# Rawhides, Cow hooves and Bully Sticks



## vonhughes (Dec 7, 2008)

Any dog I've ever owned has eaten rawhide and we never had any problems with blockage, etc.

Today, I took my first puppy training class and the trainer says, "Don't give rawhides, they can cause blockages..." and tells us a story of an ER visit attributed to a rawhide blockage. Suggested cow hooves instead.

Wanting a healthy, happy puppy, I picked up two hooves on the way home for a $1 each. Dog loves it and is going to town on them.

For yucks, I Google cow hooves and read multiple sources saying hooves are worse than rawhides. Same sources suggest bully sticks as a virtually risk free option to both.

Again, wanting to have a happy, healthy and chew-occupied puppy, I'm not sure what to believe.

Anyone have insight into this topic?


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## elly1210 (Jan 4, 2009)

I heard the same thing you did about the rawhides because they can swallow or choke on the big pieces and it is simply just leather that they are chewing on. 

The natural pet store by us has smoked deer bones and said they are excellent since they are smoked and very easily digested. She also recommended the hooves too but I didn't investigate them yet.


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## Puddincat (Dec 14, 2008)

Be careful with Greenies too. I've heard many horror stories about greenies. I myself will not feed rawhide, hooves, or bullysticks.


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## vonhughes (Dec 7, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: PuddincatBe careful with Greenies too. I've heard many horror stories about greenies. I myself will not feed rawhide, hooves, or bullysticks.


Is there anything else you give them to chew?


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## marksteven (Aug 2, 2008)

From what i hear, Greenies are now made with a new ingredient that will help it break down rather than get stuck in the dogs digestive tract. i also agree with the rawhides but if you give them i would observe your dog while they are chewing them. i dont give either, i give kongs or nylabones.


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## MelissaHoyer (Sep 8, 2006)

I don't do rawhide or hooves...I did do bully sticks when my dog was a pup, but now she goes thru them too fast for how much they cost.


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## vonhughes (Dec 7, 2008)

My puppy has zero interest in our Kong!

We use treats, peanut butter, the liver spray from Kong and all she does is look at it.

Unfortunately, we lost the receipt, or I'd call 'em and get a refund on both the Kong and the liver spray.


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## Catu (Sep 6, 2007)

I don't give cow hooves, but I give cow feet instead. 1/2 to 1 dollar each for me. But be aware! They contain little bones, so I give them to my dog only if I'm there to supervise. While she is entertained with the hide, tendons and ligaments, everything is fine, but when I start seeing too much of the bones then the whole thing goes to the trash bin.

Not for chunky dogs either, they contain a lot of fat.


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## Kayla's Dad (Jul 2, 2007)

As I type this, Kayla and Lancer are finishing off their Greenies. There have been problems with them a while ago and they changed the formula some time ago to make them a bit softer. Have not heard any warnings recently, but I would be careful about giving them unobserved if you're unsure.

Bully sticks are great but can be smelly depending on the quality of them. They can be costly depending on where you get them. Here are three places you can order them from if you order online. I usually breakdown the cost to cost per inch to determine the cheapest at any given time. And usually get either the 9 or 12 inch sizes.

Dog.com 

Best Bully Sticks.com 

Bully Sticks.com (Seems to be the most expensive of the three)

If you order, shop around. The prices vary widely and they can be expensive. Costco is a good place to buy as well.

Don't do rawhide any longer due to the warnings about choking. have heard warnings about hooves breaking off in pieces so no longer get them either. Too many other options available to use items with so many warnings out there.


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## Kayla's Dad (Jul 2, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: vonhughesMy puppy has zero interest in our Kong!
> 
> We use treats, peanut butter, the liver spray from Kong and all she does is look at it.
> 
> Unfortunately, we lost the receipt, or I'd call 'em and get a refund on both the Kong and the liver spray.


Do she show interest in the same treats when you give outside of the kong?

Here's a thread discussing some other options for fillers for a kong;
Kong fillers 

And a link to another website with a bunch of ideas to fill a Kong:

Dog recipes that work great in Kong Toys-The Fun times guide to dogs


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## Nikkoli110 (Sep 9, 2008)

We don't do rawhide because of the possibility of blockages, also salmonelia (sp?) and fights over it. We don't do greenies, hear too many horror stories on those, too. I give the tough nylon nylabones. They take FOREVER to chew them down. We have tried those Dino bones I think by either the Nylabone people or the Kong people (its like a hard Kong material) but they could break off pieces, so in the trash they went. The only other thing I would give is the raw marrow bones from the butcher or meat dept at the grocery store. We did give the edible nylabones to Katie, but they got into a scuffle over one and we haven't given them since. Love to give them kongs with kibble and peanut butter, and then freeze it. They LOVE those! HTH!


