Brushing puppy teeth is an important step in developing a dental hygiene program for your dog. Owners must be consistent when cleaning teeth and gums to maintain and improve your puppy’s dental care. Between the age of 8 and 16 weeks is a great time to start brushing puppy teeth so they become comfortable with cleaning and develop healthy teeth and gums early.

1. The first thing you will need to care for your puppy’s teeth is the right toothpaste. Human toothpaste can make dogs sick and should never be used. Buy toothpaste made for dogs and put a small amount on your finger. Allow your puppy to smell and lick the toothpaste, which usually comes in meat flavors.
2. Puppies can be squirmy so have someone restrain the dog on a table or flat surface while you clean his teeth. Lay the dog on his stomach or side while holding his collar or harness, or try lifting and holding his rear leg and collar while he is standing so he can’t move around.
3. Gently move your finger around his gums and teeth with no toothpaste. Do this for a short amount of time and give your puppy a treat for behaving. Gradually you will lengthen the time you perform this exercise. Add toothpaste the next time you try and clean his mouth. If you have a dog toothbrush, show your puppy the brush and let him see it and lick it.
4. If your puppy nips at your finger, make a loud shriek to discourage biting.
5. Once your puppy is comfortable with your finger in his mouth, you can start brushing or continue to use your fingers. Start with the top teeth at the back of the mouth. Lift his lip to see where you are brushing and use circular motions along the gum line and front of the teeth. The inside of the teeth are less important to clean.
6. Gradually move the brush or your finger around to the front teeth and then again towards the back of the mouth on the other side. Look for any inflammation, cuts, damaged teeth or tartar buildup. Pay close attention to the back teeth where the most buildup and dental problems can be found.
7. Give your dog a special treat and praise him after brushing his teeth.
8. Brush your puppy’s teeth every day, making sure not to go on for too long of a time. Prolonged teeth cleaning sessions will bore your dog and will make him less willing to cooperate when it’s time to brush his teeth again.

Finger combs or brushes are a great for brushing, especially after performing the initial practice cleaning sessions. The combs slide over your finger and allow you to get around your dog’s mouth easily and safely. Dog toothbrushes are also available and come in all sizes and shapes to suit your breed and size of dog. Infant or children’s toothbrushes can also be used for puppies and dogs with small mouths. The bristles should be soft so make sure to change your dog’s toothbrush often as it gets worn down and rough.

Atopic dermatitis is a known allergic skin disease in dogs. This is usually caused by the hypersensitivity of the dog’s immune system to ordinary substances that can be found in the environment like molds or dust mites.

Usually, a dog is said to be suffering from atopic dermatitis when the dog begins to excessively lick and chew its paws, licking the abdomen and its rear feet.

Atopic dermatitis can be seen as a saliva staining found in the armpits, between the toes of the paws, and in the groin. In light-colored canines, atopic dermatitis can be seen as a red-brown stain found on the same parts that were mentioned.

It is a well-known fact that dogs are usually infected with fleas. However, what most people do not know is that they can get allergies through these fleas, too.

Well, it is not the fleas that actually cause the allergic reactions in dogs but the flea’s saliva. Hence, it is important for the dog to undergo a skin allergy examination so as to determine if a particular dog is sensitive to flea saliva.

In the event that the dog is allergic to flea saliva, it would be better for the owner to implement a rigorous flea control or flea eradication treatment in order to lessen the allergic reactions. Though, it must be kept in mind that solutions that are used in flea control should be safe for the dog.

This is the most common cause of serious allergies in dogs. Generally, there are certain bacteria that thrive in the dog’s skin. This is known as the species of Staphylococcus bacteria. In most cases, this does not cause allergies in dogs. However, there are certain types of dogs that develop an allergy to it.

The most common symptom of this kind of allergy is hair loss along with the development of ringworm like marks in the dog’s skin. The areas where these marks appear usually get infected, hence, it is important to treat them with antibiotics.

Did you know that obesity is one of the greatest health risks among dogs?

Obesity is caused by excessive eating and unhealthy binges just as it is in humans. Often, this situation is triggered by some environmental factors that may lead to more problems when not controlled .

Like humans, dogs develop certain diseases when they are overweight. These diseases, if not corrected, can lead to more serious complications including death. Here is a list of some of the repercussions of obesity in dogs:

Arthritis

Obesity in dogs tends to put extra weight on their bones. In turn, the joints and other parts of the dog’s bones develop arthritis.

