# Question for dog owners



## navigator9 (Nov 25, 2016)

Well it doesn't take very long to get confused when reading reviews online. So I thought I'd go straight to the experts and ask those of you who own dogs about this. I was going to get some Greenies for the little guy, but then started reading horror stories about them. So I looked for something else, and found Dentastix....similar horror stories. Wow, how do you ever feel comfortable giving your dogs ANY kind of treats? Reading the stories makes you wonder how either of them is still on the market!

I was thinking about ordering some of the all natural treats suggested in this thread, but also wanted something that would help clean his teeth. What can I use without worrying that it will poison him...it's very scary!


----------



## mx5inpenn (Nov 25, 2016)

I didn't see them on the test page, but puropets also usually carries deer antlers. They are fairly expensive, but last a long time. I'll message her and ask.


----------



## mx5inpenn (Nov 25, 2016)

mx6inpenn said:


> I didn't see them on the test page, but puropets also usually carries deer antlers. They are fairly expensive, but last a long time. I'll message her and ask.



She does still have some small ones. You can message her on etsy or Facebook (puropets) and talk to her about it if you'd like.


----------



## Obsidian (Nov 25, 2016)

I give my dogs dentastix but not greenies. I've read too many instances of dogs not properly digesting big pieces of greenies, same thing with raw hide treats. My dogs are pigs though, they like to swallow really big pieces of almost everything.

They do get pig ears, cow hooves and if I can find them, big raw knuckle bones from a butcher are great too. The bones are the only thing that really help clean the teeth.

I have three doxies and they are prone to bad teeth, no treats have helped at all. Its important to have yearly dentals for small dogs, I skipped last year and our oldest girl ended up with a abscess a couple weeks ago. Cost nearly $400 to get it taken care of and she lost two teeth in the process.

Lucky they all eat veggies, doesn't help teeth but at least I know they are healthy and safe. Carrots are a favorite but they will eat any except celery.

ETA: Be careful of antlers and other very hard treats, if your dog is a aggressive chewer, they can break their teeth.


----------



## Scooter (Nov 25, 2016)

navigator9 said:


> Wow, how do you ever feel comfortable giving your dogs ANY kind of treats?



Like so many things, this is partly a YMMV issue. I have friends who have given their dogs lots of rawhide treats and those dogs treat them like toys, nibbling on them gently now and again. If my dog gets hold of a rawhide, it disappears down her throat in a second. I seriously worry about them as a choking hazard for *my* dog.

Basically my dog gets no "treats" as far as food. She gets enough food to be heathy and at an appropriate weight and, this is key, she gets lots of long walks and tons of quality time with her owners since we both work from home. Oh, and she has a few toys, but mostly she completely dispatches them as soon as she gets them, so they are pretty simple, her toys--a bone that has been throughly cleaned with a little peanut butter smeared on the inside, a rope, and that's about it.

My opinion of "treats" is that, as far as my dog is concerned, she does not know  about what she has never gotten. So much of the pet industry is about marketing to humans things that a lot of dogs may not care about either way. But that is just my opinion.

Scooter


----------



## Scooter (Nov 25, 2016)

Just one more thing... I got my dog at a rescue where she was the star pupil of a dog trainer who volunteers at the same rescue organization. My little doggie has been trained extremely well using positive reinforcement, and yes that involved/involves "treats"... done in a systematic limited manner. So my dog _is_ food motivated. I used to give her treats as a part of leash training her but when I thought she had learned it well enough I stopped with the food treats.. what I do now, instead, is at the end of every walk, I play "jump up" with her. I throw a little kibble in the air and she catches it with her mouth. It is something she likes to do and I use her regular kibble so I can easily figure it into her daily rations. But I do not buy her pet-industry designated treats. Another thing some dogs like (mine does not) is putting their regular kibble in a kong.

Scooter


----------



## Hearthy (Nov 25, 2016)

I have two big shepherds with very sensitive tummies. For treats that I buy I've tried these two with success:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/264340699/deer-antler-dog-chews-free-shipping?ref=shop_home_active_3

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004DY35TW/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

The bully sticks are incredibly stinky but they have never made my guys sick. The antlers I bought about 6 months ago and they still are going strong chewing them. They handle Greenies ok too, but I still have my concerns.

For a nice treat when they've gotten a tummy bug or I run out of dog food I boil a whole chicken with no seasoning, make rice with the chicken broth/water, cut the chicken in pieces and mix it with the rice. I cool it and serve and they demolish it.


----------



## Guspuppy (Nov 25, 2016)

Keep in mind that most people who are satisfied with a product will not think to write a review, especially if they just buy it at a pet store instead of online - but everyone who has problems with a product absolutely will write a negative review. I don't mean to imply that either of those things you mentioned are good, because I wouldn't give them to my dog either, but its something to think about when reading reviews of things!  

