My dog has IBD. What are safe chew toys for a sensitive stomach?

I'm glad you guys are able to get Piper on appropriate treatment for her IBD. Sometimes fruits and vegetables can be OK for treats. It depends on how severe her case is and how well she responds to management. Usually we avoid anything but their prescription food and medication while we are getting there IBD under control. I would check with your veterinarian if it is OK to give something like baby carrots or green beans at this time. Also some prescription diet also come in treats so that may be an option for Piper as well. I would bully sticks and high protein treats as they can cause IBD flare ups like diarrhea.

Kong toys with frozen peanut butter or other frozen treats can provide hours of entertainment without the added risk of breaking teeth on hard bones. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

You are correct that antlers and nylon bones will break teeth, but they can also cause obstructions and/or perforations in the GI tract. I recommend a Kong toy. Those are very tough chew toys that are hard to dogs to destroy. You can also fill them with treats. I'd recommend, as an occasional treat, filling it with peanut butter and freezing it overnight in the freezer. That will keep her occupied for a while.

Generally most dental sticks including greenies are not recommended for dogs with IBD. the only one i can recommend is Virbac C.E.T. VeggieDent Chews, it's hypoallergenic and Jemma night do better on those.

Hello, actually wood is not the best for your dog. This can lead to splinters and foreign objects that I've seen end up in tracheas, esophagus, stomach, lungs, free floating in the chest or abdomen, or causing major injury to the oral cavity (teeth and gums). If you are going to give Donut a chew toy, I would recommend a Kong toy. You can find these online or at your local pet store. These are better for their teeth and durable. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Hello, I am sorry to hear about Kyro. Dogs are able to break down/digest bones. If Kyro did not demonstrate any vomiting/diarrhea and was eating well after this event it is unlikely that the bone was causing a problem. IBD is caused by excessive inflammation in the GI tract to certain particles in food. Most commonly it is the protein source in the diet that causes this inflammation. There are two different diet forms that are used for dogs with IBD. One is called a hypoallergenic diet. This means that the diet is specially made to take away any of the particles that could be leading to the inflammation in the GIT. Some diet options that fall under this category are Hill's Z/D or Purina HA. The second type of diet is called a novel protein diet meaning that the diet is made using a protein source that most animals haven't been exposed too. Diet options that fall under this category are Royain Canin Duck, Venison, or Rabbit formulas. All of the diets mentioned above are prescription diets, meaning that you will have to either purchase them from a veterinary clinic or you will need veterinarian approval to buy them elsewhere. Hope this helps, good luck!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Kyro. I typically start recommending small blood panels at 2-3 years of age to gain baseline values. The exception to this would be any necessary pre-anesthetic bloodwork if the dog were to be anesthetized. Hard toys such as the antlers and Nyla bones can fracture teeth in dogs. So be careful for any aggressive chewing. However, they are durable toys that the dog is less likely to break off a piece and swallow. This becomes an emergency surgery if the toy becomes lodged in the stomach or intestines. So they are safer options in that regard. Rotating toys will give your dog more variety and not force you to buy new ones frequently. I recommend leaving two toys out at a time and then rotate a new one in every couple of weeks. Even if your dog has seen it before, it will seem new to him again. I hope this information helps!