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Looking For The Best Chew Bone For Puppies?
Here’s a look at our favorites, including our top pick – Nylabone Healthy Edibles Dog Chew Treat Bones.
Dogs like to chew on things—it’s just an integral part of the DNA. Puppies chew when they’re teething and when they’re exploring new territory. Adult dogs chew to keep their mouth muscles strong, clean their teeth, and stimulate their brain.
Sometimes, I think they also chew valuable household items out of pure spite (at least, that’s one of my theories—what else explains my dog’s preference to consistently seek out the remote control?). Instead of getting frustrated, embrace their natural tendencies and keep them busy with chew bones and chew toys. It’s a lot easier to feed their need than to get angry every time your puppy finds something new to gnaw on.
What to look for in chew bones for puppies
As you’ve probably already discovered there are countless chew bones for puppies, and it can be hard to know what’s good, what’s safe, and what’s the best choice for your puppy. To help you in your search, here are a few things to look for in chew bones for puppies:
- Hardness – when you’re looking at artificial chew bones and chew toys, you don’t want something that’s hard enough that it may damage their teeth. Apply the fingernail test—if the toy doesn’t have a little give when you press your nail into it, it’s probably too hard
- Durability – at the same time, you don’t want a chew bone or chew toy that is too soft and will be destroyed within minutes, especially if there are small parts or pieces that can break off. That can result in a serious choking hazard, as well as digestive issues
- Coating – be careful of chew bones that are coated or treated with flavorings. They’re not always a bad thing, but some can upset the digestive system. Also, avoid toxic chemicals that can lead to poisoning or toxic shock
- Digestibility – when we’re talking about animal bones and rawhides, your puppy will inevitably end up ingesting pieces of the product as they chew. A good product shouldn’t splinter into large pieces that can get lodged in their digestive system, and the material should be easy to digest when they swallow small pieces
- Size and shape – be careful of toys and bones that are small enough that your puppy could accidentally swallow it whole. Also, watch out for nooks and cracks that could result in them getting their tongue or muzzle stuck in it
- Washable – artificial chew bones and toys should be easy enough to stick in your dishwasher for disinfecting periodically
- Hard rubber – artificial chew bones made of hardened rubber will usually last the longest, with no risk of splintering.
- Plastic and vinyl – avoid plastic and vinyl chew toys and chew bones, as these have a high risk of splintering and causing digestive problems. Puppies who don’t have their permanent teeth are okay to chew on soft plastic chew bones, but not after they grow their permanent teeth.
- Squeakers and bells – be especially cautious of chew toys that include noisemakers like squeakers and bells. While these can be good to stimulate your puppy’s mind and keep them entertained, they need to be secured so that they’re not dislodged and accidentally ingested.
Nylabone Healthy Edibles Dog Chew Treat Bones for Puppies
If you’ve ever wandered the aisles of your local pet store, you’ve probably seen Nylabone products. In the pet industry, they’re one of the big brands that you can trust to provide safe, quality products for your dog.
Nylabone’s Edible Dog Chew Treat Bones for puppies come in 4 flavors: wild turkey, lamb & apple, sweet potato and turkey, and a special chicken & bacon combo they’ve creatively called the T-Rex variety. These natural puppy treats have no added salt or sugar, and there are no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. The treats are recommended for puppies who are at least 3 months old and less than 15 pounds.
Nylabone Dura Chew Ring Bone & Puppy Chew Bone Twin Pack Dog Toy
This is a fantastic twin pack of artificial chew bones for teething puppies. The soft plastic chew bone is intended for puppies who haven’t grown any permanent teeth and has ridges that can help to strengthen their gums.
You’ll also get a Dura Chew chicken-flavored bone that you can give to your puppy when their permanent teeth start to grow in. It’s a great combo pack for baby puppies, though you’ll want to make sure you take away the soft plastic toy once their teeth come in, as a puppy with stronger permanent teeth could chip and splinter the plastic.
Pet Cuisine Dog Treats Puppy Chews Training Snacks, Chicken Wrap Knotted Bones
These Pet Cuisine chews are specially designed for training puppies. They’re 100% natural, made of rawhide wrapped in chicken, with high protein and low fat. The bones are easily digestible, and while they’re soft enough to not damage their teeth they’re also durable enough to last for a while.
The chew bones are FDA and USDA certified, so you can trust that there are no toxic ingredients that can lead to toxic shock or poisoning.
Lilly’s Choice Dog Bones for Small Aggressive Chewers – Made in the USA – Long Lasting Natural America Grass Fed Beef Chew Treats
This is a great choice for puppies who are aggressive chewers. The bones are from American grass-fed beef cows. Each treat has bone marrow inside, so your puppy will benefit from the bone’s natural minerals, especially calcium and phosphorus. The bone will also help to clean your puppy’s teeth and gums as they gnaw.
CEESC Puppy Chew Bones Toys, Soft TPR Tooth Cleaning Bone Sound Squeaky Toy for Small and Medium Dogs
If you’re looking for a long-lasting chew bone toy, this is the one for you. This CEESC puupy chew toy is made of thermoplastic rubber, so it’s hard enough to last but soft enough that it won’t damage their teeth. The nubs and ridges help to strengthen your puppy’s gums and clean their teeth as they chew, and it comes with a squeaker toy inside for an extra level of entertainment and mental stimulation.
The squeaker toy is safely secured inside the chew bone, so you don’t need to worry about it dislodging and causing a safety hazard.
Takeaways
All of the products on this list are highly rated and carefully reviewed, so you can’t go wrong with whichever one you pick. If you’re unsure what your puppy will prefer, the products are affordable enough that you can easily try a few and see which one your puppy likes the best. If your puppy hasn’t grown their permanent teeth, I’d highly recommend the Nylabone Chew Bone twin pack, as all of the other options are intended for puppies with their permanent teeth in.
If your puppy has their permanent teeth, I’d recommend getting a natural chew bone or treat (the Pet Cuisine Chew Snack, the Lilly’s Choice Dog Bone, or the Nylabone Healthy Edibles Dog Chew Treat Bones), and a durable chew toy like the CEESC Puppy Chew Bones Toy.
