Puppies are fun to have around the house, but they do have a natural tendency to chew on everything they find. This is very natural, and providing puppies with healthy dog chews is a great way to teach them to chew on the things you give them, not on the items in your home.
To determine if the product you are buying would fall into the category of healthy dog chews for puppies, there are several things to consider. The first, and most important, it is to make sure they are not made with rawhide. Rawhide is largely non-nutritional in nature, and it does create a risk for choking as well as for digestive upsets and blockages.
In addition to ensuring the healthy dog chews for puppies do not contain rawhide, it is also essential to make wise decisions with regard to other ingredients as well as to the size of the chews.
Check the Ingredients
To be considered healthy, the dog chews for puppies should be made with natural ingredients. Look for puppy chews made from real chicken, not meal or by-products. Another top ingredient to look for on the packaging is pork skin. This is baked to render out 70% of the fat, leaving a crunchy, great tasting chew.
Consider the Size
The choice of healthy dog chews for puppies also includes getting the right size. For weaned puppies through to older dogs, chews that are too small can be easily swallowed whole or chewed into large pieces and swallowed. This increases the chance of choking for the puppy or the dog.
Remember, choose the size of chew based on the size of the puppy and how aggressive he or she may be with chewing. The shape also becomes a factor with thicker chews better for more aggressive chewers.
