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 substances
- Absolutely digestible (so long as they’re processed naturally)
- Excessive in protein and/or minerals and nutritional vitamins
- Made from animal elements of some kind
- Restricted ingredient, so they’re good for canine with allergic reactions
I get a variety of questions from followers about them, so I’m offering an inventory 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 make it possible for 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 go away the home in order that they’re much less anxious about me strolling out the door or when company arrive.
- To naturally promote rest and cut back stress
- As a instrument to redirect my pet and cut back biting and chewing on no-no objects.
It’s necessary to notice that, relying on the dimensions and texture of the chew, I typically 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
Usually, pure chews are more durable than your typical “commercially created” chews for canine.
However Dachshunds have very robust jaws!
Whereas there are some Doxies which might be dainty about consuming them, a decided Dachshund can eat by a 6-inch bully stick in Quarter-hour or much less.
And a few can break off massive chunks and can attempt to swallow them.
Additionally, a part of the rationale 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 may cause my canine’s gums to bleed somewhat.
A little bit little bit of bleeding is nothing to fret about to me, however I wish to finish the chew session when it begins.
That’s to not point out the energy.
You’ll want to account for the energy within the chews that your canine eats of their every day allowance.
I intently monitor what number of energy my Dachshunds eat a day, so I hardly ever need them consuming the entire thing in a single sitting. Particularly as a result of I could wish to give them a chew a number of instances a day.
Listed below are some necessary notes about how and once I feed pure chews to my canine:
- Usually, 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 up to now.
- 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 usually 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 instances a day for 10-Quarter-hour at a time.
- If a major quantity of chew is consumed in a day, I cut back the quantity of meals that I feed at mealtime to compensate for the additional energy.
- As a result of these chews are manufactured from 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, so that they at all times look ahead to them as a result of by no means know what they may get, and to fluctuate the chew stage (hardness).
My Favourite Pure Chews for Dachshunds
Disclosure: Most of the hyperlinks on this pate are affiliate hyperlinks (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 sometimes, these are those that I return to repeatedly.
Please be aware that each one of those are sourced and made within the US, or international locations with very excessive meals requirements like South America (some international locations even have larger 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 odor actually dangerous, and I usually 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 attempt 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, so that they make an important, protected rawhide various.
My solely “warning” with these is that they’ll get stringy and caught within the enamel. I’ve needed to pull items out of my canine’s enamel on a number of events.
I buy my bully sticks from my native pet retailer or on-line from manufacturers like BarkWorthies or Pawstruck.
Regardless 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 enamel however whoa do they odor horrid. I imply, they are air dried lifeless animal elements.
However they’re powerful and the coarse hair takes the plaque off their enamel simply.
If plaque has collected on the gumline, 2 or 3 chew classes with a furry cow ear will take it nearly fully off.
Hair can also be a pure “gut sweeper” and dewormer.
Cow ears are usually very massive 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 typically 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 troublesome to get again from her.
I’ve to make use of an excellent excessive worth meals merchandise to commerce, and I’ve to toss it properly 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 exploit tendons most frequently with my 10-week-old pet since his enamel aren’t as robust.
I usually 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 bigger beef tendons for the grownup canine.
The small tendons usually 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 (not like with the bully sticks).
These don’t odor and usually are not messy, so I feed these indoors.
4) Duck (or Rooster) Wings
Opposite to well-liked perception, canine can eat and digest bone (though, solely feed bone to your canine in case you are snug with it) if the bone is uncooked.
IMPORTANT: NEVER FEED COOKED BONES TO YOUR DOG
Dried duck or rooster 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 quicker than the opposite chews on this listing.
I let the canine eat a single wing in a single session. They’re somewhat greater than I would love them to eat all of sudden however too small for me to divide into two classes.
Just like the tendons above, they don’t actually odor, and I exploit them as extra of a “chew meals” to eat indoors.
I usually feed air dried variations of poultry wings that are available my Actual Canine Field subscription or that I order from Bare Beasts.
I could strive uncooked rooster wings from the grocery retailer someday although.
Word: different uncooked meaty bones embody rooster toes, heads, and necks. I’ve fed uncooked toes earlier than, and air-dried rooster and duck heads, and dried necks, however Gretel tries to swallow uncooked necks entire with out chewing, so I don’t feed the canine these.
5) Beef Collagen Sticks
Collagen sticks are related in kind and performance to bully sticks, however they’re somewhat 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 usually are not stringy, so items are much less prone to get caught in my canine’s enamel.
In my view, they don’t odor so I feed them indoors.
I order collagen sticks from Pawstruck.
6) Trachea Chews
The most typical trachea (windpipe) chews are constructed from cows, however you could find them sourced from goat, lamb, or different animals too.
Trachea is nearly fully manufactured from cartilage which, apart from the final advantages of a pure chew listed above, present naturally occurring chondroitin and glucosamine, that are nice in your canine’s joints!
Though these chews are on the softer facet, the weird 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 once they arrive in our Actual Canine Field 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. Nevertheless, the listing is brief.
I might by no means, ever give my canine rawhide as a result of it’s not digestible and is handled with chemical compounds to show it white, however these chews are related in look and texture whereas being wholesome.
No-hide chews are manufactured from the protein, or “taste” (rooster, beef, salmon, peanut butter, and so on), 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 bigger roll which will be consumed over a number of.
Ultimate Ideas
I feel pure chews are an necessary a part of a Dachshund’s eating regimen.
They’ll add selection and curiosity to what your canine eats in a day and assist with necessary issues like cleansing enamel, 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 arduous.
I’ve heard of antlers splintering and getting caught in a canine’s gums and each chews cracking enamel.
Whereas some chews on this listing are tougher than others, and it’s attainable for a canine to wreck their enamel chewing on something, I’m snug that the chews listed are unlikely to interrupt enamel.
At all times supervise your canine once they’re consuming a chew, at the very least a number of instances till you’re snug with how, and how briskly, they eat it to assist guarantee their security.
Additionally, in case you are new to feeding your canine pure chews like duck wings and cow ears, beware that they’re wealthy and might take some adjustment.
Begin out by feeding somewhat at a time and monitor your canine after to verify it doesn’t upset their tummy.
