Short answer: safe chews are naturally dried snacks made from a single piece of animal, such as tripe, lung, tendon, ears and unbleached hide, in a size your dog cannot swallow in one go, and always with you nearby. Avoid cooked bones and bleached, glued chew bones. Be careful with very hard chews such as antlers, hooves and marrow bones, especially with dogs that want to crush everything. Below you will find the risks per type of chew and how to choose the right one. You will find every type among our chews.
Why chewing matters so much
Chewing is not a luxury for a dog. It scrapes plaque off the molars, it calms a dog down after a busy walk and it keeps a dog occupied that would otherwise take it out on your sofa. For a noticeable effect on the teeth, a dog needs a proper chewing session regularly, according to the Dutch pet information centre LICG, not just a kibble that is gone in two seconds. Count on a chewing moment of 10 to 30 minutes, a few times a week up to daily. The art is finding a chew that lasts long enough without becoming dangerous.
Three questions before you choose a chew
1. Is it big enough?
Most accidents are not caused by the chew itself but by its size. A chew that fits entirely in the mouth can be swallowed whole and then gets stuck in the throat or the oesophagus. Rule of thumb: choose a chew that is clearly longer than the width of your dog's mouth, and go a size up if in doubt. It gets small by itself.
2. How does your dog chew?
There are roughly three chewing styles. The nibbler works on a chew calmly and for a long time; he can handle almost anything. The destroyer wants the chew in pieces as fast as possible; do not give him rock-hard or splintering chews. The gulper tries to swallow big pieces whole; give him only chews that soften in the mouth and are digestible, and always trade the last piece.
3. How hard is the chew?
Vets use the thumbnail test: if you cannot press any dent into the chew with your thumbnail, it is hard enough to break a molar. A fractured molar is one of the most common reasons dogs end up at the vet with a chew, and the treatment is invasive. The stronger the jaws, the more important this test.
Overview by type of chew
| Chew | Hardness | Digestible | Watch out for | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dried beef tripe | Soft to medium | Yes | Strong smell, gone quickly | All dogs, including puppies and seniors |
| Dried beef lung | Brittle | Yes | Crumbles, little chewing time | Rewards, sensitive stomachs, older dogs |
| Bully stick | Medium to hard | Yes | Trade the last piece | Nibblers and destroyers, medium and large dogs |
| Ears (beef, buffalo, rabbit, pork) | Soft to medium | Yes | Pig ears are fatty | Almost all dogs; rabbit ears for small dogs |
| Chicken necks, duck necks, chicken feet (dried) | Brittle | Yes | Dried bone is brittle and does not splinter like cooked bone; still supervise | Nibblers, small and medium dogs |
| Dried hide, unbleached (roll, braid, foot) | Medium | Reasonably | Becomes soft and slippery; gulpers may swallow pieces | Nibblers under supervision |
| Pressed hide | Medium to hard | Yes, slowly | Long chewing time, little splinter risk | Destroyers, large dogs |
| Bleached, glued chew bones (white knots and sticks) | Hard, turns gummy | Poorly | Chemical processing, choking, blockage | Not recommended |
| Olive wood and chew wood | Hard | No, not meant to be eaten | Can splinter with destroyers | Calm nibblers |
| Deer antler | Very hard | No | Breaks molars in powerful chewers | Calm nibblers only, never destroyers |
| Beef hooves | Very hard | Barely | Sharp edges, cuts, choking on the last piece | With reservation, only large nibblers |
| Marrow bones | Very hard | No (the bone) | Can lock around the lower jaw, break molars | With reservation, only under supervision |
| Cooked bones (chicken, pork, beef) | Hard and brittle | No | Splinter, pierce stomach or intestine | Never |
Why white chew bones have a bad name
The classic white chew bone (rawhide) is made from the inner layer of animal hide from the leather industry. To clean it, bleach it and shape it, the hide goes through chemical baths, is bleached with hydrogen peroxide and is often glued into knots and sticks. Once in the mouth, such a bone becomes limp, slippery and gummy. That is exactly why pieces slide into the throat so easily, and because rawhide barely digests, a swallowed piece can cause a blockage in the stomach or intestine. In 2024 the Dutch food safety authority NVWA also received several reports of dogs with severe neurological symptoms after a batch of chew bones from one brand; the cause turned out to be poisoning by a fungicide.
