# Do dogs choke on dog treats?



## lancestar2 (Jan 19, 2013)

Hello,

I was just wondering if anybody ever experienced a time when they had issue with a dog choking on a dog treat like a raw hide bone or treat.

I know I might be a bit overprotective but I always worry about my little baby choking so I usually don't give her to many raw hide treats. Also for treats I do give her

http://www.pet360.com/productimages/203135708_lg.jpg

though I sometimes feed her a bit bigger size (they have a small med. and large) because she can swallow them hole (even sometimes swallow the med. sided hole too!) Not only does it devalues the whole reward being she can down it in 1.1 seconds and act like she never got a treat and be all ... "I'm sad I don't have a treat but you CLEARLY SAID I'd get a cookie"  but I also worry she could choke on them too.

I had once or twice she had to cough them back up she really does get to excited around food and treats. Again maybe that's part to do with not giving her a good enough nutritional food. 

Which brings me to a side note can you buy dog food and if it freezes will it still be ok? I was gonna pick up a small bag of Buffalo Blue Basic today before work and leave it in my car... However as I right this I realize how easy it would be to simply just bring it into my workspace for the day lol ...still just curious if it depends on the dog foor or not. 

Thanks again,


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## pigeonsheep (Nov 8, 2008)

Ok choking on treats can be possible if the dog doesn't slchew before,swallowing. Also milkbones is a really bad brand u should google it and see what its made out of! Although its not recalled in stores because even the made in china treats that literally killed thousands of dogs or made them really ill took years and years,to have them recalled. And no dog kibbles should not be frozen u can see on the back it says store in cool dry area which means room temp or even the garage it its not too cold. Perhaps the trunk is a better part of the car

Omg and rawhide... A big noooooo noooooo. Besides choking it leads to tummy obstruction! Which can't be diagnosed unless it does its job little by little and shows up in health signs or even in xrays! Please go for natural chews like bullysticks! Or antlers even..z.theres so many. Check out bestbullysticks online


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## pupluv168 (Mar 7, 2012)

No milkbones are welcome in this house. No rawhide either. Pidge said it best about why. Milkbones are the Kibble N Bits of treats- awful ingredients. And rawhides are dangerous because they can often expand in the dogs digestive tract and cause blockages. For commercial treats, look for ones made in america. I can't really help on that note because the only treats Toby gets are home made dehydrated meats. I dehydrate myself in the oven. 


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## pigeonsheep (Nov 8, 2008)

Ah I make dehydrated treats from a dehydrator as well  I don't like using the oven method since id worry the house will blowup, poof! :lol: I also feed only zukes and nylabones and any other natural treats or baked goods


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## BlueJax (Jun 25, 2012)

I buy Milk Bones occasionally. They aren't the best but I've never seen them recalled (someone correct me if I'm wrong!).

I wouldn't freeze kibble. Some of the vitamins can loose their nutrition value when frozen. You can keep it in the fridge though though if you want, although I prefer to keep it at room temperature in an airtight storage container.


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## pigeonsheep (Nov 8, 2008)

There's an article online about the milk bone company on how bad it really is. Just read the ingredients alone and just stay far far far away its doused with chemicals!


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## Rolo n Buttons (Sep 22, 2012)

I had a Westie that choked on a Smacko, he swallowed it sideways and got it stuck. Had to stick 2 fingers down its throat and sort of pinch it out, was rewarded by him biting me. He always was a miserable so-and-so. A friend of mine had a beautiful black and white collie dog. She was making sandwiches for the kids one morning, dropped a big chunk of cheese, the dog grabbed it before she had a chance to pick it up, swallowed it down whole. Actually choked to death, poor dog. She panicked, ran outside and grabbed a guy off the street to help, by the time she got back in it had gone. It was a beautiful dog, had 2 different coloured eyes. 


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## lancestar2 (Jan 19, 2013)

just to clarify I live in Minnesota and it's freezing out (about 20 degrees) so it's not that I'm trying to freeze it on purpose and I don't think I would ever put dog food in the fridge seems weird lol although during the summer heat I may consider it now if I don't use A/C

but if you use dehydrated meats as treats what do you give them to satisfy their natural desire to chew? ...As I write this Vida is nibbling on her nails ...  totally unladylike like tsk tsk... 

She refuses to chew on the manifactured chew toys and I perfer she have some type of bone to chew instead as well. Any advice to what would be the best solution somthing that is 1st choke proof and 2nd that is good for her would that be a bully stick is their brand names or does it matter and I'm really not sure what the difference between raw hide and bully sticks are how can you tell the difference?


