Chewies

[flutterbye]

Just me again. Any suggestions on giving an 11 week old puppy something to chew on? I'm talking big crunchy bones, rawhide, etc..

Thanks!!
Linda

[bec]

I would steer clear of raw hide because puppies tummies can't digest it as well as adult dogs can - plus it is very easy for them to choke on, particularly the knotted bones. i had a bad incident with my boy douglas with one of those rawhide bones. He had chewed one end until it was completely soft, and then tried to swallow it. The whole other end was still hard and got stuck at the back of his throat. lucky i was home to hear him gagging and managed to pull it out.

what about a puppy kong? they are great, and give the jaws a good working.
raw bones are good, particularly marrow bones, cut along the length of the shaft so that puppy can get it's teeth right in there for the marrow

[Michael Romanos]

There can be no better outdoors chew for any dog than a big raw meaty bone. The four beef or lamb bones that are highly recommended because they are safest are; Canon (by far), shin, femur and brisket. The latter needs to be uplifted when it goes soft. Not only superb for a dog's teeth and gums and mouth generally, but important for mental stimulation. There is a risk associated with these bones being raw but the risk is worth taking for the benefits provided. A few dogs are intolerent to raw meat and in particular fat. Best to cut off most of the fat. Remember a big meaty bone is often equal to a full main meal - so don't overfeed.

[bec]

good advice michael.

oanother thing to remember, is if the bones are outside, and it gets very hot, they very quickly turned into the equivalent of a 'cooked' bone.. which is a big no no for dogs due to splintering..

[Michael Romanos]

Gosh Bec, never heard that one before. But it has been proven that you can fry an egg on the bonnet of a car sited outdoors in very hot weather.