bully sticks

[~Jessie~]

Yeah, they do smell pretty... interesting.

With my chis, they usually last a couple of days. Madison has a tendency to gulp (he actually ended up at the vet's hooked up to an IV for a couple of days because of gulping a piece of flossie in the middle- we even picked up the last inch of the end). Just make sure to watch your pup to ensure he isn't a gulper.

[daaqa]

yikes, i just read some info on nylabones that will make me stay away from them forever. nevermind!

[Buddy'sParents]

Originally Posted by daaqa

yikes, i just read some info on nylabones that will make me stay away from them forever. nevermind!

Yeah, keep away from those!

[ToscasMom]

Can you post the info on Nylabones please? I mean my vet told me after I had a visit when Tosca had a problem with rawhide...to use Nylabones. So if they are bad too, I need to know. As it is, I don't even know where her Nylabone is...lol. I have really focused on giving her raw marrow bones--full size--for her chewing experience. But she does have a Nylabone...somewhere.

[Herschel]

Herschel loves Nylabones and has several of them.

Could someone please post information about why they are bad?

I've heard that they can break teeth or some dogs can break them and swallow pieces. Herschel can't break them, but they are soft enough (compared to his teeth) that he makes "progress" on them over the course of months. Once the nubs wear down they are replaced.

[daaqa]

this is one of the places i saw questions about the safety of nylabones.

[Herschel]

I'm really surprised Nylabone decided to settle that case. I think they could have won if it went to court.

I don't think the Nylabone Durables or their other products were ever intended to be eaten. People should know their dogs well enough--some dogs, like Jessie's chihuahua, will break pieces and gulp them. If your dog is like that, Nylabones aren't safe.

Herschel loves to chew. If we feed him his kibble dry, he will chew almost every individual piece. He's never gulped or tried to gulp anything. If the concern is that dogs will swallow the nylabone then I still consider it safe for its intended purpose.

Should all squeaky toys be considered dangerous? I'm sure there are plenty of cases that have implicated squeakers lodged in the small intestine as a cause of severe discomfort or death. Dogs need to be supervised if there is any doubts as to their safety!

Thanks for the link, daaqa. I appreciate the perspective.

[daaqa]

no problem, herschel!

i guess my concern with nylabones is that there seems to be a lack of education regarding them. all our dogs had nylabones growing up and we never had a problem. if i just tell the average person that, they will think that all of the companies claims of safety are totally good. i think it's better to warn people of things gone bad such as "our dogs didn't have a problem with them when i was growing up, but there are reported cases of dogs that chew whole chunks off them and swallow them and then are sick and some even die, so i would be cautious and make sure you know your dog and your dog's chewing style before venturing that direction."

personally, i would rather my dog be chewing something more natural or something with less cause for concern, like a kong. i've yet to hear a single bad story about kongs.

[pkulak]

My dog goes through 4 bucks worth of bull donk in about 30 minutes. I don't make enough to support that kind of habit.