# I Bought my miniature dachshund a rawhide chew and he loves it but...



## llmercll (Nov 15, 2012)

I read they're unhealthy. Rawhide isn't digestible and can puncture their GI system or even lung =/

I've never seen him so content as he was chewing on the rawhide, so I'm looking into alternatives. I've read that nylabones, greenies, kongs, and bully sticks are enjoyed and safe. I have nylabones and kongs but he isn't too crazy about them, unless slathered with peanut butter =p

I will order some bully sticks and he will probably enjoy them, but they are expensive and I read don't last long.

I'm looking for something that he will love to chew on, and will last awhile. Hopefully cleaning his teeth and freshening his breath as well (I noticed his breath didn't smell at ALL after chewing on the rawhide)

All my reading seems to point me toward raw bones, especially raw meaty bones which also have nutritional benefits. I don't see any raw bones being sold online, as they appear to all be cooked, which can be dangerous. Would I just go to a butcher and ask him for some? Then store them in the freezer and give one or two to him weekly?

I would appreciate some input,

thank you!


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## zeronightfarm (Jun 15, 2011)

Greenies, are not safe as far as I'm concerned, and they don't do any thing. 

I give pig ears, and and atlers.


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## Rescued (Jan 8, 2012)

antlers! google them- they last a while and most dogs like them


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

Back before raw I gave huge bully sticks and took them away when the dog could take the piece all the way into the mouth, cow ears as they are less greasy and last a lot longer than pig ears and bought big assortment of chews offered by Merrick with all sorts of odd bits. I used pressed rawhide at first but the quality went way down and I would even see black mold in the center of them. Plain rawhide was gone far too fast to work as a real chew. Back then I did try all the man made chews like Greenies and they were all fails. Sassy just broke them into bits and swallowed the bits whole.

I figured out that raw beef ribs, the kind that comes off rib roasts, are cheaper than the pet store or online chews. A pound is at most $2 a pound and the ribs I have bought are about 8 ounces each. I tried raw pig feet but they were more than my middle aged dogs wanted to deal with. The skin is incredibly tough and a great work out and tooth polisher. I gave one or the other to the dogs weekly. The pig feet were good for a few days, the beef ribs were stripped bare in about an hour and I tossed the bones. Some like to let the dogs continue to chew them but I don't like doing that. If you could find whole pork neck pieces then those are nice and big and fun to chew. I also will buy roasts for the family and bone it very badly myself and give the meat covered bone to the dogs. Leg of lamb, beef or pork rib roasts work very nicely for that.

Nothing wrong with putting some peanut butter into a kong so your dog will chew it. Just watch how much you put in there!


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## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

For bully sticks, go to www.bestbullysticks.com and they are just over $1 each.

To make bully sticks last longer, I first stuff a Kong with something nice and gooey (peanut butter & banana is a favorite here), then jam the bully stick down the middle of it, and then freeze it.


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## Lucy Brees (Aug 20, 2012)

rawhides scare me. A member here jsut lost his dog to swollowing one. The Himalayan chew things last a really long time here. all digestible goats milk, but hard hard like a rawhide.


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## ScrappysMom (Nov 16, 2012)

What is a Kong? And I was looking at the braided bully sticks. Do they last longer?


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## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

Kong is a brand. They are most well known for their hollow rubber chew toys, specifically the Classic Kong which is snowman shaped. They are magical toys that can keep dogs entertained for a very long time, thus curbing destructive or annoying habits by giving the dog something to do.


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## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

When I want raw bones, I just go to the meat counter at the grocery store and tell them I want marrow bones for my dog. They then ask me how big the dog is and how many I want, and a few minutes later, I have what I need. 

It never hurts to ask.


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## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

Personally I'm not a fan of marrow bones. They are incredibly dense and hard and can damage teeth, not to mention mishaps like this:









Every chew has risks and benefits, and for me marrow bones aren't worth the risk of cracked, broken, microfractured teeth.


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## Daenerys (Jul 30, 2011)

Sibe said:


> To make bully sticks last longer, I first stuff a Kong with something nice and gooey (peanut butter & banana is a favorite here), then jam the bully stick down the middle of it, and then freeze it.


Omg, what a brilliant idea! Wish I had thought of it sooner!


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## Damon'sMom (Aug 2, 2011)

Our dogs LOVE elk Antlers.


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## llmercll (Nov 15, 2012)

Thanks for the all the great suggestions!

I am definitely going to order some bully sticks and antlers. Will the antlers be ok for a smaller dog though?

thank you!


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## ringo16 (Oct 24, 2012)

Bully sticks should last a good amount of time for your miniature dachshund. I buy 12" bully sticks for my 4 month corgi and cut them in half, which will last him about a week a piece since he isnt constantly chewing it. He does really enjoy them though.


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