For chew toys my dog gets elk antlers from yellowstoneantlers.com. (He's much bigger than your dog will be, but you can use deer antlers or cut/split antlers - easier to get the antler marrow that way too) One will last him literally years, and unlike the weight-bearing bones of a cow, they are not too hard. They soften up a small amount as the dog chews on them, kind of like a rawhide, but no bits break off. They just kind of wear away. 

For 'treats' he gets only grain free cookies from Blue Buffalo, and freeze-dried beef liver which you can by in various size buckets at pet stores. 

If you are just looking to give him something to clean his teeth, get one of those littler fingertip toothbrushes for dogs and just brush his teeth every day. You don't even need toothpaste. No poison worries!


----------



## navigator9 (Nov 25, 2016)

Wow, thank you so much for all of this info...so helpful, and scary. It looks like dogs are a lot more complicated than cats! With my cats, their favorite treat has always been catnip, so no problems there. I did order a Kong, and it seems like peanut butter is a popular thing to fill it with, but then, there are also warnings against peanut butter. I don't know how anybody does this dog thing, without being a nervous wreck!!! But I did see something that made me laugh out loud, here it is, "Dog vs Peanut Butter". https://www.thedodo.com/ingrediant-could-be-deadly-dog-1449364385.html


----------



## navigator9 (Nov 25, 2016)

Hearthy said:


> For a nice treat when they've gotten a tummy bug or I run out of dog food I boil a whole chicken with no seasoning, make rice with the chicken broth/water, cut the chicken in pieces and mix it with the rice. I cool it and serve and they demolish it.



Thanks for the links, and especially for this, hopefully I'll never need it, but good to know what to do, just in case.


----------



## dibbles (Nov 25, 2016)

My parents had a golden retriever with a lot of tartar build up on his teeth. They took him to the vet for cleaning, but didn't like that she would have to administer anesthesia for the cleaning. The vet recommended they try this:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000PICL5E/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

It looks like there is a newer version:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009T6KSKI/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

It made a huge difference. After using it for a few weeks, most of the tartar was gone. They used the spray, probably morning and right before bed and my mom would just wipe his teeth with a tissue. Research it to see if it is something you would want to try, and talk to your vet about it if you have questions.

For our dog, DH is a retired dentist and our dog tolerates him scaling his teeth. We only feed him dry food, and the only 'people food' he gets is raw carrot or celery pieces, apple pieces, and pieces of melon when I am cutting them in the kitchen. He loves his kong, and we will as a special treat put some of his dog food in it, and then a little plain yogurt and stick it in the freezer. It's about the only thing he can't eat in seconds. Also frozen banana chunks. We can't give him the rawhide chews since he will swallow them whole as soon as they are soft enough. He's a lab. They do that. My sister's two little dogs - one is a yorkie and the other a terrier-schnauzer mix will nibble on the rawhides though.


----------



## bumbleklutz (Nov 25, 2016)

navigator9 said:


> Well it doesn't take very long to get confused when reading reviews online. So I thought I'd go straight to the experts and ask those of you who own dogs about this. I was going to get some Greenies for the little guy, but then started reading horror stories about them. So I looked for something else, and found Dentastix....similar horror stories. Wow, how do you ever feel comfortable giving your dogs ANY kind of treats? Reading the stories makes you wonder how either of them is still on the market!
> 
> I was thinking about ordering some of the all natural treats suggested in this thread, but also wanted something that would help clean his teeth. What can I use without worrying that it will poison him...it's very scary!



I give my 3 pups milk bones as an occaisional treat, but I give them the ones for small dogs even though they're all large dogs.  My smallest is 60#.  At least that way I don't feel like I'm giving them as much "junk food".

For chews I like the Virbac C.E.T. Chews.  They're treated with enzymes to clean their teeth, and also to help them break down if they swallow pieces of them.  They're fairly expensive,  but I feel safer about them than the regular rawhides from the pet store or grocery store.  I get them from my vet's office, but I have seen them in the big box pet stores and online as well.  As a side note they're actually cheaper in my vet's office than at the pet store, and as I really like my vet and his staff it makes me feel good that I can do something to support their business.


----------



## lenarenee (Nov 25, 2016)

I haven't had my own dog during my adult life - but I'm surrounded by dog lovers who talk about dehydrated sweet potato treats, and dehydrated chicken or beef jerky type treats.

Also, look into Livionex toothpaste for brushing your dog's teeth - the edta either removes or dissolves plaque.

