Reply to: Edible dog chews (long lasting)

[BlueSharp]

Stopped giving her the pizzles. She started devouring them too quickly, and occasionally getting the squits. Ditto with cow hooves.

Experimented with various nylon bones, including flavoured ones, but she very quickly lost interest.

Tried olive and coffee wood chews, which are supposed not to splinter but they do. Also tried root chews but she didn't take to these.

Currently giving her red deer antler for about an hour a day, and these seem to be working out.

Must have spent a few hundred quid over the past 18 months.

Have you tried Beef Trachea?

Rather than a chew, what about a food puzzle? We always have one handy when we need to distract the dog during a Teams call.

[woody1]

Stopped giving her the pizzles. She started devouring them too quickly, and occasionally getting the squits. Ditto with cow hooves.

Experimented with various nylon bones, including flavoured ones, but she very quickly lost interest.

Tried olive and coffee wood chews, which are supposed not to splinter but they do. Also tried root chews but she didn't take to these.

Currently giving her red deer antler for about an hour a day, and these seem to be working out.

Must have spent a few hundred quid over the past 18 months.

[sadkingbilly]

but then we're contractors and dogs are important to us.

to you, maybe. can't abide them.

[woody1]

Update/conclusion.

Tried cow tails, cow scalp strips (supposedly ultra hard), camel skin, deer skin, cows ears. None lasted more than 5 minutes or so.

The only thing that lasted a decent amount of time (~30 mins) were thick 6" pizzles (also known as bully sticks). They're not cheap but at least they do the job.

[WTFH]

Ohhh great link. We've got a cockapoo who always has her ears in her food and water. Deffo going to have a look in to these.

As modelled by Max:

[northernladuk]

One thing you can try if they are eating their meals very fast is to get a ribbed bowl (or go-slo bowl as they are sometimes called). It means the dog can't just wolf stuff down, but has to lick and eat in smaller pieces. Works for Mad Max.
I'd recommend: https://www.chow-bella.co.uk
British made to order, they do ear-free ones for spaniels which is where I first heard of them.
Not a cheap bowl, but then we're contractors and dogs are important to us.

Ohhh great link. We've got a cockapoo who always has her ears in her food and water. Deffo going to have a look in to these.

[WTFH]

One thing you can try if they are eating their meals very fast is to get a ribbed bowl (or go-slo bowl as they are sometimes called). It means the dog can't just wolf stuff down, but has to lick and eat in smaller pieces. Works for Mad Max.
I'd recommend: https://www.chow-bella.co.uk
British made to order, they do ear-free ones for spaniels which is where I first heard of them.
Not a cheap bowl, but then we're contractors and dogs are important to us.

[northernladuk]

We gave our dog glow in the dark treats. You should have seen her face light up...

[courtg9000]

There was a chap on here a while back who had a dog treats sideline business.

[northernladuk]

Yak chews all day long for our pup although they still only last a day with focussed effort but she loves them.

Avoid hide at all costs. Horrible stuff.
I'd personally avoid nylabones as well. They get sharp after awhile and it's still plastic at the end of the day so if they are eating it then I'm not liking it.

Also try the Earth Animal no no hide rolls. Ours loves them but she can demolish them. Great to get her to calm for a bit or when we are out eating but if you give her one it will be gone in a few hours or less.
https://earthanimal.com/shop/?chew-treat[]=93

Pets at home do a similar one. In with the smartbones in an individual packet but forget what it's called.

Ours loves some antlers. Has to have something to hold in her paws so it's hit and miss. A straight single antler just doesn't work. I do grind it down from time to time when she starts chewing it to a sharp edge but I don't have any problems giving them to her.

[WTFH]

Good result - one other thing you could try is Yak chews. They are hard and last a long time, you can also microwave them. Might be worth a try.

[woody1]

I've ordered a couple of pizzles to see if they last any longer.

Tested two over the weekend. One lasted 40 minutes, the other 25 minutes. Result.

I may also try cow tails, which are supposed to be similar but are quite a bit cheaper.

[woody1]

We're both retired, and she gets 2 long walks a day, and doesn't get left on her own for any length of time to really get bored. Our previous dog, also a Lab, had really good teeth and that may have been partly down to us giving him chews a few times a week. Anyway, it's something we think is worth continuing with her.

I've ordered a couple of pizzles to see if they last any longer. I think I'll gloss over what they are to the missus.

[malvolio]

Our staffie can destroy a tennis ball in two minutes flat, and most other dog toys in very little time. The only things that last more than a day are Kong toys in their various forms, which are pretty much indestructible, or some hard nylon chews that eventually have to be thrown because they have developed sharp edges.

Dogs chew out of boredom as much as anything, so as WTFH says, the toys that make them hunt for treats are the best bet.

[WTFH]

I'd agree with avoiding rawhide and horns.

Perhaps try things like a Kong Wobbler ( https://www.kongcompany.com/catalogue/PW1/ ) - where they have to work to get the food out. We would put a handful of kibble into it and it provides a bit of entertainment.

The other thing to be aware of is that you've got a Lab. Just about 250,000 years ago, one day a Lab owner forgot the time and was late one minute putting out the dog's dinner. The story is passed down from one lab to another, and they now will wolf down anything, just in case it ever happens again.