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Long lasting dog chews, that are not rawhide, keep your dog occupied for a good period of time. This is great when you need a little bit of peace and quiet but also is beneficial to your pup (particularly if they are easily bored). Chewing releases 'feel good' hormones. But how do you know which long lasting chews are safe for your pet and which are not (such as the dreaded rawhide chews)?
Some long lasting dog chews, that do not contain rawhide, can keep your dog occupied for hours whilst others may give you a shorter period of quiet. It does depend which long lasting chew you go for.
Treats that we would deem as long lasting for an average chewer would be:
Beef Scalp
Beefy Tails
Deer Hide
Camel Scalp
Super long lasting dog chews would be:
Lamb Horns
Olive Branches
Root Chews
Long Lasting Chews should be rated on how much your dog likes to chew. Your dog can be a small breed but an aggressive chewer with an instinctive need to gnaw, whereas you could have a giant breed that prefers to gently chew. There is no way to gauge how 'long lasting' dog treats will actually be and each dog chew is different.
If a dog chew is graded by size, choose the size to suit your dog and accept that you may have to go up a size or two next time if it doesn't keep your dog busy for a long time.
Chewing is also a self- soothing behaviour as it releases endorphins which help to relax and calm a dog. Choosing the right dog chew for your dog is important.
Long lasting dog chews can help reduce destructive chewing behaviour such as chewing furniture.
Certain dog chews help maintain good oral and dental health by cleaning dog's teeth as they chew. The abrasive action of chewing helps loosen and remove tartar and plaque from dog's teeth.
Aggressive chewers and larger dogs can enjoy our long lasting dog chews as they have enough 'give' in them to avoid dental issues such as tooth damage.
Long lasting chews such as Yak Milk Bars are packed full of calcium due to the content of cow milk so you get the benefit of a dog chew that lasts, with additional health benefits.
The best long lasting dog chews such as pig ears, bully sticks and buffalo ears are air dried over a long period of time. Because they are made from single protein, natural ingredients they dry to a tough texture but remain safe for the digestive system (basically rawhide free chews).
Longer lasting chews such as yak milk bars have a little more processing but are still natural and healthy. Made from cow milk, with a little lime juice added (no artificial ingredients), they are then compressed and dried for a long period of time making them a popular dog chew.
Deer antlers are long lasting dog chews and graded by size. Deer Antlers are naturally shed, cleaned and then cut to size.
Lamb horns are a by product of the food industry so are removed after slaughter, washed and cut to size - again these are a great long lasting dog chew for all sizes of dog.
Olive sticks are harvested from olive trees in a sustainable manner. They are cut to size, sanded and coated in olive oil to make them perfect long lasting dog chews for dogs that like to gnaw.
Root Chews are again sustainably harvested from heather roots, cleaned, cut, sanded and coated with olive oil. Root Chews are a dog chew more suited to larger dogs due to their size and shape.
Dog chews or treats should contain no rawhide. Rawhide chews are highly processed, mass-manufactured dog chews with no nutritional value. They are known to cause serious blockages within the digestive tract as the body cannot break them down naturally, so they turn into a ball of gloop, unlike chewing gum in the stomach. Look at alternative 'hide' products such as Deer Hide or Camel Scalp, which are rawhide-free natural dog chews and will break down safely.
Choose your long lasting dog chew wisely - aggressive chewers can suffer from broken teeth if you choose the wrong kind of chew. Deer antlers are great if your dog gnaws but for heavy chewers, tooth damage can be a something to consider because of the hard texture.
Some dog chews are marketed as specific 'Dental Chews'. They generally have no dental hygiene benefit and are filled with artificial ingredients- we don't recommend feeding these to your dog, there are tastier chews our there which will help with dental health. A dental stick or chew is not going to do anything for your dog's teeth despite being marketed as beneficial.
You should always supervise your dog with any kind of long lasting dog chew as regardless of how safe they are, there is always a potential choking hazard with any kind of dog treats and long lasting dog chews are no different.
