The Best Edible Dog Chews For Your Dog To Enjoy

The Best Edible Dog Chews For Your Dog To Enjoy

What are the best edible dog chews? Regardless of what age they are, all dogs have a natural instinct to chew and exercise their chompers. That is why it is important for you to know what edible dog chews are available out there and how to pick the most suitable chew for your dog. In this blog post, we will take a look at some of the different types of dog chews you can treat your pooch to!

One of the first things you need to do is make sure that chews you give are specially made for your dog to chew. Things such as chicken bones are unsuitable and can be dangerous when ingested. Edible chews are tasty treats which your dog can chew for a while before ingesting. They keep your dog’s teeth in good shape and fulfill their need to chew.

You would want to select both edible dog chews that do not pose a choking hazard. Furthermore, you should ensure that they will not cause any blockages during digestion, as this can cause serious and sometimes life threatening issues for your beloved pet.

All of this may sound overwhelming, but don’t worry.  With a little research and simply by reading the directions on the product packaging, you can ensure that you are choosing the best edible chews for your dog!

Benefits of Edible Dog Chews

There are many reasons why you should give your dog edible chews. They can help strengthen their teeth and gums, as well as keep your dog happy and occupied. Here are some of the top benefits of dog chews:

Improve Dental Health

Dogs are prone to dental issues just like their human companions, so it’s important to take proper care of your dog’s teeth. The right edible chew can help prevent gum disease and other dental problems for your dog. They can also help strengthen and keep their teeth clean.

Dental dog chews can help reduce bacteria, like plaque, and tartar from forming on your dog’s teeth. Although it is still necessary to brush your dog’s teeth regularly, the right dental chew can help improve your dog’s oral health by as much as 70%!

Fight Bad Breath

Dogs get into a lot of stuff they shouldn’t. Remember, they can’t brush their teeth themselves or use mouthwash daily like their owners! This can cause them to have unpleasant breath, otherwise known as doggy breath. Bad breath in dogs are usually the result of built up oral bacteria. Dental chews usually have special ingredients like spearmint and baking soda, which can help eliminate bad breath in your dog.

Reduce Anxiety

Chewing on an edible treat can help reduce anxiety in your pooch. Dogs can get stressed, anxious and even sad, just like we do. Edible chews can help lower their anxiety and help dogs relax by offering them a distraction. Some edible dog chews even have ingredients with calming properties, such as chamomile and lavender.

Eliminate Boredom

Edible dog chews help to keep your dog occupied. This could also help prevent them from chewing on furniture or your other cherished belongings!

Types of Chewers

Is your dog a chewer? Does he or she like to chew up your children’s toys, furniture or other household and personal items? If so, there are reasons for this behavior and edible dog chews can help resolve these behaviors. Let’s take a look at some of the types of  “chewers.”

The Greedy Chewers

These dogs do not understand what it means to chew, and are usually the fastest to finish their food and treats. They rarely chew properly before swallowing, and have a tendency to gulp things down, with no regard to the size or shape. Energetic dogs like puppies and young dogs tend to fall in this category.

The Enthusiastic Chewers

Some dogs are more into chewing than others, so much that they won’t do anything else until they polish off their edible chew. They are very often focused on chewing thoroughly and making sure that nothing goes to waste! Often they are found to be problematic chewers, as they will chew anything and everything they can get their paws on, such as your furniture or God forbid, that new pair of Steve Maddens you got on sale.

The Connoisseur Chewers

The most careful and slowest of the lot, it is evident that the connoisseur chewers treasure their chews. They take their time, slowly savouring the taste and texture of every chew. Mature and senior dogs tend to belong to this category.

The Non-Chewers

Although uncommon, there are dogs out there who dislike edible chews and prefer chewing on softer things, such as soft plush toys. For more information about dog toys, please click here.

Types Of Edible Dog Chews

It is important to always supervise your dog while they are chewing on an edible chew to prevent them from choking or ingesting it improperly. Reading all instructions before any purchase should help you narrow down to a range of chews you think your dog would like!