Only 2 more weeks until you get your new love!

eta: Livionex also comes unflavored. It was made for humans, but dog owners started using for dogs because it works so well


----------



## TeresaT (Nov 25, 2016)

I give my three dogs Iam's Proactive Health Adult Small Biscuits. They love their "cookies" and get two or three in the morning as a reward for getting in their crates and two or three at night before bed. Chase is especially good at letting me know when she wants a cookie. She'll get my attention by running around my feet or jumping up and down then running into her crate. If she's already had dinner, it's cookie time. If she hasn't eaten dinner, that's a subtle hint to get off my butt and feed her. I also alternate the Iam's biscuits with bully sticks. One month I get a case of bully sticks and one month it's a box of biscuits. The bully sticks are expensive and there are only 50 in the case. The biscuits are much cheaper and are 20 pounds. So a box of biscuits will actually last two months. That's why I started alternating with the bully sticks. 

Max and Ivy both really love knotted ropes. (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LW3XBIA/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20) They love to chew on those and untie them. Max is particularly good at untying them so I had to buy the HUGE knot. Chewing on the rope keeps them occupied, out of trouble, and keeps their teeth clean. It's like floss for dogs. I just have to be careful that they don't try eating the string once the rope is untied (that's more of a Max issue, not an Ivy issue). Max's teeth are much cleaner and his breath is much nicer than the other two because he is constantly chewing on ropes and Kong toys and other things. So, personally, I don't think it's really about the edible treats as much as it is about occupying their minds and getting them to chew and play. Max is a heavy chewer, so his teeth are much cleaner than Chase's, who only chews on food. Ivy's teeth are cleaner than Chase's, but no where near as sparkly as Max's. Max will chew on tree limbs. I've tried to clear the limbs and branches whenever they fall, but there are too many. Max likes them. I checked with his vet and she said they're better for him than antlers. So, who am I to argue?

I have just discovered the miracle of bone broth. The thing I like about it is, the bones are decalcified and become extremely soft and will not splinter. I made the bone broth because Chase hasn't been eating well (leaving food in her dish) and I thought adding it to her kibble would help, it has. But the extra benefit was the bones became so soft that I was able to give femurs as treats without worrying about broken teeth and smaller bones without worrying about splintering. They're firm enough to give them a work out and cleaning, but the bones crush (much like a wet Rolaid or Tums being pulverized with a mortar and pestle). I'm hooked on it now. I can give them cooked bones with out worrying about splintering. I've given them raw bones in the past, but they are messy and pretty disgusting. I'm going to use my Thanksgiving turkey carcasses for the next batch. 

It's very easy and you can use a crock pot or the stovetop to do it. If you've never done it, just cover the bones with cold water about two inches, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup white or apple cider vinegar (depends on how many bones you've got), and put the crock pot on warm for 24 hrs. If you do the stovetop method, you'd have to put it on the lowest setting you have. You may have to add more water and/or vinegar. The next time the pet store has smoked bones on sale, I'm going to try to make bone broth for the dogs using those. The broth will make Chase eat her food better and the bones will be softer. I'll feel better about letting them have bones to chew on. 

From what I've been reading, people are substituting their morning coffee with bone broth for a jolt of energy and increased nutrition. There's actually a café in NYC that does bone broth instead of coffee. I might try some of the turkey broth, but I'm definitely making it for the dogs and not me. I'll probably freeze some of it in ice cube trays the next time and use that as treats. 

Well, this is way longer than I ever intended. Sorry!

ETA:  I added a link for the rope toys.  That knotted ball in the photo is tiny compared to the one Max has.  His is about the size of a soccer ball.


----------



## Arthur Dent (Nov 25, 2016)

Our miniature Schnauzer has a few food sensitivities, so the treats we give him are carrots and bits of sweet potato.


----------



## mrsserena (Nov 25, 2016)

For treats, I dehydrate a mixture of hamburger and fruit that I put in a blender. Or  baked sweet potatoes and pumpkin. Just mix it all up together, then I put in a zip lock bag, cut off the corner, and put it on the dehydrator trays in strips. 

For longer lasting chews, bully sticks, yak cheese, or a Kong with peanut butter. 

We also feed raw chicken, with bone, to clean their teeth. Turkey necks are good if you just want to give as a treat.


----------



## Dahila (Nov 25, 2016)

I cooked for my dogs, (there were huge) and baked my own treats.  
This baby is so small you should cook the food, just cook meat with veggies and freeze into portions.  I was giving my dogs the pasta, rice, grains and the most important oatmeal.  for small dog like that i would go with veggies and meat.  
My late dog (110 pounds) had a  carrot and an apple a day, and once a week very dry bread, so she was actually cleaning her teeth 
bake some treats and add activated charcoal, it is awesome to clean the teeth and perfect for sensitive stomach


----------



## navigator9 (Nov 25, 2016)

dibbles said:


> My parents had a golden retriever with a lot of tartar build up on his teeth. They took him to the vet for cleaning, but didn't like that she would have to administer anesthesia for the cleaning. The vet recommended they try this:
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000PICL5E/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
> 
> ...



Can't tell you how much I appreciate all this info, thanks Dibbles!


