What size rawhide is best and safest for my small Yorkie dog?

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!

The best method to keep her teeth in shape would be to brush her teeth at least every other day after having the teeth cleaned professionally at your veterinarian's office (under anesthesia). Yorkies are notorious for extremely bad teeth, so chewies will not do the job. Once the teeth are shiny bright and white after the professional cleaning , it is easy to just apply the enzymatic tooth paste on your dog's teeth and then brush , or not even brush as the enzymes will remove the bacterial film on the teeth.

I would try her on a dry food for small dogs. The pieces are small and easier to chew than the dental diet, and usually tastier also. There are several excellent small breed foods now so check out ones that are available in your area. Giving some caned with the dry food is fine. Chewing on sterilized dental chews may be all she needs to minimize any future dental problems. I've used them and they really keep down the tartar buildup and dogs love chewing them. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Molly.

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.

Hi there. Great question! If Brody is a big chewer I would suggest compressed rawhides or nylabones. https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/nylabone-healthy-edibles-wild-bison-value-bag-dog-treats You may also want to consider getting him a kong and fill it with stuff that he likes. https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/kong-classic-dog-toy https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/kong-stuffn-pepperoni-recipe Regardless of what you give him to chew always be sure he is supervised during chewing (except for the Kong) just in case he breaks a piece off the bone and tries to swallow it! This can cause choking. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

My favorite rawhide chews are sold through a company called Raw Feeding Miami (www.rawfeedingmiami.com). They have large, very durable rawhide rolls that are all-natural and made without any chemicals or artificial processing. They're quite thick and last a long time, even for big dogs - I would highly recommend giving them a try if you're looking for a good rawhide for Buddy :)

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Greenies have a risk of causing esophageal foreign bodies. I recommend following the size recommendations to be safe. Unless you can break them in to bite size pieces. I would worry if he would try to swallow the greenie whole. If he chews them slowly then try one and watch him closely. I hope this helps!