You can get anco/chew roots on eBay... Wonder if they'd deliver to NZ/Oz? One day someone will invent the perfect, long lasting, low kilojoule, teeth safe chew!!! Bully sticks would be fine to give each day I reckon. They are low fat. They aren't cheap though, and some dogs can eat them pretty fast... I really like them as a chew though (for my dog).
@QuinnM15 aren't cardboard boxes great?! Every time we're through a box of wine, the box sits next to the bin in the kitchen and then Snowie knows he's allowed to take it and tear it apart. As a puppy he got endless fun out of cardboard boxes, and he even would lie inside the box and chew the edges. Now that he's older, he does a few rips and then is done. We put all cardboard boxes, big or small, on the bin for him -- tissue boxes up to big boxes and also the inside tubes from paper towels (not interested in toilet roll inner tubes, but loved them when he was a puppy). You never know when he will feel like a good rip. (Yes, it does make a mess, but it's worth it.)
They'd deliver, but they wouldn't get past the trusty biosecurity dogs at the mail centre. Australia is slightly more relaxed than NZ, so you might have more luck. Would you reduce a dog's daily food ration if you were giving a bully/pizzle stick every day?
Yeah, I'd reduce their other food. I find that Obi does put on weight pretty quickly if he's getting a pig's ear or equivalent per day without a corresponding reduction in other foodstuffs.
You're nicer than me - I dread the cleanup and only save a box here or there for Quinn! She makes a huge mess and tears every bit to tiny shreds! I never thought of a paper towel tube - I'm going to try that for sure! Much less clean up!
I liked them a lot, too,as did Cooper.....but then I found out that they are 22 calories per INCH.....that is a lot of calories if I don't give him less food! I was shocked!
I agree about the mess...sometimes it's a small cardboard box and you wonder how can a pup create such a MESS with a little cardboard box???? Ditto with a paper napkin????
How old is Xena? I found when we were giving Quinn frequent bully sticks for teething (4.5-6.5 months ish) she was getting a lot diarrhea and I think it's because they are high cal and it was too much for her. We moved to letting her chew the 6" til it was half gone, and the second half 2 days later to make sure her tummy was OK.
When Snowie was a puppy (4 years ago -- time flies!), the first time I gave him a bully stick was when I knew I had a meeting (online, at home) and needed him occupied. He was busy with it next to me, loving it. Finished it and promptly vomited it all up! I could do nothing as I was attached to my laptop with a headset and speaking to my manager and could only watch as he re-enjoyed the bully stick by gobbling up all his vomit! I don't recall they gave him diarrhea; he was fine after that first incident.
Well...would that be the Alaskan wild pedigree Labrador or the African wild pedigree Labrador? Domestic dogs are domestic dogs - they are not wild dogs, and are not even descendants of today's wolves. Who knows how their jaws and teeth have evolved? For sure, they have tooth crowding and shortened muzzles compared to wolves. Maybe they have thiner tooth enamel too - who knows? One thing is for sure - injured wild animals die, and they die without pain control. That's not an acceptable standard of care for domestic dogs. My dogs do not get antlers, nylabones, or any such things. They get kongs, fish chews, pizzles and so on. I clean their teeth and the vet inspects their teeth for any problems on routine check ups every couple of months. Some people give hard things for their dogs to chew - and either their dogs chew in a way that doesn't cause problems, or they will find out that their dog has problems with their teeth later. I prefer not to risk it.
According to this link: http://www.dentalvets.co.uk/index.p...tre-surge-of-fractured-upper-carnassial-teeth there is a three year study underway which will hopefully give us more information. With regard to supervision, I'm not sure that would make a difference - I'm guessing a slab fracture would be a pretty instant kind of thing? Perhaps not something you would be able to see happening. I'm no expert on teeth though. I'll try to find out when this study is due to be completed, it would be good to have some more definite information. I for one, would love to hear than antlers are safe as I have boxes of them!
