Finally Friday and Chew Baby Chew!

Ah nothing like a good chew to start off your morning! That is what Ozzie is thinking here as he munches away on his nyla-bone. Bulldogs are chewers alright. They exercise their jaw and clean their teeth when they are engaged in a good chew. Not to mention relieving some stress! But what is the best chew bone out there on the market?

Rawhides come in all shapes and sizes and have the advantage of being tasty and relatively inexpensive. The bad thing about rawhide is that it can be quickly chewed up into small chunks and dogs have been known to swallow pieces too large that end up as an intestinal blockage. Bad bone! There are also a lot of cheaply made rawhides on the market with unwanted chemicals in them. I recommend to stay away from rawhide bones completely!

You may have seen those long white bones in pet-stores. They are beef leg bones and are very hard. They may be too hard for dogs to splinter and swallow but they present a danger of fracturing teeth. My vet said she has seen too many cracked canine teeth from these kind of bones.

Of course never be tempted to give your dog a t-bone after finishing your steak. Though it may seem tasty and the yearning of many a bulldog, any cooked bone be it beef, chicken etc. can splinter very easily. Not good for the tummy of your canine friend! Avoid this scenario all together.

Cow hooves are a little easier on the teeth but again the chance of breaking of a piece and swallowing might cause problems.

So what is the safest choices for your pup? I recommend nyla-bones. They are made of safe soft plastic and if pieces are broken off and swallowed it will pass safely through a dog's system. They give plenty of hours of chewing time and to clean them off I stick them in the top drawer of the dishwasher to sanitize them. When they get too torn up and a little on the jagged side get rid of it and replace it with a new one.

Not to be left out, there is the bully stick. That piece of cow anatomy which its identity will go unmentioned! They are very safe, easily digestible and tasty to your dog. The only qualm I have about these is that they can be pricey and they are consumed quickly (at least by the Oz). He has the tendency to swallow the whole thing with such gusto that he vomits it back up. That is why I get the (dare I say ) the foot long ones. They tend to last longer and you will get more bang for the buck.

Hope this gives you a little chewing guidance and as Ozzie chomps happily away I can only say that a little piece of nyla-bone tween your cheek and gum will do ya! Happy weekend all!