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Safer alternative to soda bottles/plastic jars? Sure does love'm...

Long story short, I'll give her the finished peanut butter jar or she'll knaw on a soda bottle or something. It's all fine, but the tops get really pointy and sharp, so I take them away from her (and I never leave her with these items when I'm not around.) Don't want her to get cut up or anything, which it seems could happen unless I'm just being paranoid.

These items, with or without food/scent/flavor, seem to be her favorite items, she'll just go at them for hours if you'd let her. She has fun with other items, but these get priority when I'm around/she gets them.

Anyone know a more reasonable toy that would simulate the hard plastic chew but, you know, without the potential shards and all that?


Asked by Guest 945809 on Nov 6th 2009 in Pet Products
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Aster

Have you looked at Nylabones? Many dogs aren't interested in a slick, new Nylabone. I think they are putting the nubby texture on more of them now. I think it is part of the reason so many dogs like the hard to find dinosaur ones. The ultimate is the Souper Size Galileo Nylabone. It is about 7 inches long and 3 inches around. It has the slick surface. They are more attractive if you rough up the surface with sand paper or by rubbing it on a concrete floor. Another technique is to jam a Nylabone into a Kong creating what I call a twofer. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

You could always rub a little peanut butter on them too.


Aster answered 3 weeks, 3 days ago. Helpful? Yes/Helpful: No 0 Report this answer


Burkett's Cookies 'n' Creme

I've always read that an inexpensive toy for dogs that enjoy plastic bottles is milk jugs. It's softer plastic, and shouldn't have so many shards or sharp points. My dogs have never had an interest in them, but yours might.

Another good option is raw bones. Chicken bones are the probably the safest, as they are soft. It's COOKED bones, especially cooked poultry bones, that are absolute no-nos. Avoid "wreck bones", or bones from large, heavy animals, such as beef bones. Any bone you give the dog should have meat and/or skin on it. This acts as a safety precaution. Supervision is important.
My dogs get chicken and pork bones mostly. Other good bones would include rabbit, quail, duck, etc.
However, raw bones probably would not last you as long as a milk jug.

Nylabones are fine...my dogs liked it the one time I did buy them. I don't get them anymore because I can give my dogs other things to chew on that cost less and are about as safe. A common concern is that dogs can choke on bones. Dogs can choke on nylabones, too. I've seen pieces come off. I've heard of dogs dying from choking on KIBBLE. Nothing is 100% safe.


Burkett's Cookies 'n' Creme answered 3 weeks, 3 days ago. Helpful? Yes/Helpful: No 0 Report this answer


Kolbe

How about a Tug-a-Jug? It has a similar shape to a plastic bottle, and you can fill it with treats that the dog has to work at to try and get out. It's made out of a very durable plastic that your dog will be hard pressed to break... I got mine from here: www.sitstay.com


Kolbe answered 3 weeks, 3 days ago. Helpful? Yes/Helpful: No 2 Report this answer


Dieta

I train pups with plastic bottles filled with noise objects and fill lots of bottles in a box.
But, for every day use I suggest the Kong.
You can stuff your peanut butter inside them easily with a knife or spoon. They are best item for my dogs so far.
Plastics can damage the teeth, that's why I use them only undersupervision as training purposes when they still have baby teeth.
I think you will like the kong. They come for different level of chewers and sizes.


Dieta answered 3 weeks, 3 days ago. Helpful? Yes/Helpful: No 0 Report this answer


SUNSHINE

This:
pet

is ONE of the reasons I only give my dogs LARGE leg bones from cows and I roast them. Uncooked bones can harbour a variety of stomach churning bacteria in addition to tapeworms.
Cooked pork bones splinter, they don't get pork bones.
I cook my chicken skins and bones until you can easily mash them up (at least overnight in a crockpot with water and carrots and celery and garlic)) and then add more water to make a treat for my girls.Raw chicken as we all knows carries salmonella :

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

You can feed your dog whatever you choose, but I think you should know the facts. Incidentally, YOU could get very sick from salmonella even if your dog has no outward signs.
Raw meat has many inherent dangers, that's why we cook ours.


SUNSHINE answered 3 weeks, 3 days ago. Helpful? Yes/Helpful: No 0 Report this answer


Sassy

What about kongs? I have a multitude of shapes of these heavy rubber toys. Smear some peanut butter or shove a cookie inside and lots of fun.

It isn't just the sharp edges I worry about with the plastic jars and bottles, it is the bits that come off. I don't want my dogs swallowing anything like that! My dogs enjoy them too, they would get kibble meals served in them.


Sassy answered 3 weeks, 2 days ago. Helpful? Yes/Helpful: No 0 Report this answer


Mikey

Mikey has the same obsession. On our walks he'll pull my arm out of it's socket lunging at a plastic water bottle. Then he gets all proud and will plop down on the first lawn we come to and he'll chew it up.
He loves destroying them and luckily he spits out anything that tears off. I figured he likes the feel of the chewed plastic on his gums. I haven't seen any blood on the bottles or on his gums, so I haven't discouraged it. Yet.
Nylabones are a great alternative to the bottles though. They rough up once chewed on and it cleans teeth fantastically.


Mikey answered 3 weeks, 2 days ago. Helpful? Yes/Helpful: No 0 Report this answer


Fritz

Hi, I have seen a toy, I think on dog tips, that goes over a plastic bottle. They can chew and crunch in no danger from the plastic.
I wouldn't recommend giving a dog large weight bearing bones to chew. (raw feeders call them "wreck bones" because they will often cause a tooth to chip or get a slab fracture.)

Raw bones are much safer then cooked and dogs do not get tape worms from raw meat. (tapes come from eating fleas, wild bunny poop, wild caught animals...)

Check out the raw forum if you are interested in safe bones to feed your dogs.


Fritz answered 3 weeks, 2 days ago. Helpful? Yes/Helpful: No 0 Report this answer


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