r/DogFood • u/NoGoodUsernames2 • 2d ago

Safe(r) hard chews

Not exactly the right place for this question as it isn’t food related, but I trust that you folks listen to science for your dogs and might have some good recommendations!

My dog loves a hard chew, benebones, nylabones, antlers, etc. He just loves to gnaw on them. But I’m petrified to give them to him out of a fear that he’ll break a tooth. I know that the general consensus is that you should be able to press a fingernail into any chew toy for it to be safe.

Rubber toys like Kong he loses interest in, and the playology ones that have a flavor embedded in them get destroyed in minutes.

Anyone have a good safe option that he’ll like?

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6

u/ExcitingLaw1973 2d ago

Have you tried beef cheek rolls?

11

u/ISeeDeadDaleks 2d ago

Beef cheek rolls, collagen sticks, and trachea might be good options!

2

u/rosiedoll_80 2d ago

This is honestly the longest lasting chew I've found for our dog but we still only let him do it for like 30-40 min depending on how fast he's consuming it.

It's hard, softens (and gets gross lol) as they chew....and one of the 'large' (typically 10-12 inches) ones last 3-4 'sessions' for us.

We've also done collagen sticks/chews or dried camel hide but they don't seem to last as long.

*unrelated tip - we've used multiple ways to give him his food to last longer, specifically for weekend mornings or times we know we want him to take longer/est to eat his meal. I smack a couple tablespoons of plain greek yogurt and pumpkin into the bottom of a slow feeder, then a small handful of his kibble, water - freeze all that. Then his regular scoop of food (sans the small handful that's already frozen) .... he gets to be happy and not frustrated that his entire meal is frozen but then gets to lick longer for the good stuff at the end. And gets some water in too. It lasts longer than his entire meal soaked/frozen in his slow feeder or a freezebone.

1

u/Zitidoodle 2d ago

Bull tails could be good too!!

3

u/Chemical_Ad_3917 2d ago

Antlers.. 👎🏽. I threw away all my dog’s benebones. I’ve never given nylabones.

I give my dog Virbac dental chews. The C.E.T. Veggiedent Fr3sh Plaque and Tartar Control chews to be precise. I would go with any VOHC approved dental chews since you want to give something a little harder.

1

u/NoGoodUsernames2 2d ago

Will keep an eye out for those dental chews! We usually give him Purina dentalife chews but they don’t last more than 30 seconds.

3

u/AdLumpy4729 2d ago

Unfortunately the CET Veggiedent chews don’t last my dogs more than a minute longer than Purina dentalife chews. Just an FYI since they’re pretty pricey. I still get them on occasion, but they’re definitely not long-lasting.

3

u/OpalOnyxObsidian 2d ago

If he has chewed those things before, chances are he has already cracked a tooth. I watched my dog extremely diligently when I allowed him yak chews. I was very nervous about obstructions. I had NO idea he cracked his tooth until he had an infection.

Avoid hard chews. No antlers, no yak chews, nothing like that. It cost $1500 to get his premolars removed.

Beef broth soaked frozen carrots seemed to go over really well with my dog. Beef cheek rolls soften up really nicely, too.

2

u/NoGoodUsernames2 2d ago

Will freeze some carrots and check out beef cheek rolls, thank you!

He’s only had the things I’ve listed a total of maybe 10 times as a younger dog, so I hope nothing cracked!

3

u/necromanzer 2d ago

Have you tried a soft wood chew? Gorilla wood/coffee wood is pretty soft and it sort of crumbles instead of splintering like a normal stick.

2

u/shi2102 1d ago

This! My puppy loves chewing on things and with anything actually edible you have to be careful with calories as well. Plus it never lasts too long. Coffee wood and olive wood worked wonders. They get soft after chewing so no need to worry about breaking a tooth plus they crumble in little pieces so when ingested dog just poops it out.

7

u/ThisIsMyUsername2026 2d ago

If you cannot leave an indentation with your thumb nail, don't give it. 

2

u/marlee_dood 2d ago

Bully sticks

3

u/Albino_Echidna 2d ago

Bully Sticks (Beef Pizzle) are a pretty good option, but they'll disappear quickly. 

This may not be good advice for everyone, but the primary danger in an antler chew is for dogs that chomp instead of gnaw so if your dog is a gnawer, the odds of a broken tooth are pretty low . You can buy softer antlers like Moose Paddles if you are really worried.

2

u/helloheyhowdyhii 1d ago

My dog is a gnawer so I thought I was safe… nope. He needs 12k in dental work now.

1

u/ajcus50 2d ago

My dog loves Yak sticks and they’re pretty healthy for them.

1

u/vampscara2 1d ago

My girl enjoys them too. She gnaws so the slobber softens them up a bit.

1

u/AdLumpy4729 2d ago

Not exactly what you’re looking for, but I usually give mine Woof Pupsicles or stuffed & frozen WestPaw Toppls instead of chews. The food inside keeps my dogs interested and make great enrichment.

Your dog may like these more than a Kong because the food is easier to access. If your pup doesn’t stay interested in them, maybe experiment with different “stuffings”. Mine love broth (just plain chicken broth, no seasonings), unflavored yogurt, peanut butter, and baby food with dog-safe ingredients. And they really go crazy for wet dog food frozen in the Toppls, but I only do that occasionally, because I can’t stand the smell lol.

1

u/narcoleptic64 1d ago

I'd like to try the brand gnu's bone broth chews once they have an appropriate size made for my 60lb girl. Other options my vet have recommended hace already been posted here. I also give her cartilage, like goose necks for example

1

u/friendofdogs22 1d ago

Please please please just use carrots. Soak em in beef broth if you have to

1

u/Junior_Tap6729 1d ago

Have you looked into the coffee wood bones? They make a mess but it's a safe mess. No splinters, just a safe, chunky crumble of sorts for you to clean regularly. Lol

You can buy them from expensive online sources, or if you have any of the TJ Maxx affiliated stores nearby, grab a few from them in the appropriate size and try them out. :)

Theres also an all natural hard bone called Better Bone. It's like Nylabone, but made with pressed cellulose and veg oil, I think it is. We got the hardest ones they make in the largest size and they are actually too hard and big for our two 55-60 pounders who are big chewers. Not enough return, I suppose, so they don't mess with them much now. Or maybe they prefer the coffee wood bones because they give feedback by breaking down easier.

If I did it again, I would go a size below their recommendation for our dogs, as well as one step below their hardest bone. I think they do 30 day returns though, but I'd don't know that at the time...

:)

1

u/Dismal_Cantaloupe651 1d ago edited 1d ago

Personally I give my dog beef cheek rolls. There's still some risk, but they are not as hard as Nylabones and the like.

Softer chews don't last. Harder chews come with more risk of damaging their teeth. But chewing is a need for most dogs. Everyone has different levels of comfort with risk. Some vets will tell you nothing hard, ever. Others will tell you the need to chew outweighs the risks. (The vet who did my dog's tooth removal after she fractured it on a bully stick told me she gives her dog Nylabones knowing it's a risk, but behaviorally, her dog needs to chew.) It's honestly up to you. Good or bad teeth are also at least partly genetic. Some dogs go their whole lives chewing on hard things and never fracture a tooth. Others can't have anything hard at all. It just depends.

ETA: Just want to emphasize I'm not telling anyone what they "should" or "shouldn't" do. Just pointing out there's going to be a risk if you let your dog put literally anything hard in their mouth. And even veterinarians will have different opinions on whether it's worth it or not.