I’m an enormous fan of pure chews for Dachshunds, and I give one to my canine each day.
Pure chews are:
- Properly, pure, and don’t include any filler components
- Absolutely digestible (so long as they’re processed naturally)
- Excessive in protein and/or minerals and nutritional vitamins
- Fabricated from animal components of some type
- Restricted ingredient, so they’re good for canine with allergic reactions
I get a number of questions from followers about them, so I’m offering a listing of my high 7 favorites and the place to get them.
However, first, why do my canine get a pure chew as soon as a day and the way do I feed it to them (it’s not so simple as you might suppose)?
Causes to Give Your Dachshund a Pure Chew
There are a number of causes that I ensure that my Dachshunds get a pure chew every day.
I give my canine pure chews:
- To occupy them of their crates and to assist make constructive associations with the crate.
- To maintain them busy whereas providing psychological stimulation.
- To assist distract them once I depart the home in order that they’re much less anxious about me strolling out the door or when visitors arrive.
- To naturally promote rest and scale back stress
- As a software to redirect my pet and scale back biting and chewing on no-no gadgets.
It’s vital to notice that, relying on the scale and texture of the chew, I usually don’t give them the chew unsupervised, and I don’t allow them to eat the entire thing without delay.
At all times supervise your Dachshund with a chew, particularly if it’s one they haven’t eaten earlier than.
How I Feed My Dachshund’s Pure Chews
Most often, pure chews are more durable than your typical “commercially created” chews for canine.
However Dachshunds have very sturdy jaws!
Whereas there are some Doxies which can be dainty about consuming them, a decided Dachshund can eat by way of a 6-inch bully stick in Quarter-hour or much less.
And a few can break off giant chunks and can attempt to swallow them.
Additionally, a part of the explanation that I like pure chews is that they’re powerful and final, however that additionally implies that chewing on them too vigorously for too lengthy could cause my canine’s gums to bleed just a little.
Somewhat little bit of bleeding is nothing to fret about to me, however I need to finish the chew session when it begins.
That’s to not point out the energy.
Be sure you account for the energy within the chews that your canine eats of their every day allowance.
I carefully monitor how many calories my Dachshunds eat a day, so I not often need them consuming the entire thing in a single sitting. Particularly as a result of I could need to give them a chew a number of occasions a day.
Listed here are some vital notes about how and once I feed pure chews to my canine:
- Sometimes, I solely let my canine have a chew for 10-Quarter-hour at a time, and by no means wholly unsupervised, at the very least not with a brand new chew I haven’t monitored previously.
- Relying on the chew, and my wants on the time, I could give them this chew of their crate, on their mat (some name it place), or outdoors within the yard.
- If the chew shouldn’t be completed, which it sometimes shouldn’t be, I take it away from them when the time is up.
- If it’s a low-value chew, my canine will give it again to me once I give them the “that’s sufficient” command.
- If it’s a really high-value chew, I “commerce” them for one thing scrumptious like a little bit of their uncooked meals or cheese.
- I solely give them a chew 1-2 occasions a day for 10-Quarter-hour at a time.
- If a major quantity of chew is consumed in a day, I scale back the quantity of meals that I feed at mealtime to compensate for the additional energy.
- As a result of these chews are product of or include meat, I retailer munched on chews within the freezer till subsequent time.
I don’t give my canine the identical kind of chew every time for number of style, in order that they at all times sit up for them as a result of by no means know what they could get, and to range the chew degree (hardness).
My Favourite Pure Chews for Dachshunds
Disclosure: Lots of the hyperlinks on this pate are affiliate links (Amazon Affiliate or different packages we take part in). As an affiliate, I earn a small fee from qualifying purchases.
Whereas I wish to introduce some new chews into the rotation often, these are those that I return to repeatedly.
Please notice that every one of those are sourced and made within the US, or nations with very excessive meals requirements like South America (some nations even have increased requirements than the US).
1) Bully Sticks
Bully sticks are my favourite go-no pure chew as a result of they’re reasonably sturdy and simple to get.
In case you don’t know already, and so you aren’t shocked later, whether or not it’s referred to as a bully stick or bull pizzle, it’s an air-dried dried bull penis.
Some can scent actually dangerous, and I sometimes give this chew indoors, so I at all times get the “low”, or no, odor variations (typically additionally known as odorless).
Additionally, I throw the ends away as soon as they get sufficiently small for my canine to try to swallow them. To chop down on waste, I get the thick, 12-inch bully sticks.
When given for 10-Quarter-hour at a time, one 12-inch bully stick will final for at the very least 4 or 5 classes, in order that they make an important, secure rawhide various.
My solely “warning” with these is that they will get stringy and caught within the tooth. I’ve needed to pull items out of my canine’s tooth on a number of events.
I buy my bully sticks from my native pet retailer or on-line from manufacturers like BarkWorthies or Pawstruck.
Despite the fact that they solely are available a 6″ size, I additionally typically purchase the BarkWorthies Hickory Smoked Bully Sticks as a result of the canine love them.
2) Fur-On Cow Ears
These are ah-mazing for cleansing my Dachshund’s tooth however whoa do they scent horrid. I imply, they are air dried useless animal components.
However they’re powerful and the coarse hair takes the plaque off their tooth simply.
If plaque has amassed on the gumline, 2 or 3 chew classes with a furry cow ear will take it virtually fully off.
Hair can be a pure “gut sweeper” and dewormer.
