Doxie News Dachshund Blog

One day I went to my favorite pet store to buy some more bully sticks. They were out of the brand I prefer which are nice thick ones that last over a day and are cheaper than the others. I was thinking of getting some others when I asked the woman, “Well, you guys recommended the bully sticks, and they were great. My dog is a super chewer, so what else do you recommend that would last a long time?”

I should explain that this pet store only carries natural foods and high quality products, so I trust them. The people are also knowledgeable and use these products for their pets. I wouldn’t even think of asking this question at a regular pet store. Which is why I was surprised by her answer.

She suggested a 4 inch piece of a cooked beef leg bone. I was like, what? So here were my questions which I’m sure are your questions too.

Aren’t raw bones supposed to be safer than cooked?

She said that raw bones are OK for dogs, but you have to pick them up after a few hours because they will start to become dangerous for humans. So then you miss out on how long they last.

But aren’t cooked bones supposed to splinter?

She said that these big thick beef leg bones will not splinter. She said the worst that had happened to her was one of her big dogs broke one of the 6 inch bones in half, which just meant they had two 3 inch bones then.

How long will they last?

She asked one of the guys who worked there how long his dachshund would keep a bone. He said about a week.

The bone was only $2.50, I was used to paying $5.00 for bully sticks that lasted a day! So I bought a couple of the bones. They are really thick, so Kody can’t chew on the outside of the bone because his mouth isn’t big enough. Instead, he chews the marrow out of the bone. He chews from the side of the bone with the bottom part of his jaw outside the bone and his nose inside the bone. Well, at least he works his way there. At first the bone is full of marrow which he somehow chews out.

It’s been about a week and we’re still on the first bone. He loves it. At this point he’s not obsessed with chewing it all day, but when he’s bored he’ll go grab it and work on it. If I’m watching TV he’ll be on my lap with it.

I did a little more research on bones since then, and the internet reflects all possible opinions. One other concern I found was that heavy chewers could break their teeth on bones because they are hard. I think that’s a valid point. So I watched Kody to see if he was chewing in a way to make that a possibility, but he doesn’t see to chew on the bone, he’s working on the marrow.

The unfortunate truth is that every toy is potentially dangerous. So you just have to choose the toys you feel are less dangerous in general and less dangerous for you depending on your dog. And you also have to remember that if serious accidents were that common, the products would not be sold. At some point it’s like the choice between letting your child go outside at the risk of getting hit by a car while doing your best to educate them, or keeping them in the house at all times. Even though there’s risk, you have to give your dog something to do.