----------



## navigator9 (Nov 25, 2016)

bumbleklutz said:


> I give my 3 pups milk bones as an occaisional treat, but I give them the ones for small dogs even though they're all large dogs.  My smallest is 60#.  At least that way I don't feel like I'm giving them as much "junk food".
> 
> For chews I like the Virbac C.E.T. Chews.  They're treated with enzymes to clean their teeth, and also to help them break down if they swallow pieces of them.  They're fairly expensive,  but I feel safer about them than the regular rawhides from the pet store or grocery store.  I get them from my vet's office, but I have seen them in the big box pet stores and online as well.  As a side note they're actually cheaper in my vet's office than at the pet store, and as I really like my vet and his staff it makes me feel good that I can do something to support their business.



I'm putting all this info into my "Dog Stuff" file, thanks so much!


----------



## navigator9 (Nov 25, 2016)

TeresaT said:


> Well, this is way longer than I ever intended. Sorry!
> 
> ETA:  I added a link for the rope toys.  That knotted ball in the photo is tiny compared to the one Max has.  His is about the size of a soccer ball.



Don't be sorry, I appreciate every bit of info! I want a happy, healthy dog!


----------



## navigator9 (Nov 25, 2016)

Arthur Dent said:


> Our miniature Schnauzer has a few food sensitivities, so the treats we give him are carrots and bits of sweet potato.





mrsserena said:


> For treats, I dehydrate a mixture of hamburger and fruit that I put in a blender. Or  baked sweet potatoes and pumpkin. Just mix it all up together, then I put in a zip lock bag, cut off the corner, and put it on the dehydrator trays in strips.
> 
> For longer lasting chews, bully sticks, yak cheese, or a Kong with peanut butter.
> 
> We also feed raw chicken, with bone, to clean their teeth. Turkey necks are good if you just want to give as a treat.





Dahila said:


> I cooked for my dogs, (there were huge) and baked my own treats.
> This baby is so small you should cook the food, just cook meat with veggies and freeze into portions.  I was giving my dogs the pasta, rice, grains and the most important oatmeal.  for small dog like that i would go with veggies and meat.
> My late dog (110 pounds) had a  carrot and an apple a day, and once a week very dry bread, so she was actually cleaning her teeth
> bake some treats and add activated charcoal, it is awesome to clean the teeth and perfect for sensitive stomach



I most always have carrots, apples and sweet potatoes in the house...that will be a good start, thanks!


----------



## TeresaT (Nov 25, 2016)

A good summer treat is frozen (raw) chicken wings.  I stick them in a bowl of tap water for about 10 minutes or so to start thawing a little.  I make them eat those outside.  It takes a bit of effort to eat the frozen chicken, but since I don't have an air conditioner, it also cools them down.  I save soda and water bottles for their water dishes.  Fill them 3/4 with water then freeze.  I just plop a frozen bottle in the water dish several times a day to keep them cool and prompt them to stay hydrated.  Max drinks from the toilets (gross! my only toilet drinker), so he gets fresh cool water frequently.  I'm waiting for him to learn to flush the toilet himself to "freshen his drink."

Dogs are awesome companions and BFFs.  You're going to wonder how you ever survived without one.


----------



## dillsandwitch (Nov 26, 2016)

I used to feed Axle raw chicken necks and a mix of raw kangaroo & beef mince mixed with rice and vegies. I would make up a big batch and then portion it out and freeze it to use as needed. To keep his teeth clean I would give him the big marrow bones or pigs feet. The pigs feet didn't last long but he was a big dog (55kgs). 

For your little guy maybe try giving him raw turkey or chicken necks to chew on.


----------



## jblaney (Nov 26, 2016)

I have a long haired 15 year old chihuahua with a very sensitive stomach.  We had to purchase our own heavy duty steam cleaner because of all the stomach issues she has had over the years.

Greenies gave her explosive diarrhea, so did pig ears.  Not fun when your dog is afraid of the noise that comes out of her butt and she jumps on your white couch and runs through your house trying to escape the noise.  Dried chicken treats made her throw up and antlers cracked her teeth and they needed to be removed.  We get her teeth cleaned every year or two and they are in great shape.

In between cleaning, we use a mesh cloth I got for washing my face that we wrap around our finger and we scrub her tiny teeth.  She does not seem to mind anymore and it helps a lot to keep the tartar in check.

Good luck!