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## Rolo n Buttons (Sep 22, 2012)

View attachment 14370

Raw hide, usually white
View attachment 14378

Bully stick
Mine have Bully sticks, they seem to be pretty choke proof as long as you take them away before they get too short. They just sort of chew little sinewy strips off of them. I was told not to give chihuahuas rawhide as they can't digest it. Mine nom for hours on bully sticks


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## pigeonsheep (Nov 8, 2008)

Rawhide is raw...hide lol and bullysticks is all natural and digestable even if its dried up bulls Wang  bestbullysticks is a name brand that I trust 100% of my dogs lives on. I prefer theirs as they are,from cattle that are grass grazed and not corn mealed. At stores like PETsMART they offer redbarn...i don't really like it and its wayy too pricey there...i mean a pack of 3 sticks....$12....realllllllyyyyy? Please checkout bestbullysticks, they have a sale right now too, if u have fb or even when u for signup they send u a coupon promo code! They offer sooooooo many chews that are perfect for ur babies. Also if u wanna know how they make it, it tells u on their about me or something or other part of their site. As for the dehydrated treats, they are simply treats but way better and safer than the ones at the pet stores....much better quality ...no preservatives or chemicals...its just whatever u put on it to make it! If u need help on how to make it I have an album on facebook telling u so lol


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## jesuschick (Dec 5, 2010)

Please know that not everything on Best Bully Sticks website is made in the USA!!

It says inspected by the FDA but that is not the same. FDA is just now getting interested in pet treats as evidenced by the recalls of China treats that is still taking forever.

If you want made in the USA bully sticks and treats, go to that tab on the left navigation bestbullysticks.com and you will see those made in the USA say just that after the product name.

I think a lot of people buy from there and assume it is all USA made and sourced. 

Here:
Dog Supplies USA - Made In The USA Best Bully Sticks


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## pigeonsheep (Nov 8, 2008)

I was only talking about the natural chews  and yes they have that tab that says made in u.s.a which makes things easier ^.^


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## jesuschick (Dec 5, 2010)

Yeah, I did not want him to pick anything from the site since they do not specifically share where they are from. May be from countries which are safe but since I could never find that on their site I did not know for certain to recommend.


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## pigeonsheep (Nov 8, 2008)

Hehe good looks! I think they tell on the site where the,bullysticks are from. U can asli email or message them on fb to find out. I've always had good communication with them, esp. The owner who replies back


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## Rolo n Buttons (Sep 22, 2012)

pigeonsheep said:


> Rawhide is raw...hide lol and bullysticks is all natural and digestable even if its dried up bulls Wang
> 
> Beautifully put Pigeonsheep lol




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## pigeonsheep (Nov 8, 2008)

Some people can handle the truth! And some can't...lmaoooooo!!!! I get the bullybites too which are softer than the sticks and Dexter goes thru them fast but KC takes days or even weeks


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## AnnHelen (Nov 29, 2010)

I give my boy soft, meaty treats...and white skin chewing sticks.. He got a dental stick when he was little and it almost choked him...I was lucky to get it out! Jesus....so I don't like dental sticks for small dogs


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## KayC (May 3, 2005)

I have heard of dogs choking on Greenies as well. No Greenies allowed in my house.


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## Kalisee (Jun 1, 2012)

We cant get bully sticks here, only ears of pig or cow. I do give her occasional raw hide bones, big ones that take her a long time to melt. She will chew it for hours and hours and hardly gets a dent in it. She has had no problems with those kind of rawhide. We get the solid ones, not he one with the knots on the end and we always know where it is, so we keep an eye on it. 

Yes, they can choke very easily. Never leave the dog alone with a rawhide bone. Also, someone mentioned Smackos. YUCK! We got a package of those for free from a pet shop once. Only the smell of them sent them to the garbage.


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## intent2smile (Dec 4, 2011)

Jaxx has gagged on a treat when he was eating but he never actually has choked on one.

We are very particular though and the only chewy treats he gets is deer antlers and bully sticks. He loves bully sticks but he goes through them like crazy!


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## jesuschick (Dec 5, 2010)

It does seem to me that some here feed a LOT of snacks and treats. Mine get maybe 2 pieces of treats, the size of a large pea, per day. Not a whole treat several times a day.

If I offered more than what I do, I would reduce food fed to compensate. 

I think we confuse dogs with us. We like snacks so we should feed our pets snacks. Some people are "loving" and "spoiling" their babies into obesity and health issues.


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## Angel1210 (Mar 14, 2011)

No rawhides here, no green, no milk bones! 