Excess weight in dogs may also initiate the development of other muscle and joint problems like spinal disc disease, hip dysplasia, and cracks on the joint ligaments.

Diabetes

Like humans, dogs can get diabetes too. We all know for a fact that overweight cause diabetes in humans. This can also happen in dogs. The reason is that the more fat stored in the dog’s body, the greater its system will generate insulin in order to cope up with its growing mass. Hence, dogs have the tendency to resist too much insulin in the body. The end result is diabetes.

Skin problems

Obesity in dogs can cause some skin problems. This is because excess fat deposits are being stored in their skin; hence, their owners are having a hard time grooming them. When dogs lack proper grooming, there is a tendency to accumulate bacteria, dirt, or other elements that could cause harm to your dog’s skin. In the end, they develop rashes, skin ruptures, and infections.

Capacity to tolerate heat

With too much fat deposits accumulated in their skin, dogs are more inclined to problems concerning heat tolerance. This is because dogs find it hard to tolerate heat due to the build-up of fats in their skin. That is why most obese dogs are prone to heat stroke especially during summer time.

Respiratory problems and other heart diseases

Like humans, obese dogs also have the tendency to develop respiratory problems and heart diseases. This is because the chest cavity is already covered with thick fat deposits. Hence, whenever the dog breathes, the lungs are having a hard time expanding and so does the heart. The problem starts when the heart and the lungs can no longer produce the right amount of oxygen and circulate it within the dog’s body.

Gastrointestinal problems

Obesity in dogs causes some problems in their intestines and pancreas. This problem results in an inflamed pancreas which is very painful to the dog and can also cause death.

Liver problems

Fats are harder to strain and this can pose a problem to the dog’s liver. When the liver can no longer function well because of the fat deposits that accumulated in the area, liver problems may occur and may even cause the death of your dog.

These health problems are indeed life threatening. It depends upon the owner how to combat these problems in order to keep your dog healthy.

One of the greatest ways to solve weight problems is a strict exercise schedule. It is a must that owners create a healthy exercise schedule for their dogs. This can be done by taking them for a walk every afternoon or letting him run through a field.

The best thing about this program is that not only the dogs get the chance to exercise but their owners as well. So, it’s a double benefit.

Next is to create a healthy diet for your dogs. Diet meals are extremely important for dogs so that they can still obtain the necessary nutrients they need in order to stay healthy. This should include the right combination of fiber, meat, vegetables, vitamins, and minerals.

However, dog owners should always keep in mind that when their dogs are taking fiber, more water should be employed so as to prevent constipation.

Alternatively, dog owners should also remember that before incorporating all of these things for your dog, it’s best to consult the veterinarian first.

For healthier and happier dogs, give them the best love and care you can plus a great dietary regimen. As they say, a healthy dog is a happy dog.

Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD) is one of the most frustrating diseases in veterinary medicine today simply because it is so difficult to prevent and treat. CHD is a developmental disease of the bones in which the head of the thigh bone poorly fits the hip socket, causing damage to the cartilage, gradual destruction of the joint, pain and swelling. This disease should not be confused with hip arthritis. Rather, it is the most common cause of arthritis in the hips.

CHD is a inheritable disease. It is passed on by the parents to the offspring. The only effective measure therefore to eradicate the disease is to prevent dogs with hip dysplasia from breeding. However, this is easier said than done, because not all dogs with hip dysplasia show signs of the disease. Seemingly normal dogs still carry the gene for CHD and are bred, causing the disease to stay within the genepool.

The best measure of prevention is of course careful breeding since hip dysplasia is a inheritable condition. The onset of hip dysplasia can be delayed in many dogs with a genetic predisposition by preventing excessive weight gain during the early months and by making sure that the puppy does not place undue stress on the hips.

OFA and PennHip offers information on breed risk. Prospective puppy buyers are advised to check for pedigrees for OFA, PennHip or GDC certifications.

A dog with hip dysplasia generally has less energy and movement. It has difficulty rising from a sitting position, lameness in the back legs, is hopping like a rabbit when running, and is reluctant to go up the stairs. However, these symptoms are usually not evident till the dog reaches middle age. In extreme cases though, some dogs exhibit obvious hip problems as early as 5-6 months of age.