----------



## navigator9 (Nov 26, 2016)

TeresaT said:


> A good summer treat is frozen (raw) chicken wings.  I stick them in a bowl of tap water for about 10 minutes or so to start thawing a little.  I make them eat those outside.  It takes a bit of effort to eat the frozen chicken, but since I don't have an air conditioner, it also cools them down.  I save soda and water bottles for their water dishes.  Fill them 3/4 with water then freeze.  I just plop a frozen bottle in the water dish several times a day to keep them cool and prompt them to stay hydrated.  Max drinks from the toilets (gross! my only toilet drinker), so he gets fresh cool water frequently.  I'm waiting for him to learn to flush the toilet himself to "freshen his drink."
> 
> Dogs are awesome companions and BFFs.  You're going to wonder how you ever survived without one.





dillsandwitch said:


> I used to feed Axle raw chicken necks and a mix of raw kangaroo & beef mince mixed with rice and vegies. I would make up a big batch and then portion it out and freeze it to use as needed. To keep his teeth clean I would give him the big marrow bones or pigs feet. The pigs feet didn't last long but he was a big dog (55kgs).
> 
> For your little guy maybe try giving him raw turkey or chicken necks to chew on.





jblaney said:


> I have a long haired 15 year old chihuahua with a very sensitive stomach.  We had to purchase our own heavy duty stream cleaner because of all the stomach issues she has had over the years.
> 
> Greenies her explosive diarrhea, so did pig ears.  Not fun when your dog is afraid of the noise that comes out of her but and she jumps on your white couch and runs through your house trying to escape the noise.  Dried chicken made her throw up and antlers cracked her teeth and they needed to be removed.  We get her teeth cleaned every year or two and they are in great shape.
> 
> ...



Such good info and tips, you guys! jblaney, I'm sorry for your dog, but your description of the explosive diarrhea made me spit coffee on my keyboard!!! Definitely NO GREENIES!!! ROTFL


----------



## TeresaT (Nov 26, 2016)

Peanut butter!  I just thought of this.  I hide their pills in a blob of peanut butter.  I used to use a bit of bread or cheese, but they ate around it.  The pet stores sell pill hider treats, but they're expensive.  Get a half teaspoon blob of peanut butter and hide the pill in that.  I have never met a dog that doesn't like peanut butter and mine never notice the nasty pills in the blobs.


----------



## navigator9 (Nov 26, 2016)

TeresaT said:


> Peanut butter!  I just thought of this.  I hide their pills in a blob of peanut butter.  I used to use a bit of bread or cheese, but they ate around it.  The pet stores sell pill hider treats, but they're expensive.  Get a half teaspoon blob of peanut butter and hide the pill in that.  I have never met a dog that doesn't like peanut butter and mine never notice the nasty pills in the blobs.


Yes, the consensus seems to be that peanut butter is OK for dogs as long as it doesn't contain xylitol. Did you see this video, it's too funny! Just scroll down a bit for the vid. They look like they're really enjoying it. 
https://www.thedodo.com/ingrediant-could-be-deadly-dog-1449364385.html


----------



## dillsandwitch (Nov 26, 2016)

TeresaT said:


> Peanut butter!  I just thought of this.  I hide their pills in a blob of peanut butter.  I used to use a bit of bread or cheese, but they ate around it.  The pet stores sell pill hider treats, but they're expensive.  Get a half teaspoon blob of peanut butter and hide the pill in that.  I have never met a dog that doesn't like peanut butter and mine never notice the nasty pills in the blobs.




This made me laugh. Axle HATED peanut butter. Trying to get him to take pills was challenging to say the least. He would clue onto my tricks really quickly. If something worked one time it wouldn't work the next time. I tried everything. Cheese, mince, chicken, bread, cake, ice cream, apples, carrot, the list goes on. Most of the time I would just shove it into the back of his mouth and then follow him around for 10 minutes making sure he didnt spit it back out. He was also known for doing that too. But in his last week when he had to have pills 4 times a day I think he just kinda gave up fighting taking them and didn't give me too much trouble. Either that or it was all the human food he was getting to eat. The vet said if he didnt want to eat his food then to let him eat whatever he wanted to. He had lots of streak and ice cream that week.


----------



## triplemom (Nov 26, 2016)

I dont! You can not trust any of those companies with your baby. I simply bought a dehydrator and now make all my dogs treats. I know exactly what is in them and he loves him! If you read the blogs from truthaboutdogfood.com she keeps you up on all recalls, lawsuits and the general lies these companies tell you. Its appalling!


----------



## Dahila (Nov 26, 2016)

I was always hiding pill in a blob of cream cheese, and my late dog was for 8 years on pills


----------



## TeresaT (Nov 26, 2016)

navigator9 said:


> Yes, the consensus seems to be that peanut butter is OK for dogs as long as it doesn't contain xylitol. Did you see this video, it's too funny! Just scroll down a bit for the vid. They look like they're really enjoying it.
> https://www.thedodo.com/ingrediant-could-be-deadly-dog-1449364385.html



That video is hilarious!  My dogs look like that, too.  I'm a bit of a peanut butter snob.  I only get "natural" peanut butter made with peanuts and salt.  If it has more than those two ingredients in it, I don't buy it.  I've gotten into the habit lately of buying fresh ground honey roasted peanut butter from my local store.  The grinder leaves coffee-grounds sized bits in the peanut butter.  It's not exactly smooth, but it's not exactly chunky either.  It's something in between.  All four if us love it.  (If I die of food poisoning, the dogs are coming with me!)   They always get a bite of whatever I'm eating, unless it's something on the "no dogs allowed" list like chocolate or onions.