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## Strana1 (Feb 9, 2008)

I used to give hooves until a $900 vet bill this summer for a blockage, now it is only the raw marrow bones that look like tubes and I make sure they are thick on the end and I will give bully sticks and kongs smeared with peanut butter.


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## Strana1 (Feb 9, 2008)

and Nikkoli110


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## BrennasMom (Mar 2, 2008)

I have given all 3 at one time or another. With rawhide, I have only given pressed rawhide since I read it is less risky. I don't give them cow hooves anymore, my mom's lab mix vomited big sharp shards from one once, and there have been a few times when they got whittled down to the point I was scared the dog would swallow the left over chunk and get it stuck. I haven't heard any warnings about bully sticks, and I haven't encountered any problems. Some people complain about the smell, I get an all natural brand that claims not to stink. I've heard good reviews that they indeed do not stink, but my sense of smell is very weak so I have no idea if they do or not.

I think no matter WHAT you give them there is a risk associated, even kongs are unsafe for extreme chewers. It is good to do research and be informed, but when you decide to give them something to chew, just make sure you can supervise them.


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## Nikkoli110 (Sep 9, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: Strana1and Nikkoli110


Thank you!!









I would also like to add, you might not want to leave the dog alone with the kong in the crate. I believe there was a dog on here who broke off and ingested some of the kong and needed surgery. No toy (not sure about certain bones) is really "safe" to leave with a dog unsupervised for a long time. I'd want to be watching just in case anything were to break off and the dog could possible choke or ingest.


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

Lucy's favorites are her bully sticks and she gets one or two of those a week. I order them from bullysticks.com and they seem to be good quality with no smell plus she loves them. I also give her rawhides and cow hooves but im always watchign her when shes chewing on the rawhide. I never let her eat big pieces because of the blockage issues. With the cow hooves, theres only a certain kind of let her eat. Most cow hooves are way too hard and crack... i just dont want her to crack a tooth.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

No Rawhides here. My mothers dog chewed off a piece a little to big to swallow and choked. Luckily she was able to save him.

Giving them under supervision is a CROCK. (This dog WAS supervised.) Even if you are sitting there staring at the dog the whole time it is chewing on it, they can STILL chew off a piece and swallow it before you can do anything about it.

Cow hooves are TERRIBLE. Not only do they chew off sharp pieces and swallow them, but I had a dog (GSD) get a hoof wedged sideways between her teeth(molars), against the roof of her mouth. Try gitting that out alone with a dog that is FREAKING out, without getting bitten!

I really don't feel that my dogs need to chew on things they can eat. (Like Bully Sticks and the like.)

Mine only get Nylabones. They have all had them since they were puppies so they chew on them and like them. The only dogs I have had that didn't like them much were the ones that didn't grow up with them. I would imagine after a dog has had some of the other more "tastey" chews, a Nylabone would be pretty boring.


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## Prinzsalpha (Jul 6, 2005)

My gsd bloated from his last rawhide. Never again. Bully sticks ok, raw bones fine. But thats it for me.


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## DianaM (Jan 5, 2006)

Raw bones. My dog will never see a rawhide, hoof, cooked bone from the pet store, nor Greenie.


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## Maximus_NSX (Dec 8, 2008)

What do you guys and gals think about raw rib bones from a cow? Are they too tough for a puppy? I'm just afraid of broken teeth.


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## oregongsdr111 (Nov 20, 2005)

NO RAWHIDES!!!!!

Sunday I adopted out a wonderful little guy named Duncan.
His owners promptly gave him an extra large rawhide. On Monday he must have eaten the end off. On Tuesday he was returned to rescue for being "sick". I told them "no way was this pup adopted to you sick, he has lived with me for two months". I took him back of course, and gave the jerks their money back. I looked into the bag they sent with him, and there was a rawhide with the end gone. I took him to the vet in the morning ASAP. There was that stupid rawhide stuck in the gut. He was in the hospital from Wednesday until last night (Friday). On Friday AM we were ready to open his bowel and get it out. He finally passed it at 5:30 PM. This cost the rescue 600.00. I called the adopters and told them, asking for some financial help, and they did not even care that Duncan had been through so much. Boo to the rawhide.


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## kelso (Jan 22, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: DianaMRaw bones. My dog will never see a rawhide, hoof, cooked bone from the pet store, nor Greenie.


yes raw bones







I have given raw bones many times over and over with no problems, and I have given rawhide and cow hooves before. We have not had any serious problems with them, but the only things I have seen them puke up pieces of hours later is when they were given rawhide, hooves or the like. I do not give rawhides or hooves ect anymore. Have never even tried a greenie

I do give bully sticks (not very often as they are expensive) and have had no problem with them.