Sad to say, there is no blood test or genetic test yet that will detect if a dog is a carrier of CHD or not. Diagnosis of the disease is routinely done through physical examinations and x-rays. X-rays help in assessing how bad the condition is, and through comparison with future x-rays, it can also serve as a gauge of how well the chosen treatment is working. Two techniques for taking x-rays of CHD-afflicted dogs are listed below:

1.hip-extended ventrodorsal view x-ray – Provides a frontal view of the pelvis and hip-joints and best assesses the degree of severity of arthritis present
2.PennHIP radiography technique – Used to detect hip looseness in dogs as young as four months of age.

There is no real cure for CHD just yet, but there are conservative or non-surgical ways to relieve its symptoms. These include the use of drugs to relieve pain and inflammation. Rimadyl, Ectogesic and Deramaxx are effective and have given a lot of suffering dogs the relief needed to live a normal life. Weight loss programs, controlled exercise and physical therapy are also very effective in certain cases.

When conservative treatment is not enough, the only other option is surgery. Surgery can be very effective as it corrects the underlying cause of hip pain which is a malformed joint. Surgery is approached in two different ways when dealing with hip dysplasia. Prophylactic surgery is done to prevent the progression af arthritis while therapeutic surgery aims to treat already arthritic hips.

Triple pelvic osteotomy is the primary preventive procedure available. It involves cutting the pelvis in three places and rotating the hip sockets to provide better coverage. This procedure is effective as long as it is done before arthritis sets in or before the joint is damaged. Another kind of preventive surgery, although still being studied if it is effective or not, is pubic symphysiodesis. This involves manipulating the way the pelvis grows to ensure a tighter hip. This procedure is done on very young dogs.

Therapeutic procedures include total hip replacement and femoral head ostectomy. Total hip replacement is performed mainly on larger dogs. High density, medical plastic is used to replace the socket and a high-quality, non-corrosive alloy is used for the ball. This procedure has a high success rate, almost completely eliminates pain and enables the dog to completely resume activity.

Another therapeutic procedure for hip dysplasia is femoral head ostectomy. It involves the removal of the top of the femur which then eliminates the painful grinding at the hip joint. The femur is then allowed to float freely causing the formation of scar tisue which then serves as a false joint. This procedure is not recommended for mild cases of arthritis and is generally effective only on smaller, well-muscled dogs.

Natural Flea Control

• Vacuum your home frequently and seal vacuum bags before disposing.

• Wash the bedding of your dog weekly in warm soapy water. This is where fleas usually breed.

• Bathing your pet weekly with a mild dog shampoo prevents flea invasion.

• Use cedar shampoo for your dog, and put cedar oil in their sleeping mats. Cedar will repel fleas and other insects.

• Fleas are attracted to dry skin, so to avoid it, give your dog Linatone oil mixed with its food. Excessive shampooing should be avoided.

• A mixture of brewer’s yeast and garlic, available in powder or tablet form can be given in small doses to your pet. This creates a certain odor in pets, and fleas are surely to avoid them.

• Fresh or dried pennyroyal leaves is a natural flea repellent. Use this in carpets to avoid the abundance of fleas in the home. Do not use it if you have small children around, as this could be toxic.

• A mixture of 60 ml of lavender oil with 2.8 liters of rock salt can also be placed in areas where dogs usually come in contact with and this solution could also be used to wash your dog.

• Planting marigolds in the yard is helpful too, it repels certain types of bugs as well as fleas.

• Boiled lemon or orange peel in water can be used as a dip for dogs and can be used too to soak in dog bedding for a few hours, then washed with warm soapy water.

• Lukewarm water with little shampoo and detergent is a good way to prevent fleas. A dog’s body may be dipped into the solution for fifteen minutes and then rinsed. This only works if flea infestation is light.

Natural flea control is effective only if the level of flea infestation is average to very few. This method usually is recommended for prevention only.

Flea control products

• Advantage. Active ingredient is imidacloprid. This is a flea poison, from Bayer. It is in a liquid form and applied to the skin, at the back of the dog, and works for about a month. This works by upsetting the nervous system of fleas when they come in contact with the liquid. This product is fast acting and is not absorbed into the internal organs and bloodstream of the dog.

Studies indicate that this product is highly toxic to fleas and other insects as well. A dog will be free from fleas in just a couple of days.

Ingredients are: imidacloprid — a chloronicotinyl nitroguanidine integrated from the nitromethylene class of a compound. This joins the nicotinyl receptor sites of insects, thus upsetting normal nerve transmission which causes death.

