Dog Bones

Kimmie&Jack · 07-04-2008, 08:57 PM

I went to the pet store today to buy a Kong, and got to looking at dog bones too. What type of bone should I give my puppy. He is a Lab mix, 13 week old puppy. How do I determine what size and type to buy.
Plastic, Rawhide, teeth/breath cleaning, .......
Or do I not need to supply bones, just the Kong items.

This is all new, any suggestions would be great.

Thanks,
Kim

alphadoginthehouse · 07-04-2008, 09:32 PM

13 weeks he will want to chew on anything and everything. Kongs are good. I buy rawhide chew sticks (some people don't approve of rawhide but none of my dogs have ever had a problem). Nylbones are good. Right now his teeth are little and sharp (as I'm sure you have figured out by now). Crunchy rawhides are good too. Smaller to start with and as he grows, which he will and quite quickly too, get the bigger ones. I also have lots of soft furry toys, ones that squeak and drive you nuts.

Good luck with your new furr baby!

jesirose · 07-04-2008, 11:17 PM

Bully sticks are great - and I really don't think they smell like some other things do. They last forever and are healthier than rawhide. I also use the edible nylabones and rib bones with meat. I don't like the bones with the holes in them because I worry about Sadie getting her mouth stuck in it, she almost did once. So I get the ribs as they have no "inside" to get stuck in.

Pepper · 07-04-2008, 11:35 PM

I've heard a lot about puppies getting sick from certain types of bones, usually plain rawhide is the best, not all the colored kind with fake foods in them, because their stomachs cant handle it. I used to give my puppy like pig noses but they make her sick, and a lot of the pig noses or pig ears can have salmonella or however you spelled that, our vet says to stay away from things like that. A good teething toy in particular where I live (alaska) are these rubber keys on a ring =P And yesterday I found a perfect teething bone, it's plain rawhide, but it was thin strips tied together to form a bone, my pup got to pick it out and was carrying it around the pet store like she was going to loose it =D I wish I could have taken a picture of the bone but she went crazy with it and all that's left is pieces scattered around the house. =P Be careful with those bones that have an extreme amount of meat on them, they like them a lot but they can give them diarrhea...icky.. lol Have fun with your puppy =DD

Willowy · 07-04-2008, 11:50 PM

Rawhides can cause choking, especially in puppies. It might be fairly rare, but it is something to watch for. My dogs like Durable Nylabones (the hard plasic ones), they've never liked the softer ones. And Kongs. Willow used to chew on a Kong with nothing stuffed in it---she just liked the feel of it in her mouth.

Pepper · 07-05-2008, 12:10 AM

I know what your talking about willowy!! I used to have a pitbull a few years ago, and we were at the vets and she gave him a rawhide to chew on while she gave him his shots, and he ended up inhaling the whole thing and it got stuck in his throat, it was so scary!!

Kimmie&Jack · 07-05-2008, 05:13 AM

Wow, you all have given me a selection almost as big as the one at the store. LOL!!! But, it is great to know any of these would be good choices. We may wait on the rawhide, cause I want to be careful about the choking. The nylbones will probably be my first choice. I guess I need to buy the medium to start.

Kim

osurn67 · 07-05-2008, 09:06 AM

I agree with Jesirose about the bully sticks. My 14w old Eskie mix loves them. They last quite a while and keep her busy. I also have used some plain rawhide and nylabones (which she is not crazy about). Good luck with your pup.
Kim