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View Full Version : What are appropriate treats for my chihuahua mix?


Dosie
Apr 7, 2012, 09:06 PM
I have heard never to give small dogs any rawhide treats.
Is it OK to give them a pig hide treat?
Also what size treat is OK? This pig hide treat is about 4-5 inches long. My dog is 16 months old and about 10 pounds.
Thanks

LadySam
Apr 8, 2012, 06:44 AM
I would stay away from treats that cannot be easily crunched up and eaten, rawhides and even some dental bones can become choking hazards.
Our dogs actually like baby raw carrots and stringbeans.
Personally I don't give lots of treats because they can be pretty fattening.
We give only Hills T/D treats, they are nice and crunchy and help to decrease tarter build-up on the teeth.

shazamataz
Apr 8, 2012, 07:34 PM
Things like pigs ears and rawhide I don't feed for the same reason, if the dog eats them too quickly they can ball together and become a bowel obstruction. If your dog just chews on them slowly then they would be fine but I personally just steer clear of anything overly processed in the treat department.

Raw bones are good, can keep them amused for hours, especially if you use a nice big meaty bone for a Chi, no chance of swallowing.

Carrot sticks are fantastic treats for overweight dogs, they contain little to no calories and my dogs love them, they don't last long but are good for training.

Treat balls are good if you want to keep your dog entertained, I'm not a fan of kongs anymore (know a few dogs who have had their tongues stuck in the hole) but you can get balls with much smaller holes to put dry food in, when the dog rolls the ball around the dry food falls out... a cheaper alternative is a plastic pop container with dry food inside and no lid.