After which you should observe how your dog chews them; it’s the easiest and simplest way to figure out which chew suits your dog best. You will see which types they prefer, and which types are better suited to their chewing habits.

1) Dental Chews

Otherwise know as dental treats, these chews usually do not provide a lengthy chew time for your dog. What they do is improve your dog’s oral and dental health by reducing the amount of tartar and plaque build-up. These chews can contain a fair amount of calories and should be given to your dog weekly.

2) Rawhides and Ears

Rawhides and Pig Ears are easily available everywhere – relatively easy on the wallet and available in all sorts of shapes and sizes, these dog chews have been a popular choice for many years. They have recently been however a topic of controversy online, what with the post-sharing on Facebook and other social media. Although they provide a good lengthy chew session for your dog, there are claims that the coating on most Rawhides and Pig Ears cause digestive problems in dogs.

3) Tendons

More often used as a dog treat rather than a dog chew, tendons can be tough to chew on! Naturally nutritious, tendons are high in sodium and glucosamine. They are also slightly softer than most chews, making them ideal for puppies and senior dogs.

4) Bones

Another controversial topic. Many people have varying opinions of whether a bone is a good dog chew. Most people agree that bones from fowl or ‘brittle’ bones are definitely not suitable for dogs as these bones tend to shatter or splinter into shards that could prove harmful or even fatal when chewed on or ingested by dogs.

However, there is still debate on whether other types of ‘thick’ bones (like beef knuckle bones) are safe for our dogs – so long as they remain uncooked. Cooking bones causes them to become brittle and could prove hazardous for your little furkid. Look forward to a future article by Kohepets that will provide a in-depth analysis of this topic!

5) Himalayan Yak Milk Chews

A popular choice of natural dog chews in the recent years, Himalayan yak milk chews are free of artificial chemicals, flavours and binding agents. These really hard cheese sticks are made from the ancient recipe of the Himalayan people, usually with pure Yak milk or a mixture of Cow and Yak milk. The 100% yak milk chews are lactose-free, and therefore suitable for all dogs! They are also packed with minerals and calcium.

6) Antlers

Another popular natural dog chew. Although they may be all-natural and “sustainably-harvested”, these dog chews are extremely hard and it is not recommended for aging dogs or young puppies as it could damage their teeth! The main concern is that as with most hard dog chews, some antlers could have sharp ‘pointy’ edges that could harm your dog as they chew on this extremely tough dog chew.

7) Chew Toys

Unlike edible chews, chew toys are essentially something your dog will chew or gnaw on but should not swallow. You might be wondering now, should you provide your dog with just edible chews, chew toys, or both?

This depends on the type of chewer that they are; unless they are a non-chewer, it is recommended that they have access to both. Edible chews can be given as a reward or occasional treat, whereas chew toys should always be accessible.

There is a wide variety of dog toys that are great for chewing, such as rubber toys, soft plush toys and rope toys. Find out more about dog toys here and how to choose the best toys for your dog.

How to Choose The Right Edible Chew

The things you should consider when choosing an edible chew for your dog are:

  • Size of the chew – There is no chew too big for a dog, a larger size will only take them a longer time to chew it. Chews however should not be too small for a dog, as it might cause them to choke on it.
  • Hardness of chew – Some chews may be too hard for some dogs, such as puppies and senior dogs. It is best to start with a softer chew, such as tendons. Harder chews would be better suited to greedy and enthusiastic chewers.
  • Your dog’s food allergies – If your dog is allergic to a particular meat, such as beef, it would be wise to avoid all edible chews made from any part of cow, such as veal ears.

Something to Chew On…

Although they are commonly given as a treat, edible chews are a necessity – not only do they keep your dog occupied and fulfill their natural urge to chew, they also help to keep their dental health in check. Most chew toys are just not as efficient as edible chews in preventing plaque and tartar due to the material they are made of. Visit here to see all the edible dog chews Kohepets carries.