her a nylabone dog dental bone, and she ate most of the bone in half an hour. Luckily she was able to pass it all.
We were fortunate, as she could easily have had a blockage. At 6 months, she was a much stronger chewer than she was at 8 weeks. The nylabone dog bones were no longer safe for her to chew.
How to Choose Dog Chews for your Dog
When choosing dog chews for your dog, consider:
Natural Ingredients
Choose natural products that can dissolve in water and will be digested by your dog. They will pass easily through his digestive system.
Supervise your Dog while she Chews
Supervise your dog while she is chewing on a dog treat chew. Dogs have a natural tendency to gulp big pieces. Make sure yours doesn’t swallow a large chunk. Large pieces can become a choking hazard.
Avoid Products that don’t Break Down
Stay away from products that can clog your pet’s intestinal system. Even natural products like pig ears and rawhide can get slimy and gunky, and they may not break down.
If you give your dog a pig ear or rawhide, you’ll need to let it dry out and harden between sessions.
Limit Chew Time
Let your dog work on a synthetic bone or a dog pastry for a while–then put it away for another day!
Consider your Dog’s Size and Power
Large breeds and dogs with powerful biting and chewing habits can easily tear many commercial and homemade chews apart. Gulping down the pieces can result in a choking injury.
Homemade dog chews may not be the best choice for a strong and powerful chewer, whether he is a large or small breed.
Make sure your dog can handle the toys and chews that you give him.
The bottom line is that dog chews can be very healthy for your dog–but you must make good decisions on choosing them and you should always supervise the chewing activity!
Here are a few homemade dog chew recipes that you might like to try:
Grissini
Taralli
Banana Bread
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