A set of two vials costs 15-20 dollars.

• Frontline. This product is very similar to Advantage, but is not water soluble, so alcohol is needed to wash it off. This can safely be used in pups, dogs, cats and kittens.

Efficiency in repelling lasts up to four months.

Active ingredients include: Fipronil 5-amino -1- (2, 6-dichloro-4 [trifluoromethyl]phenyl) -4- (1,R,S)- (trifluoromethyl0sulfinyl) -1H-pryazole-3-carbonitrile 0.29% inert ingredients 99.71%.

Fipronil works as a nervous transmission interruptor, which causes quick death to fleas and ticks. It is proven to kills 96% of fleas for the first two hours and 100% within 24 hours. Ticks die sooner than they attach themselves to the host. Fipronil is from the new phenylpyrazole class.

Very effective and can be considered safe, so long as dogs are not allergic to fipronil.

• Knockout. Performs like Frontline and is as effective, but can only be used in dogs. Active ingredients: Pyriproxyfen: 21[1-methyl-2-(phenoxyphenoxy)ethyoxy] pyridine….0.05% cyclopropanecarboxylate 2.00% inert ingredients 97.95% Also has NYLAR, which is flea growth regulator.

• Biospot. This is for topical application and kills up to 75 percent of fleas, eggs, and ticks. It also is a good repellant of mosquitoes and works for about a month. Temporarily, at times, it turns white hair to yellow. This can not be used in cats and contains permethrins and IGR.

• Proban (cythioate) and Prospot (Fenthion). While not to be used in cats, they are widely used in dogs. This is absorbed by the bloodstream and fleas die due to the poison that is present in the blood. For it to work, it requires the bitting of fleas. There are certain conditions to be considered though. You are injecting a small dose of poison into your dog’s body and side effects are not known. Then this does not help if a dog has flea allergy, and can not risk to be bitten.

Generally fleas abound during the summer months, when it is their breeding season. These commercial products can greatly help in fighting heavy flea infestation and needed where severe invasion occurs. However, it is always best to consult with your veterinarian as the choice of flea control will greatly depend on your life style.

Previously, it was thought that only dogs that were long-haired were more resistant to heartworms because of the high difficulty of mosquitoes (which bring the worms) to penetrate through the dogs’ hair. Since then, it has been proven that this is not true.

Mosquitoes even have a hard time penetrating through short-haired dogs. Actually, mosquitoes feed on the abdominal region of the dog. That is why both long-haired and short-haired dogs are susceptible to heartworm infection, since both types have little hair on this region. Some mosquitoes also feed on the muzzle area or the ears where the dog’s hair is quite matted down.

Dog heartworm is a common disease among canines in the United States. Discovered in 1856, the worms mainly live in your dog’s heart and major blood vessels.

The worms, especially on worst cases, seriously impair the heart’s operations. Worse, they could also clog your dog’s blood vessels. These infections result in loss of body weight, chronic cough, dropsy, shortness of breath, chronic heart failure, vision disturbances, and ultimately death.

Since heartworm symptoms vary among dogs, it’s best to have a veterinarian check your dog to provide a final analysis. Early treatment of heartworm is vital.

Most dogs show visible symptoms only when the disease has reached the point where it would be almost impossible to be cured by treatment. To help you see early symptoms and to hopefully save your dog, look out for these signs:

- Dogs that have been quite active usually tend to tire easily.

- Dogs that otherwise appear healthy usually gasp for breath.

- Your dog may develop a cough.

- Dogs bred for hunting may no longer keep up with rapid chases and usually fall from exhaustion.

- In some rare instances, the dog experiences convulsions, jaundice, and vision problems.

- Death is typically preceded by emaciation.

Heartworm infection can be treated through chemical therapy if diagnosed early. Most of the chemical treatments kill the worms over some period of time. Killing all the worms in one swoop is no better: If all the heartworms were killed in just one treatment, the dead bodies would deposit in the lungs and kill the dog.

Remember also that the chemicals used in treating the worms are also as dangerous to your dog as the worms. That is why treating the disease using chemical therapy should be used with utmost care and should be handled by a veterinarian.

There also cases when surgery is needed. In most cases, this can be a feasible option. Consult with the veterinarian about surgical correction or any other method that can cure the infection.

There are also drugs that could prevent your dog from getting heartworms. These drugs attack the parasite in its early stages and stop the worms from being full-blown adults later. This doesn’t mean that your dog would be free from infection. This only means that dogs can still get infected during the season of mosquitoes and yet remain unscathed of heartworms.

