Happy Hanukkah! Happy Christmas Eve!

[conuly]

The dog finally got hungry enough to eat her wet food and now she just chows it down. Still isn't touching the dry, so I think I'll try a different variety and freecycle this bag. (Also her rawhide chews. She loves tearing into her giant plushie bone, but she doesn't seem interested in chewing anything more substantial.)

She's also started flopping on her back for tummy rubs. She's even cuter this way.

Comments

[dogstar]

Wet food is generally not a great thing for dogs- unlike cats who are very minimal drinkers, dogs generally do just fine with access to fresh water (vs trying to get extra moisture into them because cats). What chews have you tried so far? A lot of adult dogs are NOT big chewers except on very food-ish chews. Chicken necks/backs (raw) can be really great for getting dogs started on chewing and cleaning teeth. Chicken feet, also.

[conuly]

Just the regular sort of rawhide, I suppose, but we can try other things... though probably not raw chicken. I'm sorry, but no. (And when it comes to that, we wanted to get her something to chew on in case she wanted it - I brush my teeth, I brush my cat's teeth, I can brush the dog's teeth as well. That seems somewhat more effective for routine dental hygiene than having any of the three of us chewing anything.)

[dogstar]

:P Raw is just what they're designed for, so it's the easiest thing for most folks. It's like, dental floss made of meat? :P Yeah, I know. :P I find that for my small dogs, they are REALLY prone to tarter gum gunk. Chewing and brushing weekly keeps it in check better than brushing a few times a week alone- YMMV. Small dogs frequently are prone to really gross mouths and there's thought to be an immune system component in addition to just 'not enough jaw power to power through antelope like their wild ancestors' :P I cannot tell you a durn thing about the efficiency of burshing vs raw for cats though. (And obviously we humans are fairly lousy at it :P)

(I feed raw meat to my crew when they are in crates or outdoors, which is less practical for people with less space.)

Bully sticks are usually a hit - https://www.chewy.com/bones-chews-bully-stick-6-dog-treats/dp/130490 - but have not done a lot in the way of teeth cleaning, IMO. Tracheas (https://www.chewy.com/barkworthies-beef-trachea-6-dog/dp/114930) also are something a lot of dogs like, and antlers. (I think antlers may be a bit big for Moonpie?) Both of these are dried/smoked, so they're heat processed but still a bit gross if it's the meat thing that grosses you out specifically vs the raw thing.

for less meaty but still relatively desirable, Nylabone edibles are well-liked by most dogs (https://www.chewy.com/nylabone-healthy-edibles-twin-pack/dp/44175) - but get expensive quickly for how long they last for anything but a fairly non-aggressive chewer. Not a big deal for one middle aged medium sized dog, though.


Almost all dogs LOVE pig ears, but they're more of a snack-treat than a chew treat.

[conuly]

So I've googled this subject, and found some fairly reputable looking groups - one a set of animal dentists, one a set of vets.

It's evenly divided between "Chewing is crap, and special kibble is probably a scam, you gotta brush twice daily" and "Brushing is a waste of time, it's all about the kibble and the right chew toys".

FFS.

[elenbarathi.livejournal.com]

*hugs* Happy Christmas, dearheart; all blessings of the season to you and yours.