It is a natural need for every dog ​​to lick, bite and rip anything apart. If this need is not satisfied by giving chews, the dog will find interesting items to chew on itself - sticks, shoes, furniture, even clothes, preferably saturated with the smell of their beloved guardian.
   We often do not realize that biting various objects calms our pets, gives a sense of security, helps the dog to cope with the stress resulting from loneliness ... Does your dog sometimes bite the leash while walking? It is also a dog's way of relieving stress and excessive emotions or fear that we do not even notice or understand. My dog ​​usually chews on the leash when driving to the vet. He recognizes the vicinity of the hospital and panics. Fortunately, we only go there once a year for vaccinations, allowing us to use the dog runs.
   Teethers also help maintain gum and dental hygiene. This neglect can lead to loss of teeth, purulent gingivitis, periodontitis, and in extreme cases - heart, liver, and kidney diseases. From this it follows irresistibly that something to chew on, to struggle with the structure, is necessary, but ...
   After a more detailed analysis, it turns out that not all chews are healthy for our dogs. In specialized stores, where we also buy corporate dry dog ​​food, there is a large selection of cubes, pretzels, sticks wrapped in dried meat, shoes, bones artificially smoked with a chemical smell, etc. Most of them are made of pressed leather as by-products in tanneries, where a lot of toxic substances are used in their production. In addition, most of them are imported from mass production in China, India, or Thailand ...
   When giving your dog this type of chews, you will usually not notice any negative effects right away. By systematically feeding teethers made of bleached or dyed leather, we regularly poison our friend. In addition, under the influence of saliva, teethers from pressed leather soften and become sticky. So they can stick to the dog's esophagus or stomach, causing choking or even blocking the passage of the digestive system.
   So what are the hard treats to serve? Natural dried ears, olive or coffee chews - break into small pieces and soft to expel fibers, not splinters that are harmful to the dog's intestines and stomach. A good solution is also: fresh carrots or kohlrabi, dried meat - preferably organic beef, bison, turkey, chicken. What about the bones? Here's a little bit of advice, advice to avoid trouble ...
   Bones can be a great source of calcium or phosphorus, an addition to a dog's diet, not a staple of it. However, not every dog ​​will serve it. First of all, you should not give your dog long bones, made of large animals. The bone tissue that builds them is compact and too hard for dogs' teeth, and we don't want to break them. In addition, the bones served to the dog should be raw - after any thermal treatment (cooking, baking, frying, etc.) they can break down into sharp splinters that pose a threat to the dog's health and life. Our pets should not be given completely bare bones to avoid constipation or intestinal obstruction. Meat bones are recommended, covered with meat, fat or skin. It is also very important to choose the number of bones fed and their size to the size of the dog. Giving a bone that is too small may cause the dog to swallow it whole without chewing it. However, the pooch may not be able to cope with too large a bone, and their excessive amount may lead to constipation or even complete blockage of the intestine.
   Recently, teethers made of Himalayan yak milk have also appeared. It is a specially made cheese that goes through a long drying process. As a result, natural, hard chews are obtained without the addition of preservatives and cereals. These cheese cubes keep dogs busy for a long time and are an interesting alternative to artificial chews, antlers or bones. Of course, their size must be matched to the size of the dog. You also have to be careful that the pooch does not swallow too large pieces.

Real Himalayan yak milk chews in three different sizes are recommended by the online store: www.snackfordog.com.

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"There’s a saying. If you want someone to love you forever, buy a dog, feed it and keep it around."            Dick Dale