# To the strong chewers



## LMJ (Feb 16, 2006)

Has anyone tried cow hooves? A friend of mine who has 5 dogs gave me one to try with Jeffery because I've been through everything I can think of because he's a strong chewer.

So, I tried it. Well this thing is great. While he's chewing on it and it's wet, it does have a slight odor, but it doesn't stain his mouth and paws like some of the other things I've tried and the odor is not that bad. Actually I don't smell it unless I'm right there near it. It also doesn't stain my carpet. At this rate, it's going to last for months maybe a year or more, where all the consumable products didn't even last a whole day. 

I still give him the Nylabone Healthy Edibles, because he enjoys them so much, but I leave the cow hoove out all the time. He is loving that too and he scraps his front teeth on it and works it on his back teeth too.

The only other draw back is when I first gave it to him, where it tapers to the end and gets thin, he broke that piece off. I threw that out right away. The next time I give it to him, I'm going to break that piece off before hand.

Now that I've raved, does anyone know of a reason why I shouldn't be giving this to Jeff?


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## Suz & the Fluffs (Mar 11, 2006)

Sorry just seen this post. Bella doesn't really like them she thinks they are too hard. She rather have a Dingo or a Better than ears(pig ear alternative). I've wondered if they can digest the cow hooves? I know that pig ears are not really a good idea because some dogs are not able to digest them or something? If someone says cow hooves are no good you could buy better than ears. They are soft but if you leave the package open the harden up and suppose to be fully digestible.


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## Laceys mom (Nov 12, 2004)

Lacey is a very aggesive chewer. She loves them but her favorite is the Booda bones. I get her the very large ones. The bone is almost bigger than her but she chews, chews away on it. I can always find her when she has one...she drags it around the house and I can see the trail in the carpet from her dragging it. I did try the little ones that are made for the little dogs but she had that thing gone in a few hours.


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## cindy6755 (Mar 20, 2005)

Buster and Sweet pea love the cow hooves. They have them all over the house.


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## RexsMom (Jun 8, 2005)

I haven't ever given Rex a cow hoof, I have seen them but didnt know if they would come apart. We have tried a few consumable chews and lastly tried the Better than Ears. Rex can have one of those gone in about 10 minutes and they give him a little bit of gas. Currently he is chewing on the Merrick rib bones, they are messy the first hour after I give him a new one. I boil them every few days to prevent any bacterial growth. He has a basket of bones and especially loves them right after I reboil them (I let them cool for an hour first) Are cow hooves hard like bones? Can they be boiled too?


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## Brinkley & Neyland's Mom (Jun 14, 2004)

> Sorry just seen this post. Bella doesn't really like them she thinks they are too hard. She rather have a Dingo or a Better than ears(pig ear alternative). I've wondered if they can digest the cow hooves? I know that pig ears are not really a good idea because some dogs are not able to digest them or something? If someone says cow hooves are no good you could buy better than ears. They are soft but if you leave the package open the harden up and suppose to be fully digestible.[/B]



Mine LOVE the "Better than Ears" and "Better Than Bones"-but they eat them up quite quickly.







Not an actual "chew" treat...ha ha...
I might try a cow hoof. My best long lasting chew thing is to get the EXTRA large edible nylabones...they are about the size of Neyland!







They cost around five dollars a piece, but they can chew on them for a LONG time! It is hilarious to see them try to carry it around b/c it is so big and heavy.


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## Suz & the Fluffs (Mar 11, 2006)

> QUOTE(Mom_to_Princess_Bella @ Jun 12 2006, 11:59 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=203773


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So do you know if cow hooves are digestible for these little doggies? I am just wondering as I heard pig ears are not so that is why I buy better than ears. Though I have never had a problem with her eating Dingos. I dunno....


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## Brinkley & Neyland's Mom (Jun 14, 2004)

> QUOTE(Brinkley and Neylands Mom @ Jun 13 2006, 09:39 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=204272


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> So do you know if cow hooves are digestible for these little doggies? I am just wondering as I heard pig ears are not so that is why I buy better than ears. Though I have never had a problem with her eating Dingos. I dunno....
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I dunno about the digestible part either.







Seems to me like it would be kinda like a bone part, but I really can't speak intelligently about the parts of a cow.


