Recommended Chew Treats?

[The Food Group]

Does anyone have good and healthy suggestions for chew stick options?

I've tried a few types, but not sure if they are the healthiest..any recommendations? Thanks!!

[Yvonne (and Maggie)]

I give my pup wholesome hide donut rings. its made in the usa so I dont have to worry about artificial additives. best part is, they last for ages! in between, Maggie gets some pig ears and bully sticks but she polishes them off real quick, the greedy pup!

[T Eaton]

Bully sticks are absolutely the best! Our vet recommended them. They are all natural, made from ligaments and tendons and also good for cleaning their teeth, too. I call them "babysitters" because Hunter will be occupied with one for a very long time. Our vet said no to rawhide and second to that absolutely no "Greenies". He said they do more surgeries to remove lodged Greenies than anything else! He also recommended calf hooves.

Also, our vet said to be sure to check that no ingredients are from China, even if made in the USA. This should not be a concern for bully sticks, however. I always look for the biggest bully sticks I can find for the best price. Currently Costco in WA is carrying a bag of 12, 12" for $24!!! great deal!

 

[F, Calla & Luca]

Bully sticks per se are actually bull penises. Tendons are also sold, though. Be careful with Costco, all the treats I've ever seen there come from China or places like that.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I agree with F. I have seen many, many bully sticks that are imported, and in fact it's very tough to find the ones made in the USA, although they are out there. But I'm pretty sure the ones sold at Costco are from China.

Bully sticks from China are just as big a concern as anything else made in China; the chicken jerky from China that has sickened and killed many dogs is just chicken jerky, but something in the processing is causing kidney failure and disease in dogs.

[Connie & Kramer]

Just bought a package of Veggie Life Vitality Sweet Potato chips.  They are 100% vegetable and Kramer loves them.  The only ingredients are sweet potatoes and flax seed.  Can't go wrong with these!  We love odor free bully sticks too but they are so expensive I save them for special treats.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Connie, those are made in China and have been recalled. Take them back to the store. All Dogswell products are made in China, and there was just a discussion on unsafe Chinese treats which included this specific product. http://poisonedpets.com/2012/04/06/alert-vets-warn-about-new-treats...

They are causing kidney failure in dogs.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Sam's Yams sweet potato treats are safe and made in the USA.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Himalayan Chews, Jones Natural Products, Old West beef tendons, Plato treats, Tyson True Chews are all US made of US ingredients.

Antlers are another good option. The Antler Pantry is a good on-line source with the best prices.

It is very important that you check the source of chew trests. Many of them have an American address for the company, but the product itself is from China. Read labels carefully.  

[Connie & Kramer]

Dang! I bought them from Only Natural Pets online. I'm printing off your list Karen and saving it for my next purchase. Those treats were expensive too!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Unfortunately, the made in the USA treats are going to be more expensive, lol. But less expensive than the vet bills to treat renal failure. :(

[Connie & Kramer]

I called the vendor where I purchased the treats (MrChewy.com-- not OnlyNaturalPet.com) and they could not find them on an FDA recall list, however, they refunded me the purchase price.

Fortunately, I only gave him 4-5 of them over the past week, but I did give him a large treat this morning before I left for work. My pet sitter is going to keep an eye on him today and make sure he drinks plenty of water to flush his system.

Karen, thank you so much for sharing your infinite knowledge of dog food with us. I am so grateful you posted today! Have a wonderful day!

Connie

[Deborah DeRose]

I really like the deer or elk antlers.  They last forever, and do a good job keeping my dogs busy and their teeth cleaned, too.  I usually get them on line at Natural K 9 or Entirely Pets, because they are less than 1/2 the price they are at Pet Smart.