ETA:  dillsandwich, sorry about Axel.  I had a diabetic dog that used to love peanut butter until she was switched to a Rx dig food.  It was made with peanut shells as the main fillet.  She hated that stuff and it was torture for both of us to get her to eat it.  Eventually I dumped the Rx and went to food she loved, but she never liked peanut butter after that food.  I forgot about that until you mentioned Axel.


----------



## dillsandwitch (Nov 26, 2016)

TeresaT said:


> ETA:  dillsandwich, sorry about Axel.  I had a diabetic dog that used to love peanut butter until she was switched to a Rx dig food.  It was made with peanut shells as the main fillet.  She hated that stuff and it was torture for both of us to get her to eat it.  Eventually I dumped the Rx and went to food she loved, but she never liked peanut butter after that food.  I forgot about that until you mentioned Axel.




Thanks T. Its all good. It been a little over a year and it still sucks but we did what was best for him and he didn't suffer. He did have some strange eating habits that I have never seen before in other dogs. He absolutely loved tomato but only if it was on a piece of plain bread. Try to give it to him without the bread and it would end up on the floor with him giving his best tongue out "yuck" impression


----------



## redhead1226 (Nov 26, 2016)

I make my own treats for my dog. I also order raw Bison knuckle bones for her to have once a week. ( Thats how long one lasts) They dont splinter when they are raw and they are great for their teeth. Ofcourse she is an American Bulldog so she needs a big bone anyway, but I dont give her treats that are made by anyone but me. I dont trust what is in them. I also make her shampoo as the ingredients in store bought are all toxic. (Thank goodness for her that Im a soaper! ) lmao!


----------



## newbie (Nov 27, 2016)

I give my dogs all sorts of chews. There have been times that I was out and they had none for a while and the difference in their teeth was startling; they were getting really gunked up. Once they got back to chewing, they cleaned up really nicely. All of my dogs have beautiful clean teeth. 

I give mine bully sticks, tracheas, scapulae, antlers, cow ears, pig ears, rawhides, and sometimes raw pork/turkey neckbones or the big femur bones that I get from the butcher. I like the frozen chicken wing route as well. Not all people are comfortable giving raw bones to a dog, of course, but mine love them and we've never had a problem. 

I get almost all my treats from Best Bully Sticks. They run discounts all the time which you can combine with stuff on their sale page and you can get some good deals. They also have treats like dried liver, chicken and sweet potatoes, dried tripe sticks but those are not chews. You can get the odor free bully sticks but they are more expensive. I will say that many of the treats are pretty smelly but it doesn't bother me much and considering that stores will charge you $8-10 for a single 12 inch bully stick and you can buy them in a bag at around $2.50 a piece from this site, it's a hands-down deal for me!

One of my dogs is on daily meds. I just pill her; we're so used to our routine that she never minds and it takes just a second. I'm thankful for that. Every morning when I make my coffee, all the dogs and cats get a little milk in their bowls after I doctor my coffee, so my dog gets her med then washes it down with the milk in her bowl. Easy-peasy.


----------



## CaraBou (Nov 27, 2016)

navigator, I too have been doing a ton of research since getting my pup Barley a couple months ago. From reading reviews, it seems _everything _can kill him -- his regular kibble, his toys and treats, the beds, and even the baby gates we put up to keep him out of trouble.  He's a chewer, so we have to have a steady supply of relatively safe items for him to mouth, and we constantly have to watch him. I ordered some greenies a couple nights ago, but they haven't arrived yet.  I've never used them before (it's been over 8 years since my last dog), but I plan to treat them like everything else we're giving him: an experiment that needs careful monitoring. I'm not afraid to throw anything out, in fact a few toys that didn't hold up have already gone in the trash, and I expect more casualties along the way.  Never a dull moment with a young puppy!  

newbie, thanks for the tip on bestbullysticks. I see they have 25% off site-wide for Black Friday weekend; I'll have to look closer tomorrow before the sale goes off.  I didn't realize what bully sticks actually were until browsing that site. To think we all feel we're preventing waste by soaping with lard or tallow!  Ha!


----------



## navigator9 (Nov 27, 2016)

CaraBou said:


> navigator, I too have been doing a ton of research since getting my pup Barley a couple months ago. From reading reviews, it seems _everything _can kill him -- his regular kibble, his toys and treats, the beds, and even the baby gates we put up to keep him out of trouble.



I know just what you mean! The last time I had a dog was in the early 60s. Back then, dogs got rabies and distemper shots and that was it as far as going to the vet was concerned. And after they ate in the morning, you opened the door and they went outside to explore the neighborhood and play with the neighbor's dogs. They'd come back from time to time during the day, and later to eat and indoors to sleep at night. They ate table scraps and bones and I never remember seeing a list of things they shouldn't eat because it could kill them. 