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## LMJ (Feb 16, 2006)

Except for the very thin piece that Jeffery broke off when I first gave it to him (which I took away immediately) it's the same size as when I gave it to him over a month ago. You can see where he's worn some spots with his teeth, but I don't think he's ingesting it....or if he is, it's very very tiny pieces. Nylabone makes a hard bone of non digestable material claiming that it passes right through in small pieces with no harm. I still give him the edible nylabones once in a while, but he chews on that hoof all the time. I like it because it doesn't smell and it doesn't stain (his feet or my carpet). It's gets a little slimy(from his saliva) when he's chewing on it, but it doesn't get gooey like bully sticks or raw hide does. So far I'm liking it and Jeffery loves it. I'm also noticing that his bad breath is gone.


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## snowballsmom (Mar 3, 2006)

LMJ - what size did you get him? I have seen these in the stores, but they come in different sizes. Snowball can chew anything in no time flat! I really want to get him one of these!

Bev & Snowball


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## LMJ (Feb 16, 2006)

> LMJ - what size did you get him? I have seen these in the stores, but they come in different sizes. Snowball can chew anything in no time flat! I really want to get him one of these!
> 
> Bev & Snowball[/B]


I didn't know they came in sizes. A friend of mine (who has 5 dogs) gave me two of them. I guess they are about 2 inches wide/long and 1 inch high. There was about an inch piece that broke off from the real thin side.

I've read that they are so hard that they break teeth, but I would hope Jeff's instinct would keep him from chewing that hard. He does really well with it. I watch him. He scraps his back teeth on them tries to chew on it and gnaws at it with his front teeth too.

So far it hasn't cracked or broken off since that original piece. He just chews away at it. I'm sure eventually it's going to wear down some, but so far just the very edges are just a little bit rough.

The next time I give him one, I am going to break off the thin side myself before giving it to him.


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## Deanna (Jan 14, 2005)

What about breaking the teeth? My vet told me I can't give Wilson any sort of denta-bone, because it could break his teeth! But I need something he can chew on. I got Wilson the dental Nylabones- which has little bumps and ridges all over it to help clean the teeth and gums, well in no time flat he was breaking off those little bumps and eating them! I even got him the big ones for hard chewers. Right now I am giving him the Rawhide alternatives, but he makes a mess of them, and I am constantly taking them away and cutting off the slimey parts. I also don't think they are helping his teeth any. 

I also worry about bacteria building up on the cow hoof- does anyone know if you can boil it? I know way back in 2000, the FDA issued a warning against cow hooves and pig ears containing Salmonella, and the humans in the home contracting Salmonella poisioning. Since dog treats aren't regulated, it's easy to happen. I guess dogs can't get Salmonella poisioning?


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## eyespy (Jan 31, 2006)

For what it's worth Trinket loves them!


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## lynda (Oct 11, 2005)

Both my girls love them too. I only give it to them when we are going out. It is their special treat, when we leave them alone. I mistakenly called them cow toe nails in an early post a few months ago. That's what the clerk at the pet shop called them but they are the cow hooves.

Lynda


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## eyespy (Jan 31, 2006)

I took this picture of Trinket because of her cute bow but if you look on the floor you can see her cow hoof--she's had it for a while and looks pretty much like when we bought it except for a few teeth marks on one end....


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## Linus McDuff (Jul 12, 2006)

Linus loves the hooves too! I also rub a little Kong spread on it when we go out and leave him at home. It really entices him to chew on it. We've had the same one for about 6 months now.


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## wagirl98665 (Jan 5, 2006)

Guess I'll be cow hoove shopping tomorrow!







I've tried the pig ears, but they stink so bad and are so greasy, just about kills me, and I hate it when Mikey buries them in the couch cushions.







I going to order some of those Vanilla Cow Ears this week that everyone was talking about yesterday, but I'll try a cow hoove also. My dogs are serious chewers!


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## bruinkoala (Aug 18, 2005)

i just came across this old thread and purchased the cow hooves. Bruno loves them!!! Before the hooves, I gave him rawhide, then stopped since it's not good for them, got him better than ears, but he finished those like nothing. Now the cow hooves are giving him a challenge!!!


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## wagirl98665 (Jan 5, 2006)

> i just came across this old thread and purchased the cow hooves. Bruno loves them!!! Before the hooves, I gave him rawhide, then stopped since it's not good for them, got him better than ears, but he finished those like nothing. Now the cow hooves are giving him a challenge!!![/B]



Thanks for bringing this thread back. I completely forgot about the cow hooves and never 
did get them, but now that I remember I will for sure this weekend. My guys are serious
chewers!


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## bruinkoala (Aug 18, 2005)

> > index.php?act=findpost&pid=259155
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It should keep your little ones busy. At the look of it, I thought Bruno wouldn't like it, but I was wrong!!! He was sniffing and kept on trying to pick it up. Once he got the hang of it, he went at it.


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