Dental "Bones", treats, etc
 

OK, I know there's a ton of different chewy type treats/bones/toys to promote dental health (or they claim they do). I got Max something by Purina called a "Busy Bone-Dental"....I thought it was a bunch of stick type chewy things, but it turns out that it was a package of 2 "bones" ...they're sort of twisted and are about 1 inch in diameter and about 4 inches long. I gave one to Max, who took off with it (like I'd steal it from him or something:rolleyes: )....and about 10 minutes later, he'd eaten HALF of it:eek: . And the stuff smelled pretty bad, AND it was all over his face (hair):( . I took the other half away b/c I wasn't sure he should be devouring so much of it at once. As it turned out, I was right. The things are actually not even meant for "toy" breeds b/c of the nutrient content (I called Purina)...I don't think the ingredients are harmful, it's just that it contributes too many calories/fat in a day. They are coming out this summer with a miniature version of it.

So, is there anything that's similar that I could give Max to chew on? I don't think he'll chew on something that's not edible, since he doesn't chew on any of his toys and pretty much totally ignores those that are meant for that purpose. I guess what I'm looking for is something that doesn't have too many calories or fat but could be chewed on and would help remove plaque?

Have you tried Bully Sticks?

Rice, glycerin, water, wheat flour, gelatin, chicken by-product meal, wheat gluten, calcium phosphate, added color (Red 3, Red 40, Yellow 6, Yellow 5, Blue 1, Blue 2 and other color), sorbic acid (a preservative), calcium propionate (a preservative), natural and artificial smoke flavors, BHA (a preservative), BHT (a preservative), citric acid, calcium carbonate.
D-5455

Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein (Min) 8.0%
Crude Fat (Min) 1.0%
Crude Fiber (Max) 2.0%
Moisture (Max) 18.0%
Calcium (Ca) (Min) 0.25%

Chicken by-products and especially BHT are garbage. I would skip purina altogether. Ellie doesn't get chewies (I brush her teeth) but I have heard good things about bully sticks. I'm not sure they're meant to clean teeth though. Most of the actual dental treats are junk.

I used to give my dogs bully stix but when my 4 lb yorkie got to be 7.5 lbs we figured out that it was the bully stix....LOL

My vet recommended CET dental chews for small dogs twice a week. They really do help with tartar buildup.

LOL..that's funny, but not funny:D . Which is what I'm trying to avoid...Max was up to a little over 7 lbs when he came down with pancreatitis, and has been on a lower calorie diet since then with NO problems, so I don't even want to go there again! But thank you for posting this, b/c I was on the verge of getting him some.....I just couldnt' find any at the pet stores I've gone to in town.

Where do you get those? Are they just at the vet's, or can you buy them at petstores? Max doesn't need any treats per se, I'm now giving him a slice of apple once a day all chopped up, but if it's only a couple a week, that shouldn't be too bad:confused: .

My vet carries them, but they are a lot more expensive. I order a lot of Lady's supplements from online stores and get them there. Here are a few I like:

http://www.entirelypets.com/cetchewp..._utmk=37638369

http://www.revivalanimal.com/store/p...CET-Chews.aspx

I give my two a whole, organic carrot once in awhile...they take off with it just like a bone, and chew it up between the two of them!

I don't do bully sticks-they smell horrible-even dry-I can't imagine what they smell like when they chew them up. Plus, once I found out what a bully stick IS....no way!

My Yorkies just get cow ears and hooves. I have never had any problems with these and it gives them a lot of chewing exercise. The cow ears are big so I use tin snips to cut them in strips. J-B Wholesale has good prices on chews. Their website it http://jbpet.com
Has anyone every tried lamb ears?

I don't understand how a dog could get fat on a bully stick. I have one here and it's 79% protein, 13% moisture, 1% fat and 1% fiber. I called and asked one time how many calories they have and I was told they have about 20 calories. Mine usually take 2-3 days to eat a bully stick. I think you might have had something else going on, or your dog was just special because mine eat bully sticks all the time and they are not fat.

Wow! Thanks for those links....those seem like great prices! I'm going to give them a try!

Dental Bones, treats
 

Tricksie has been chewing on a dental bone for over a week, yesterday I gave her her first Bully Stix and this morning she started vomiting. She only chewed on the Bully Stix for a few min. The dental bone, I threw it away. I am running out of chewies for her.

My vet cautioned me about ears and hooves. He said to be careful from the country they originated in due to "mad cow" disease.

Thanks for the warning but anything could get contaminated if folks are not careful. Look at all the dog food that got recalled. I have been using them for years, my dogs love them and they never get diarrhea from chewing on them. They are packaged out of Arizona.