Hiding bones :)

[nobarkus]

Can Bully sticks break into pieces that they can choke on?

[Knipper]

A bully stick is very healthy for them and I have never seen one break into peices, nor can my boy tear small strips off. It is a bit distasteful knowing that it is a dried up bull's penis, but it saves my table legs, chair legs, and my area rug… He likes it, so I guess that counts for something!

[tanza]

Bully sticks do not break off…. but that said... I do take them away when they are less then 2" long.... Don't know how "really" healthy they are.. but they are great chew sticks for them.... I have used them for years and years....

[jonny b.]

They carry some at Pet Smart but it is not the same brand.I have a b with VERY sensitive stomach. Would that upset him and give him diarrhea? That is SO nasty. Yuck. I have been giving him a bit of yogurt with his breakfast. Will see if that helps any. He can eat diamond lamb and rice, and peanut butter and that is about it. BUT I would like to get something yummy with taste for him to chew on besides a ball and a toy.

[RedVelvetLynx]

@jonny:

They carry some at Pet Smart but it is not the same brand.I have a b with VERY sensitive stomach. Would that upset him and give him diarrhea? That is SO nasty. Yuck. I have been giving him a bit of yogurt with his breakfast. Will see if that helps any. He can eat diamond lamb and rice, and peanut butter and that is about it. BUT I would like to get something yummy with taste for him to chew on besides a ball and a toy.

Really? What else have you fed your B? How old is he? Sensitive stomachs stink. I had all sorts of issues with my girl when I brought her home & with the help of my vet, finally got her straightened out. I have tried to feed my boy carrots & have figured out they make him vomit & it seems as though real chicken makes his stool consistency less than desirable, esp. when it's on my oyster-colored carpet. Have you checked with your vet about his tummy issues? Trinity had diarrhea for a straight week after her spay - I know exactly what you mean - YUCK! I've given Trinity several things from the brand Pork Chomps - like a rawhide, but made from pork skin & much more digestible. I've never had any problems with choking or bad bowels, but I monitored her chewing progress all the time - serious worrier. Now I just give them Nylabones - they claim to be flavored & my Bs like them a lot. Bits of the bone do get chewed off - sometimes I find them in the carpet, other times I know they ate them. Again, no bowel probs there either.

[wizard]

I give mine bully sticks or pizzle sticks (which are from boars). Rawhide gave my previous boys problems (one got stuck in intestines and another nearly choked) - they are not very digestable.

As for the bone hiding - mine have done that more to "store" the bone for a later treat. It's so funny to watch Gossy hide hers (the newspaper recycle box is great for that) - she always keeps one eye on me to make sure I don't follow her. Every once in awhile I have to steal them back - when she tries to hide them in my silk pillows (ick).

[Basenjimamma]

I have a funny story about dogs hiding treats. Our lovely Mutt, Lou (he passed away in April) was a pro at first of all stealing food and second in hiding the goods. One day I made a whole baking sheet of chicken thighs for me to eat through the week. I took them out of the oven and then I decided to run an errand as the thighs cooled off (?). I left them on top of the stove covered in foil and ran off to the store. When I got home about 30 min. later there were no thighs to be seen anywhere. Needless to say I went nuts, reprimanding Lou for stealing them and Bogus (our Westie, he passed in March), for helping him get rid of the evidence. Well the day continued and we didn't think any more of the chicken incident…until TV time came around. As we sat down to watch Tv both of the dogs got really agitated, and started to "dig" in the couch...behind the cushions were some of the thighs they didn't manage to scarf down...again I am going nuts...greasy chicken thighs all on my tan couch..Later we went to bed and in our bed, under our pillows we found more chicken thighs...darn dogs.
Lou did a lot of those things, once he ate 9 loafs of bread that I had baked....this is after his diagnozis of Hypothyroidism...he did not get full ever..Bless his heart.

[Lovelace]

I guess this shows my husband & I's immaturity, but we cannot buy our son (furkid) a bulls penis to chew on. There has got to be something else?
I giggle just thinking about it, and it grosses me out.LOL!!!!!!

[wizard]

You'll just have to stick with manufactured treats then I guess - what a loss to your pup.

[Basenjimamma]

Now, let's say I want my dogs to chew on some bully sticks, where might one find those?

[Lovelace]

@wizard:

You'll just have to stick with manufactured treats then I guess - what a loss to your pup.

He won't know he's lost out. I think I will get him a cows leg bone from the butcher. Anyone tried one before?

[tanza]

@Basenjimamma:

Now, let's say I want my dogs to chew on some bully sticks, where might one find those?

Just seach the internet for bully sticks for dogs… And places like Petco has them too...

They also have all natural ones on the net

[thunderbird8588]

Dan,
you mention your last two Basenjis hiding chews by scraping the carpet. Benji did the same, he would carry the food etc into various spots in the room and then scrape his nose along the wooden floor as if covering it with dirt, sometimes he would pick it up and begin the whole process again in a different part of the room. Our other dog would sit and watch and as soon as Benji moved away he would go over and eat the food,
Shelley

[MacPack]

My Nicky also uses imaginary dirt to hide her precious treats. Too bad that the boys have x-ray vision and can find them anyway!

[nobarkus]

Watching them do that is funny. The top of Ringo's nose had the black wearing off from doing that.

[snorky998]

I buy the 12" braided Bully Stick and they last for a long time. It's the only thing my older guy will chew on. His teeth and gums are in better shape because of them.

Careful when looking for pizzle sticks. Some of them advertised are actually tendons when you read the fine print. My experience with tendons is they can snap easily and have sharp edges and small choking size pieces.

Shop on line for Bullies. The pet stores charge an arm and a leg.

[jonny b.]

holly, i am beginning to think that they are getting into something i dont know about , or are stressed about being rescued and relocated, or i am just doing something totally wrong. i have eliminated treats, all food except the dog food. i give them treats during the day, but it is dog food (just 3-4 nuggets at a time scattered on the kitchen floor while i cook meals for the family so they wont feel left out)jonny gets diamond lamb and rice. i do put a teaspoon of yogurt and a little peanut butter mixed in at the AM feeding, but not every day . Ansel gets canidae with a little diamond and same yogurt / peanut butter. i am working on switching ansel to the diamond…. but they both have had diareaha and some slight spit up off and on. the vet suggested imodium with something they will eat so i put it in a little shredded cheddar cheese. we do a lot of walking so i dont know what is going on. jonny gets straightened out and then the other gets "yucky" and then vice versa. YUCK. hansel doesnt eat a lot when he is on the runs. that helps...

[jonny b.]

I also thought of the heart worm pill iverheart and the frontline for fleas and ticks. would that bother them? i gave them the flea /tick over a week ago and the heart worm on the first…. other than that, they are pretty well watched 24/7. not a lot of chance to get into something. weird. i grew up with german shepherds. they were outside dogs, and very low maintenance. but so very loyal and independent. so this is very different. just want our babies to feel great and be happy!