Long-lasting "chew" Treat For Toothless Dog?

[Kitt]

Hi everyone,

I recently acquired a lovely 10-year-old female greyhound who I have named "Deanna". Her teeth were very bad when I got her, so she had 29 removed. She has only her canines left.

I would like to give her a long-lasting treat that she can chew / lick / mash with her gums when I'm at work. She has managed to eat kangaroo rawhide sticks and dried kangaroo meat on a bone, using her canines to tear and then her gums to mash. However, I would like to find something softer for her to chew, so that her gums don't get hurt.

I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions? I've done internet searches for lick toys and lick treats but haven't found anything.

I have tried filling a kong toy with her fresh meat, but she doesn't seem very motivated to try to get the meat, even if it's her breakky (ie even if she hasn't been fed for a while). I need to encourage her to get the food out. However, she was quite happy to work on the kangaroo bone while I wasn't there. So, I'm thinking she might like some sort of chew treat (rather than a food-filled toy).

I would love to hear any suggestions.

Thanks,

Andy.

[persephone]

I would give her roo tails .. in LONG chunks- so she cannot fit pieces in her mouth.

Our oldies still chew on them... they can suck off the meat...

[puggy_puggy]

Veggies?

Lamb ribs?

[Gayle.]

I was thinking large lamb offcuts......big enough that she can get her jaws around them and lick or suck the meat off and give her remaining teeth a clean.

[Jed]

I had a cavalier who did not like bones. He had some decayed teeth, and closer inspection revealed that more teeth than previously thought were decayed, so he had most of them out.

He took to bones with a will - just ordinary bones - and really enjoyed himself. Rib bones, Lamb flaps, and those big leg bones cut either lengthwise or across, so he could suck the marrow out.

He could gum a bone to death like you wouldn't believe.

[VintageDiva]

Try air dried pizzle sticks or other air dried meat products. Do a search on eBay - that's where I buy mine. They have roo, crocodile, emu, lamb, goat, venison etc. It takes my fully toothed Staffy up to 15 minutes to chew through a decent sized air dried pizzle stick, so hopefully it should last even longer for your own dog. Softer than rawhide on the gums as well.

[anniek]

Have you tried giving her a whole ox tongue? My greys get one each for dinner once a week, they are a really good chew without being a bone, and healthy.

annieK

[Kitt]

Hi everyone,

Thanks very much for your helpful responses. Persephone and VintageDiva: I think I will continue giving Deanna the dried kanga tails that she likes so much. I was worried that she would hurt her gums on the tough meat and the bone, but the other day when I bought a kanga tail the lady in the shop told me that if they hurt Deanna, she wouldn't eat them... makes sense, I guess! And yeah, the meat isn't as rough as rawhide.

AnnieK, GayleK, and puggy-puggy: the veggies, lamb, and ox tongue suggestions have given me more options too - so thanks for that.

Jed: glad to hear that your cavalier enjoyed the bones. I'm thinking Deanna would like them, too. She really goes to work on the kanga tails so I think she'd have fun gumming the bones.

Off to the shop!

Thanks again,

Andy.