So it's a much different world today, and I'm sure dogs benefit from it, but it sure is a lot more complicated than it was then. I'm planning to put a list of OK and not OK people foods up on the fridge, just in case I forget. You have the rambunctiousness and curiosity to deal with that come along with a puppy, like chewing things and getting into everything My dog is three years old, so hopefully a bit more mellow.......maybe. We'll see. Maybe, but maybe not! I feel more prepared, I hope, after all the information in these threads. Thanks again to all of you!


----------



## CaraBou (Nov 27, 2016)

navigator9 said:


> I'm planning to put a list of OK and not OK people foods up on the fridge, just in case I forget.



Be sure to list onions and garlic on the NO side, and be vigilant because these ingredients are in many people foods and also in some dog treats. Blood work on one of my sick cats showed Heinz bodies (irreversible denatured hemoglobin which causes anemia).  This puzzled me because I almost never feed my cats people food. In fact the only thing was store bought organic broth to entice them to drink more water to help their kidneys. BINGO! It had garlic and onions.  These foods cause Heinz bodies in dogs too so be sure to read ingredient labels.


----------



## dibbles (Nov 27, 2016)

Also on the NO list are raisins and grapes!


----------



## navigator9 (Nov 28, 2016)

CaraBou said:


> Be sure to list onions and garlic on the NO side, and be vigilant because these ingredients are in many people foods and also in some dog treats. Blood work on one of my sick cats showed Heinz bodies (irreversible denatured hemoglobin which causes anemia).  This puzzled me because I almost never feed my cats people food. In fact the only thing was store bought organic broth to entice them to drink more water to help their kidneys. BINGO! It had garlic and onions.  These foods cause Heinz bodies in dogs too so be sure to read ingredient labels.



This is really good to know, because I read somewhere that a good summer  treat is to freeze low sodium broth to let them lick on in hot weather.  Now, I never would have thought to check for onions or garlic, but I  bet most of them have it. Guess I'll be making my own broth when I have a  chicken carcass, that way, I can put some chicken scraps in there, too.  Thank you!



dibbles said:


> Also on the NO list are raisins and grapes!



Going on the list, thanks Dibbles!


----------



## dixiedragon (Nov 28, 2016)

My vet specifically does NOT recommend Greenies. He's had a few patients choke on them. I give Dentistix. (sp?)

Also, try raw sweet potato and raw carrots. My dogs love 'em, they're cheap and low calorie. I put some chunks in the dinner bowls of my overweight dogs to slow them down and to make them feel more full.


----------



## navigator9 (Nov 29, 2016)

dixiedragon said:


> My vet specifically does NOT recommend Greenies. He's had a few patients choke on them. I give Dentistix. (sp?)
> 
> Also, try raw sweet potato and raw carrots. My dogs love 'em, they're cheap and low calorie. I put some chunks in the dinner bowls of my overweight dogs to slow them down and to make them feel more full.



This sounds like a great idea. I don't know about the nutritional content of Dentastix, but I strongly doubt they're as good as carrots or sweet potatoes. Being a little guy, would you recommend cutting the veggies the size of small dog kibble? I'm really nervous now, with all I've read about dogs choking on things.


----------



## BlackDog (Nov 29, 2016)

Greta gets a box of greenies from her grandma every year for 8 years now and we've never had issues with them.  I don't buy them otherwise because they're expensive and they only cure her rancid hell-breath for a day (the vet says her dental health is fine, and some dogs just have stinkier breath than others).  The only thing that works for us for tooth-cleaning (and thus breath smells) is having her chew on a rope toy.  Works like floss and she loves playing tug.  

As far as other treats, both my dogs love canned pumpkin (the plain stuff, not the pie filling), peanut butter, Nutro crunchy treats (for training), rawhides, pig ears, bully sticks (Greta's fave), and a couple times a year I'll buy a few sweet potatoes, make like 1/8 inch slices, and bake them up.  They also love apples and pears.


----------



## mrsserena (Nov 29, 2016)

Read up on rawhides, those things can be full of nasty chemicals. I fed them to my old dog every day, not knowing any better. 

I now feed my dogs all fresh food, we get "dog food" from the local butcher, it's a mix of heart, lungs, etc that they can't sell as people food. We mix in steamed veggies, some Greek yogurt for probiotics, turmeric for health properties, eggs, salmon oil, and glucosamine. That's breakfast, and a raw piece of chicken for dinner. My chihuahua gets a very tiny serving, I portion it out in mini silicon baking cups and freeze. Then just pull one out each day to thaw. 

The raw chicken helps keep her teeth clean, we got her when she was 5, and she was already missing half her teeth, so I wanted to make sure she didn't lose any more! 

