Dutch Shepherd Forum

Hank LOVES jerky, and I'm having a hard time finding a brand thats NOT made in China and safe for him to eat. I've tried a few brands made in the US but I'm not impressed, the pieces of meat are paper thin and break aprart instead of him having to chew them. I'm also looking for reccomendations on rawhide that is dense or tough if that makes sense. I can give him a huge roll and it's so easy for him to chew that he finishes it in 15 mins.

Most jerky is going to be as you described it here, as it's dehydrated protein. Have you ever used a dehydrator? When the water is taken out of things, they're so much smaller than when the water is in them...you're not going to find large, thick pieces of chicken jerky, for example...it'd cost a fortune.

I don't like rawhide; it can clog the pipes, so to speak . Seriously, pieces of it can break off and block the intestinal track, then you're into some serious surgery.

If he's a chewer, try antlers, deer or elk (elk antlers are larger). They're expensive, but totally organic , and last a long time. Geyser always has at least one antler going... They also contain lots of minerals and so actually provide some health benefits besides the theraputic benefits of chewing.

I am also not a fan of rawhide chews. A lot of dogs have allergic reactions to the harmful preservatives used in them, along with the other problems that Leih pointed out. (A friends Rotti broke out in Hives -- didn't know dogs got them. )

I don't buy any jerky treats. If I do buy treats at all I get Zuke's mini naturals and use them for training, or sometime a trial size bag of Orijen fish formula dog food for training. When I get lazy about making my own)

Elk antlers are a big favorite here, and the elk's are not as soft as the deer antlers, so they tend to last longer.

Lyric is especially fond of her Large Black GoughNuts toy and has been chewing it for 2 yrs.

Another vote for Elk antlers too !!! I get mine from ELkusa.com. I still have a bunch kicking around and they are chewed on daily. I just got some bones from Merrik, they seem softer and break apart really quick and I am not to happy about that. That is the only thing my girls get to chew on, well, other than Thalies rear leg by Sadie.

Unfortunately he does not like antlers at all, same for other chewables with the exception of rawhide. I've tried pretty much everything, goughnuts included and he wont chew them. He seems to really enjoy the chewing so I'm trying to find something else he'll enjoy.

As for the jerky , a friend of mine ( who has since moved across country) was making huge batches of homemade deer, duck & turkey jerky and I've been giving it to him since he was a puppy. They were nice thick pieces and very chewy, Hank LOVED that stuff and since I knew exactly what was in it I felt fine about giving it to him. I might have to try making some for him

Dutchringgirl wrote:Another vote for Elk antlers too !!! I get mine from ELkusa.com.

Thanks so much for posting that site! Just checked them out and will be getting our future antlers from them. Great prices (these darn things aren't cheap, yano? )

Well, what a drag that your dog doesn't like antlers. Have you tried any beef trachea? Mine loved them when she was a pup, but then decided she didn't like them as she got older. Bravo has some really nice ones, if you find he likes them.

Markay wrote: I might have to try making some for him

And why not? It'd be worth investing in a dehydrator (some ovens can't be dialed down low enough to dry things without baking them...) One thing about making your own is, like you said, you know exactly what's in there...

leih merigian wrote:

Dutchringgirl wrote:Another vote for Elk antlers too !!! I get mine from ELkusa.com.

Thanks so much for posting that site! Just checked them out and will be getting our future antlers from them. Great prices (these darn things aren't cheap, yano? )

You got that right! I have gotten a bag from ELK usa for about $30 or so and my local doggy health food store has EACH $25.

My dogs go CRAZY for dehydrated lamb lung and beef liver

Can you make your own? I have dehydrated liver in the oven (my home smelled divine ) before with little problem. Slice the meat how you want, set oven to the lowest setting and let bake for hours and hours and hours.

Another idea - frozen stuffed Kong. If he is crazy about meat products, maybe get creative with a Kong and throw it in the freezer. Same great taste and hours of chewing entertainment.

another very chewy thing but hard to find where I am is twisty sticks [ like they do with rawhide ] of tripe. tough stuff, tho TD could go though it pretty fast. it was his favorite thing EVER! from his point of view, it was caviar.