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## vonhughes (Dec 7, 2008)

So, what kind of bones? Aren't those more "fragile" than cow hooves? I mean easily cracked?


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## SunCzarina (Nov 24, 2000)

Cow leg marrow bones from the butcher (or gorcery store). Look for ones that are 4" to 6" long, mostly straight, good and thick. Dont' give the smaller ones, they're likely to snap. Don't get the knuckle bones.

Some people say they can chip a tooth on them. They also can file down the teeth if your dog is a serious chewer. I had such a dog but with him, flat teeth weren't such a bad thing.


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## SunCzarina (Nov 24, 2000)

Oh and don't cook them, give them to the dog raw. Cooking them breaks down the bone and makes them fragile. What you're looking for is going to be 1/2" or so thick.


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## LuvWorkingGSDs (Aug 24, 2008)

It's bully sticks, raw bones and antlers here. 

While many people are concerned about the risk of blockage from rawhide, it's the chemicals that concern me more. And of course with cow hooves you can get those really sharp shards, so I never give those unless they are raw. 

Although....you can actually buy raw cow hooves that are fine. They even make them packed with green tripe! http://www.greentripe.com/products.htm (just scroll down to 'k9 treasure chest')


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## Prinzsalpha (Jul 6, 2005)

I give beef rib bones and they love them. I watch to make sure they do not get too small. They are a pretty hearty bone, raw with meat on it.


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## serendipiter (Feb 16, 2009)

Are the rawhides that most are against the big white looking notted or rolled ones or all rawhide?? I am wondering specifically about the Virbac C.E.T. hextra flat rawhide chews that are supose to be good for teeth. Are these flat chews ok in your opinion, or is rawhide rawhide no matter the form??


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## WiscTiger (Sep 25, 2002)

I don't do any type of raw hide. Bully Sticks - OK, Raw Rib bones - Dogs love those - Marrow or Knuckle bones - ok for some of my dogs not for others.


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## The Stig (Oct 11, 2007)

I offer a bully stick here and there when I am feeling rich (she chomps through a 12" inch too fast to be of any real time value). I recently found deer antlers which seem to be lasting a good long while, which is good because they are so expensive! But her staple is her Souper-size Nylabone.









Speaking of chews, does anybody a place where I can order antlers for cheep cheap?


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

> Originally Posted By: The Stig
> Speaking of chews, does anybody a place where I can order antlers for cheep cheap?


I take it you don't know any hunters?

Good luck finding antlers "cheap". They are actually a pretty valuable item as they also make things out of them like furniture, lamps ect...


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

I don't give my dogs rawhide in any way, shape, or form.


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## The Stig (Oct 11, 2007)

Tracy,

No, I don't. / 

I will try to search online and see if I come up with anything and post it on the forum for those who might like to use that as a better alternative to raw hide.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

> Originally Posted By: The StigTracy,
> 
> No, I don't. /


I didn't figure you did. 
This fall, if I remember I should gather up all of the antlers from everyone that comes here to hunt. And sell them to board members for the cost of shipping. 

Anyone know if it is illegal for a private party to ship them via the U.S.P.S.?


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## The Stig (Oct 11, 2007)

That would be a fabulous idea! DIBS!

I think it would be OK. I have mailed molted parrot feathers across the US, and well, so far have not been in any trouble.


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## mspiker03 (Dec 7, 2006)

> Originally Posted By: BlackGSD
> 
> 
> > Originally Posted By: The Stig
> ...


Not a lot of hunters here in San Diego (at least that we have found)


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## WiscTiger (Sep 25, 2002)

Yikes I don't think my deer hunting DH would be happy if I gave the deer antlers to the dogs for chews. He spends time out in the woods this time of year looking for "Sheds". Depending on the severity of the winter, about a few weeks ago the Bucks Shed their last years rack to start their new Velet growth.


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## The Stig (Oct 11, 2007)

What does he do with them? 

Does he do crafting with them? Like turn them into furniture?


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## WiscTiger (Sep 25, 2002)

Nope just collects them. He hunts on family property and you can see the "family" resemblence in the antler structure. How far out, forward, length of tines, etc. I have 11 sets (like you see in some westerns, I have 2 full head mounts in the living room, another 8 and 10 pt set that were sheds that we are going to do something with. We also have a few antlers that aren't a set. Hunters like to use those to do what they call rattle.


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## kkms (Oct 17, 2008)

if you do find deer antlers make sure you sterilize them.

i did not know about these as being chews for dogs until my trainer told us about it. she sells them in her training center. so my daugter hits up all the hunter she knows for antlers to give to her.


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