The raw food keeps their breath smelling fresh, they don't have that "dog" odor, and even their poop doesn't stink as much! We have a foster dog right now that we can't feed raw (since her next home might not want to continue) and the difference is amazing. 

Feel free to pm me and I can send you my dog food recipe, if you're interested.


----------



## CaraBou (Nov 29, 2016)

^^Hats off to you for making your dogs dinner. I have little aversion to raw animal parts but that sounds like a rigamaroll  and mess to me that I wouldn't want to bother with. I can barely bring myself to shop and cook enough for every evening human meal!


----------



## mrsserena (Nov 30, 2016)

It's not as bad as it sounds, I make a batch that lasts over a month. 

I do spend less time making healthy people food though .


----------



## Dahila (Nov 30, 2016)

navigator cut the carrots in sticks so the dogie can manage and still can keep it between it's paws


----------



## dixiedragon (Nov 30, 2016)

navigator9 said:


> This sounds like a great idea. I don't know about the nutritional content of Dentastix, but I strongly doubt they're as good as carrots or sweet potatoes. Being a little guy, would you recommend cutting the veggies the size of small dog kibble? I'm really nervous now, with all I've read about dogs choking on things.


 
IMO, bigger is generally better than smaller. you WANT the dog to gnaw on them and chew them up. I literally hand my brother's 60 lb lab a whole sweet potato and let him go to town. For the dogs with few teeth, I will slice the potato into circles - about 1/4 thick - and then quarter the circle.


----------



## shunt2011 (Nov 30, 2016)

I dehydrate slices of sweet potato and my dog loves them.  Plus it gives her something good to chew on.


----------



## lenarenee (Nov 30, 2016)

CaraBou said:


> Be sure to list onions and garlic on the NO side, and be vigilant because these ingredients are in many people foods and also in some dog treats. Blood work on one of my sick cats showed Heinz bodies (irreversible denatured hemoglobin which causes anemia).  This puzzled me because I almost never feed my cats people food. In fact the only thing was store bought organic broth to entice them to drink more water to help their kidneys. BINGO! It had garlic and onions.  These foods cause Heinz bodies in dogs too so be sure to read ingredient labels.



Ever see the Rachel Ray show where she demonstrated a dog food recipe she made for her dogs?  She included onions! 

Just one of the reasons I don't watch her show. Couldn't help it that day since I was a guest visiting from out of state.


----------



## newbie (Nov 30, 2016)

I love that they use every part of a cow, at least as much as possible, to there is no waste. It seems weird to give a dog a trachea to chew on, but i'd rather not see any parts wasted. They even slice up and dry pig snouts as chew treats. I order from best bully sticks all the time and I don't think you will be disappointed if you try them but i would read reviews on things so you have a feel for how long any type of treat may last.

I always make my own stock and pour a little over the dogs' kibble, just to make dinner seems a little special. The idea of eating the same or very similar food every day for years seems really dead boring, for pets, so I try to change things up a little. 

Carabou, you have a lab and I assume your husband is training him for hunting. Have you played any nose games with him yet? We play "Find It." I send all the dogs outside and then hide small treat all over the house, using tiny cubes of cheese or pieces of dried tripe or something like that, that's got a definitive smell. After I'm done hiding them, I call them in and tell them to find it while they smell my hands so they know what to smell for. Then they have to go sniff them all out. They LOVE it! And it's good to get them using their noses instead of their eyes for everything.


----------



## CaraBou (Nov 30, 2016)

We haven't tried nose games but we will heed the call. We want him to find shed antlers in the woods, so those will be hid around our place for training too.

I didn't order from BBS yet but I will. We still have some ears and chews in hand.

One would think dogs and cats wouldn't like the same monotonous foods, but all evidence indicates my critters do.  I've had several picky cats, so I find what they like and stick to it. And there is certainly no need to fuss over the dog -- he will eat anything quicker than you can say Bar-ley-que!


----------



## newbie (Dec 1, 2016)

My cats are the same. I've tried every food known to mankind but they will practically starve themselves unless they get Purina One. Not Purina ProPlan, only Purina One. At least I can change the flavors up a little. 

The dogs definitely are less interested in their food by the end of a bag and when I open a new, different food, they are so excited! It's not like it gets stale because I have three big dogs, so that's not the reason they can't wait for the new stuff, or at least I don't think so. I will occasionally get something that they clearly don't like much, so they seem to have palates. However, each one is different and some dogs stay excited to eat the same food for 13 years. To each his own!


----------



## crispysoap (Dec 4, 2016)

Tried feeding my dog some carrots today. He is exceedingly polite and always daintily accepts anything I offer him, be it feathers, flowers or carrots. He will hold these things in his mouth, wait until I glance away, and then drop them discreetly. So after finding the carrot sticks dropped around the corner of the house, I guess they just aren't to his taste. He did however help me eat a bag of fresh cherries this afternoon


----------