Cow ears are sometimes very giant and skinny, though they’re thick and meaty on the base, so I feed one ear in 2-3 chew classes.
I feed these solely outside because of the stench so, sadly, I don’t feed them as usually as I would love in winter.
The one disadvantage to me is that Summit finds these to be very excessive worth so it may be tough to get again from her.
I’ve to make use of a brilliant excessive worth meals merchandise to commerce, and I’ve to toss it effectively away from the ear, so I’ve time to grab it from her earlier than she turns round to protect it once more.
3) Beef Tendons
My Dachshunds actually like beef tendon, however it’s softer than the 2 chews above so extra of it’s consumed throughout one chew session.
For that motive, I deal with these extra as “pet food” that takes longer to eat and has another advantages.
I take advantage of tendons most frequently with my 10-week-old pet since his tooth aren’t as sturdy.
I sometimes purchase them from the native boutique pet retailer, however typically I purchase them on-line.
I purchase smaller tendons for my Dachshund pet and these larger beef tendons for the grownup canine.
The small tendons sometimes final 4-6 pet chew classes and the bigger ones final my grownup canine 2-3 classes.
As a result of these are softer and extra brittle than most chews that we use, I permit my Dachshunds to chew up and swallow the tip items (in contrast to with the bully sticks).
These don’t scent and will not be messy, so I feed these indoors.
4) Duck (or Hen) Wings
Opposite to fashionable perception, canine can eat and digest bone (though, solely feed bone to your canine if you’re comfy with it) if the bone is uncooked.
IMPORTANT: NEVER FEED COOKED BONES TO YOUR DOG
Dried duck or hen wings could make an important chew as a result of they include softer, hole bone with some cartilage, meat, and connective tissue.
The bone and cartilage are more durable and are what make this a “chew”, though it’s extra on the brittle spectrum and is usually consumed sooner than the opposite chews on this listing.
I let the canine eat a single wing in a single session. They’re just a little greater than I would love them to eat however too small for me to divide into two classes.
Just like the tendons above, they don’t actually scent, and I take advantage of them as extra of a “chew meals” to eat indoors.
I sometimes feed air dried variations of poultry wings that are available my Real Dog Box subscription or that I order from Naked Beasts.
I could attempt uncooked hen wings from the grocery retailer someday although.
Word: different uncooked meaty bones embody hen toes, heads, and necks. I’ve fed uncooked toes earlier than, and air-dried hen and duck heads, and dried necks, however Gretel tries to swallow uncooked necks complete with out chewing, so I don’t feed the canine these.
5) Beef Collagen Sticks
Collagen sticks are comparable in kind and performance to bully sticks, however they’re just a little cheaper and don’t have the identical “icky physique half” issue (they’re constructed from the pores and skin vs a penis).
My canine don’t like them as a lot because the bully sticks, however they don’t flip their nostril up at them both.
They’re about as powerful and lengthy lasting as bully sticks, and will not be stringy, so items are much less more likely to get caught in my canine’s tooth.
In my view, they don’t scent so I feed them indoors.
I order collagen sticks from Pawstruck.
6) Trachea Chews
The commonest trachea (windpipe) chews are constructed from cows, however yow will discover them sourced from goat, lamb, or different animals too.
Trachea is nearly fully product of cartilage which, apart from the overall advantages of a pure chew listed above, present naturally occurring chondroitin and glucosamine, that are nice to your canine’s joints!
Though these chews are on the softer aspect, the bizarre form makes them difficult for a canine to eat rapidly.
They are often bought as rings that may be eaten in a single session or longer lengths that may be consumed over a number of.
I feed trachea chews after they arrive in our Real Dog Box subscription field, purchase the Barkworthies Hickory Smoked Beef Trachea, or buy Nature Gnaws USA Smoked Bison Trachea Rings on-line.
7) Earth Animal No-Disguise Chews
These are the one chews on this listing that aren’t single ingredient. Nonetheless, the listing is brief.
I’d by no means, ever give my canine rawhide as a result of it’s not digestible and is handled with chemical substances to show it white, however these chews are comparable in look and texture whereas being wholesome.
No-hide chews are product of the protein, or “taste” (hen, beef, salmon, peanut butter, and many others), plus brown rice flour, agar-agar, natural eggs, olive oil, banana powder, and pineapple stem.
There’s little or no odor, and you’ll select small sticks to be eaten in a single session or a larger roll which might be consumed over a number of.
Last Ideas
I feel pure chews are an vital a part of a Dachshund’s weight loss plan.
They’ll add selection and curiosity to what your canine eats in a day and assist with vital issues like cleansing tooth, offering psychological enrichment, and decreasing stress.
You’ll discover that I didn’t embody antlers or yak cheese chews on my listing, that are generally really helpful pure chews for canine.
That’s as a result of they’re very onerous.
I’ve heard of antlers splintering and getting caught in a canine’s gums and each chews cracking tooth.
Whereas some chews on this listing are more durable than others, and it’s potential for a canine to wreck their tooth chewing on something, I’m comfy that the chews listed are unlikely to interrupt tooth.
At all times supervise your canine after they’re consuming a chew, at the very least a couple of occasions till you might be comfy with how, and how briskly, they eat it to assist guarantee their security.
Additionally, if you’re new to feeding your canine pure chews like duck wings and cow ears, beware that they’re wealthy and may take some adjustment.
Begin out by feeding just a little at a time and monitor your canine after to verify it doesn’t upset their tummy.
