Having a new puppy in the family is a great experience. As new dog owners, everyone wants to ensure they are providing their new addition with the best option in food, toys and in healthy puppy chews.
Too often, puppy owners spend a lot of time choosing the right kibble, the right leash and the best and safest toys. Then, they simply grab any type of chew for their puppy, assuming if it in a pet store in the dog foods section at the grocery store it must be healthy.
In fact, there are three different signs to consider to make sure you are choosing healthy puppy chews. These include the ingredients, the digestibility and if the chew is a favorite with your puppy.
Ingredients
Most of the puppy chews on the market are made from rawhide. This is the inner layer of hides before they are tanned. It has no nutritional value and is flavored, smoked, stuffed and even bleached before it is used.
There are alternatives on the market made of healthy, natural ingredients. Healthy chews are made of baked pork skin, which removes the majority of the fat, up to 70%, while also providing a safer chew.
Digestibility
Digestibility is critical with healthy puppy chews. Rawhide will leave as much as 15% in the digestive tract after 24 hours from ingestion. Baked pork skin chews are 9.9% digestible in the same time.
This means a safer chew for new puppy owners to feel good about feeding their dog. Rawhide is linked to choking and obstructions or blockages in the digestive tract, while healthy pork chews pose an extremely low risk of any type of concern.
Puppy Approval
Despite being healthy, these puppy chews are loved by weaned puppies through to senior dogs. They are also less mess in the house, with the dog able to eat the entire chew without the soggy mess of rawhide to deal with.