I just bought a pack of 25 bullysticks, 6", from best bullysticks. The ones made in U S A. They came to $2.00 each including shipping. Not bad! They get one a week.

Right now I am dehydrating sweet potatoes in my oven! I don't like my dehydrator! oh well, the oven does okay!


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## Kalisee (Jun 1, 2012)

Angel1210 said:


> Right now I am dehydrating sweet potatoes in my oven! I don't like my dehydrator! oh well, the oven does okay!


Can you please tell me how you do the sweet potatoe in the oven? I tried it once but I could not give them to her because they seemed to get an elastic consistency and I was afraid to give them to her because I feared she would choke. (They were pretty good, I ate them  )


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## AussieLass (Mar 1, 2012)

lancestar2 said:


> but if you use dehydrated meats as treats what do you give them to satisfy their natural desire to chew?
> 
> She refuses to chew on the manifactured chew toys and I perfer she have some type of bone to chew instead as well.


I'm astounded no-one has suggested normal, wholesome, natural, raw, meaty bones!!! There's the small ones they can eat entirely i.e. chicken wing tips, very young lamb ribs, or, 'recreational' ones that are too big and solid to ever be eaten down to swallowing size, but will keep them busy for an entire day.

My bought chews consist of cow hooves (which they love and are a bit like antlers, they never wear down), bully sticks, dehydrated tendons, dehydrated lamb ears and dehydrated jerky.


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## pigeonsheep (Nov 8, 2008)

Aussie I can't recommend the natural bones since I haven't had luck with then lol


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## BlueJax (Jun 25, 2012)

pigeonsheep said:


> There's an article online about the milk bone company on how bad it really is. Just read the ingredients alone and just stay far far far away its doused with chemicals!


The ingredients don't seem that bad to me, at least when keeping in mind that it is just a treat.


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## Lola's mom 2013 (Aug 25, 2010)

AussieLass said:


> I'm astounded no-one has suggested normal, wholesome, natural, raw, meaty bones!!! There's the small ones they can eat entirely i.e. chicken wing tips, very young lamb ribs, or, 'recreational' ones that are too big and solid to ever be eaten down to swallowing size, but will keep them busy for an entire day.
> 
> My bought chews consist of cow hooves (which they love and are a bit like antlers, they never wear down), bully sticks, dehydrated tendons, dehydrated lamb ears and dehydrated jerky.


Can't get better than a raw meaty bone.


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## doginthedesert (Oct 10, 2011)

jesuschick said:


> It does seem to me that some here feed a LOT of snacks and treats. Mine get maybe 2 pieces of treats, the size of a large pea, per day. Not a whole treat several times a day.
> 
> If I offered more than what I do, I would reduce food fed to compensate.
> 
> I think we confuse dogs with us. We like snacks so we should feed our pets snacks. Some people are "loving" and "spoiling" their babies into obesity and health issues.


I agree! I do a lot of training and now that we are picking up our agility Kerri is getting LOTS of "treats" during the day but I am careful to watch her weight and get treats that are part of a well rounded diet. That is why I like feeding raw- I have total control over their diet so I can vary it by what treats they got that day. For training I work in dehydrated liver (that I dehydrate), commercial treats that are 100% meat or near that, or kidney brownies I make myself. That way the healthy treats are just calculated into regular meal totals. I keep biscuit type treats around for the skinny dogs of the house because they like them but if anyone was getting pudgy those would be the first to go. Look at how many calories you are feeding your dog (if you feed commercial food it is on the bag/can) then look at how many calories are in your treats. It is a real eye opener to many people- and will give you a good idea of how many treats are really too many.

For chewing I give bully sticks or antlers. The antlers are not particularly "edible" but the dogs like chewing on them. Bully sticks are great for edible chews and as other have said big ole meaty bones are great! It would be pretty hard for a chihuahua to choke on a deer neck that is as big as they are!


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## Angel1210 (Mar 14, 2011)

Kalisee said:


> Can you please tell me how you do the sweet potatoe in the oven? I tried it once but I could not give them to her because they seemed to get an elastic consistency and I was afraid to give them to her because I feared she would choke. (They were pretty good, I ate them  )


Sure! This is what I do: wash and slice the sweet potato in quarter inch slices, maybe a little thinner, I just set my mandolin to the thickest setting and slice til it gets too rough, then I use a knife. Place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or foil and bake at 250 degrees farenheit for 3 hours. Sometimes they come out crunchy and sometimes chewy. Either way, they love 'em!

Good luck!


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