Not all hide chews are the same. Unbleached, naturally dried hide from a single piece, without glue and without bleach, is a different product: brown in colour, sometimes still with hair, and recognisable by its natural structure. Such hide is more digestible, but the rule for gulpers still applies: stay nearby and trade the last piece. If you want certainty, choose pressed hide or a tendon. See our chews and filter by the animal type that suits your dog.
Bones: raw is not the same as cooked
Cooked bones are the most dangerous snack there is. Heating makes bone brittle and it splinters into sharp points that can pierce the throat, stomach and intestine. That applies to chicken bones from the plate, but also to a cooked beef shank. Dried bone parts such as chicken necks and duck necks are a different story: the bone in them is brittle and crumbles between the molars instead of splintering, and the pieces are digestible. Large, dense bones such as marrow bones and beef knuckles stay hard. They suit dogs that scrape at them calmly, not dogs that want to bite through them. A well-known accident with marrow bones is the dog whose lower jaw gets stuck in the bone; that is an emergency visit to the vet. So give them only when you are there, and choose a length that cannot fit around the jaw.
The five supervision rules
- New chew, you nearby. The first time your dog gets a new kind of chew, stay close and watch how he handles it.
- Trade the last piece. As soon as the chew is small enough to swallow, trade it for a treat. Practise that from day one and it never becomes a fight.
- No chew in the crate when you are out. If something goes wrong, you want to be there.
- Water within reach. Dried chews absorb moisture; a chewing dog drinks more.
- One chew at a time in a multi-dog household. Or give them each in a separate room. Chews are the most common thing dogs fight over.
Ingrid's tip: do not cut or saw a big chew into small pieces to make it "safer"; that is exactly what makes it swallowable. Rather choose a larger size and take it away after fifteen minutes. Half a bully stick in the fridge is a complete chewing moment again tomorrow.
Per dog: what to watch extra
- Puppies: soft and digestible, such as beef lung, dried tripe and rabbit ears, and hard chews only after the teeth have changed. Read when a puppy can have chews.
- Seniors and dogs with poor teeth: soft to medium, never antlers or hooves. Choose tripe, lung and soft hide.
- Small dogs: a small mouth, so not too small a chew. A 15 cm bully stick is a fine long chew for a chihuahua.
- Large destroyers: pressed hide, thick tendons and large pieces of tripe. Avoid anything that does not give in the thumbnail test.
- Dogs with a sensitive stomach or allergy: choose single-animal chews and start with a small piece. That way you know exactly where a reaction comes from.
When do you call the vet?
Call immediately if your dog gags and it does not stop, if he keeps vomiting after a chew, if he has had no stool for more than two days or if he suddenly becomes lethargic and in pain. Take the label or packaging of the chew with you. With a broken molar you often see nothing on the outside, but the dog suddenly chews on one side or leaves hard chews alone; that too is a reason for a check-up.
Frequently asked questions
Is buffalo hide the same as rawhide?
Not automatically. Rawhide stands for bleached, chemically processed and often glued hide. Unbleached, naturally dried buffalo or beef hide from a single piece is a different product and more digestible. Check the colour (brown, not pure white), the structure and the description on the label.
Can my dog have a chew every day?
Yes, if the calories fit in the daily budget. A chew is compact and counts in full. How to calculate that is explained in how many treats a dog can have per day.
Are antlers safe?
For a calm nibbler usually yes, for a destroyer no. Antler is harder than a molar. Do the thumbnail test and watch how your dog handles it; if he bites down on it with force, choose something else.
How long should a chew last?
A good chewing moment lasts 10 to 30 minutes. If a chew is gone in two minutes, it is too soft or too small for your dog. If it lasts for days, it is probably too hard.
What if my dog swallows the last piece anyway?
With a digestible chew, such as tripe, tendon or an ear, usually nothing happens; keep an eye on the stool. With an indigestible piece (rawhide, antler, hoof, wood) or if your dog gags or vomits, call the vet.
Sources
- LICG, Dental care for dogs (chewing, plaque and supervision with chews).
- Dierenkliniek De Arker, Risks of dog snacks (chicken bones, hooves, marrow bones, antlers).
- Hond in Focus, Is rawhide dangerous for dogs? (rawhide production and the 2024 NVWA reports).
- zooplus Magazine, Are real bones harmful for dogs? (raw versus cooked).
About the author
Ingrid Kooijman is the founder of Canis Snacks. She selects natural single-protein dog treats, sells them online and at markets in Brabant, and answers dog owners' questions about food and chews every day. Questions about this article? Email info@canissnacks.com.
