Is it safe for my conure to chew rawhide? What types are okay?

Daisy is super cute! The decision to give a dog rawhide is always a tricky one. Some dogs never have any problems with rawhide while others get bad stomach upset from them. Some dogs can even swallow a piece that's too big and end up with an intestinal obstruction. Intestinal obstructions are serious and require surgery to correct. I'd monitor Daisy to make sure she doesn't bite off a large piece of rawhide and swallow it as this would make her prone to intestinal obstruction. Remove the rawhide when it gets small as she may swallow it. I'd also watch to make sure she doesn't develop any vomiting or diarrhea. If you see this she should be examined by a veterinarian and rawhide should no longer be given If you want to err on the side of caution then I wouldn't give Daisy rawhide in the future. A Kong or another type of safe chew toy may be a better option for her. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and good luck with Daisy!

Thanks for reaching out about your parakeet. As long as the rope is not treated with anything. Natural rope from the hardware store is often treated with anti-fungals, which could be a problem. If from pet store, assume it is okay. Good luck.

I wouldn't use a raw hide for him to chew on. I personally dislike them because of the big risk of choking and obstruction. There are toys you can get from the pet store that you can freeze and then give to him to chew on. The cold would be very soothing to his gums. Until you can get to the pet store, soak a wash cloth in water and put it in the freezer to freeze. You can give that to him to chew on, but monitor him the entire time to make sure he doesn't rip or swallow any piece of the wash cloth. I hope this helps!

Thanks for reaching out about Peach. Rawhide bones should be safe for rats, as they are omnivores similar to dogs. You should provide small pieces to chew on as not not upset their gastrointestinal tract. Be careful as rat teeth are smaller and thin, and might fracture easier. Good luck.

As long as the pieces are small, it is fine if they are ingested. He will digest them without any issues. Larger pieces pose a risk of gastric or intestinal obstruction. To be safe, remove the rawhide chews once they can fit entirely in Kai's mouth. Monitor for lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite or abdominal pain. These are symptoms that should be addressed by your veterinarian.

This is indeed a true fact. Some raw hides have more of a tendency to cause intestinal blockages. A quick google search can help identify which ones to stay away from as you have already done. I would recommend the ones from your vet which are usually easily digestible. I really like the Virbac or CET dental chews personally and have never seen an issue with blockages from these. I hope this helps! Take care.

Destroying wooden toys and ladders is actually natural behavior in birds and is good enrichment. Some things you can do is offer a variety of other toys and things that they can destroy. Use newspaper or cardboard rolls to wrap and hold treats to give them something to destroy and forage at the same time. You can consider getting slightly thicker woofer toys that may last longer or combining some plastic perches and ladders with wood. A variety of shape sizes and textures is healthier than one size and style only. Concrete type perches help to file thier nails. Wood such as Manzanita is extremely hard and much more durable than the plain wood perches. Below are some toy ideas. There are also resources available on the web to see what tree branches you may have in your yard that are safe for perches. https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/top-toys-for-parakeets/ https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/bird-owners-can-find-new-uses-for-these-recyclables/