Preventative medication using drugs, on the other hand, can cause serious complications if your dog already has heartworm infections in a higher level. That is why the use of drugs should be under the supervision of veterinarians. Taking drugs are also combined with regular blood texts. This has shown to be quite effective in saving many dogs with heartworm infection.

In order for your dog to avoid heartworm infection, protect your pet from mosquito bites especially if there is a high mosquito population in your area or if it is mosquito season. You might want to screen the sleeping quarters of your dogs to avoid repeated bites. Repellent sprays can also be used, but these only have limited effects.

You might also want to consult your vet fro preventive medication. In addition, you might want regular blood tests on your dog to assess early symptoms of infection. This is quite tricky, especially if the symptoms of heartworm infection could not be seen immediately.

In short, your dog which looked healthy may be having early symptoms of heartworm infection. It would be best that you have him checked y your vet..

Common puppy dental problems

Periodontitis

It is very common among puppies to have gum disease. At the age of two or three, many dogs have either periodontitis or gingivitis.

The most common dental problem for canines is periodontitis, also known as periodontal disease. The disease is caused by various factors: plaque, food debris, cell mucus, and a mixture of bacteria. This results in a film characterized by milky-white on the puppy’s teeth as well as the gums. When this film gets combined with saliva, the plaque it causes becomes tartar, and very hard to remove.

Gingivitis

Gingivitis, also known as gum disease, happens when gum tissue suffers from an inflammation. Without treatment, it can lead to periodontitis, teeth loosening, bone loss, and ultimately, loss of teeth.

Tooth fractures

Tooth fractures occur when dogs chew hard substances, such as hard rocks and cow hooves. The fractures result to infection inside the broken tooth, which is known as the endodontic disease.

How to prevent dental problems

Your puppy can fight off these dental problems by removing the plaque before it actually develops as tartar. How to do it? The most effective way is by brushing the teeth of your puppy in a mechanical fashion. The brushing would reduce much of the bacteria presence in the mouth, not to mention making your puppy’s breath smell sweeter. Make it a habit of brushing your puppy’s teeth on a daily basis.

Toothpaste. There are toothpaste products made especially for dogs. Brush your pet’s teeth using dog toothpaste. Human toothpaste is specifically designed for humans to spit the paste washings out. puppies cannot do that, so pick a dog toothpaste that is safe enough for puppies to swallow.

Toothbrush. Using a toothbrush in its teeth will take some time for the puppy to get used to. Let your puppy be acquainted and get used to this is by putting some garlic salt, mix the salt with water, and dip the solution in an old toothbrush. Hold the old brush, and let your pet taste and chew it. Your puppy will start to realize that chewing a toothbrush is and tastes good. Make it a habit a few times, until he feels comfortable brushing with it.

Finger brush. You could also use a finger brush instead of a toothbrush. A finger brush is a good alternative, although nothing could replace the good ol’ toothbrush. The finger brush just fits onto one’s fingertip and can let you brush the puppy’s teeth without the puppy knowing it. Well, at least almost. The disadvantage of getting a finger brush to clean your puppy’s teeth is that its bristles are quite large for the brush to go under the gumline’s margin as effectively compared with regular toothbrush.

Professional cleaning. If you don’t want to do the cleaning by yourself, you could take your puppy to a veterinarian and have his teeth professionally cleaned. A good veterinarian will take additional measures in ensuring your puppy’s clean teeth by anesthetizing your puppy, scraping the buildup of plaque from all over the gumline areas, and polishing the teeth for a sparkling finish.

Home checkup. Try to make it a regular habit of checking the teeth of your puppy for any cracked or broken teeth. If you see some problematic teeth, check promptly with the veterinarian.

Home safety. Of course, cleaning your puppy’s teeth does not mean you should disregard other areas of concern. Tough substances, such as bones, rocks, hard nylon, or cow hooves should be removed from areas where your puppy could see. Buy your puppy chewing toys that are safer like rubber-made toys. You could also provide bones that are soft enough for your puppy to chew.

Mouthwash. There are some products in the market that deal very well in helping to kill the bacteria in your puppy’s mouth and could actually help heal damaged gum tissues. Do not forget to ask your veterinarian on the best products in the market.

Dental problems do not only happen to humans. puppies also have dental issues as well. It is up to the owners on how to help their pet puppies overcome their dental problems.

The Good, the Bad & the Ugly

Although there’s a huge selection of dog toys out there, not all them are good buys. Avoid the cheap, thin rubber toys and anything made of poor quality, brittle plastic. These pose a choking hazard to your puppy.
What toys you choose will depend on several things -

The breed of your puppy
The age and physical size of your puppy
Whether or not he will be supervised during playtimes with this particular dog toy.
If it’s an outdoor or indoor toy
How houseproud you are (explained later)
Your budget!
Certain breeds have more aggressive chewing tendencies than others. This is often the larger breeds and the bull breeds. They have very powerful jaws and need very durable dog toys. This can limit your choices somewhat.

Smaller dog breeds, and more moderate chewers can enjoy a wider variety of toys but you still need to make sure that you don’t pick a flimsy, low quality item or one with small parts that could come off during Fifi’s chewing-fest.

However, lots of dog toys come in a range of different sizes, and there are more coming onto the market every day so there’s something for everyone.

Rubber & Vinyl Toys
There’s a whole host of rubber toys, some better than others. Look for really heavy-duty rubber. Kong toys are great – very durable (in fact they’re pretty much indestructible!).Check out Kong Dog Toys – The Most Popular Rubber Dog Toy Today!Many of them can be filled with treats or peanut butter to up the fun factor.

You can get different shaped rubber toys, some that dispense treats when your puppy moves it across the floor and some that make funny sounds when moved. These are really good for keeping your puppy amused and interested for more than 30 seconds (puppies have very short attention spans so believe me, this is a big plus).

There are many strong, durable vinyl toys available too. You can choose from textured balls, discs, dumbells etc. These are also good choices for powerful chewers.

Fabric Toys
These dog toys come in a huge variety of different colors, textures, sizes and shapes. If your puppy is a powerful chewer it’s best to stick to one piece designs (those without limbs, ears, eyes etc.) as they can – and will- be pulled off.

I always test the toy really well before I buy it. Pull it in all directions and look for weak stitching or holes. If you’re buying one with limbs or whatever, tug on them really hard to check that they won’t come off. It’s better safe than sorry.

The stuffing and squeaker inside these toys are a danger to your puppy, so once Fido starts to disembowel his stuffed monkey you need to take it away and put it in the trash. Always supervise puppies (and dogs) when they’re playing with these kinds of toys.
A lot of puppies seem to especially love the sheepskin toys, and the ones with rope attachments. Bones
These also qualify as dog toys and come in a ton of different varieties. The nylon or polymer type bones (such as Nylabones) are very strong and wear down slowly. I’d recommend buying the flavored variety as they’re more interesting to your puppy. These kinds of bones come in a variety of sizes and strengths as well, so you’re sure to find one that’s just right for Fifi.

The cornstarch based bones are fairly long lasting if your puppy isn’t a heavy-duty chewer. The same can be said for the ‘edible/digestible’ bones. They can both be pretty messy though and you probably don’t want little Fifi to be chewing it while lying on your Persian rug.

Rawhide bones can be a good choice as long as you choose wisely. The compressed rawhide is the most durable and definitely the safest variety if you have anything other than a very dainty chewer. See our Rawhide Dog Chews page for a close-up look at rawhide. These also have a tendency to be messy though so you’d probably prefer to let Fifi chew her rawhide in the kitchen than in the living room. It’s also very important to always supervise a puppy/dog who’s chewing rawhide as they’re a potential choking hazard.

Natural bones can be a good choice for dog toys but should be used sparingly as they can damage the enamel on your puppy’s teeth. Sterilized bones (the white ones) can also be filled with peanut butter or dog treats to extend their play value. The unsterilized bones, flavored ones etc. can be very messy too, not to mention smelly, but dogs love them.
Always be sure that the bone you choose isn’t small enough to fit inside your puppy’s mouth or it’s a choking hazard. A large-breed puppy or powerful chewer needs a very LARGE bone, and even then he or she may succeed in breaking pieces off it. If this happens take the bone away immediately, and all the pieces, they can choke your puppy, or cause intestinal damage.

Rope Toys
Dog rope toys are often a hit. They’re durable and satisfying. Some even have pig hooves or little, natural bones threaded onto them. Choose a good, thick, sturdy rope so that it won’t unravel easily and always supervise Fido while he’s playing with it. Should the rope fibers start to unravel or break off take the toy away to avoid choking.