Safe Chew Treats For Dogs

Let’s just make it clear from the beginning, there are no perfectly safe chew treats for dogs. If your dog is putting something chewable in its mouth, there is a risk of choking. Just like you run the risk of choking every time you eat food, or the risk of a car accident every time you drive. But just because there is some risk, doesn’t mean that you stop eating and driving. Similarly, some amount of risk shouldn’t stop your dog from enjoying the benefits of chew treats.

It’s all about managing the risk. Not all chews are created equally, and some are safer than others. In this list, we’ll break down some common types of chew treats, their benefits, and their risk levels.

Durable Chews for Aggressive Chewers

Antlers & Bones

Durability: Super Strong

Risk Level: 6/10

Pros:

Good for power chewers
Natural

Cons:

They are so hard that there is a risk of breaking or damaging teeth
Can easily splinter, creating sharp pieces
Risk of obstruction

Antlers and bones are somewhat different, but they have enough similarities that I’m lumping them together for this analysis. It’s fairly common knowledge that you shouldn’t give your dog cooked bones, but cooked bones and antlers are fairly common treats, especially for those who are looking for a sustainably sourced, all-natural option.

These are especially tempting for power chewers because they can last so long. The problem is that the same hardness that makes them durable is also what makes them dangerous. If an aggressive chewer starts chomping hard enough on antlers or bones, eventually something has to break: either the teeth or the chew. And either option is disastrous. I don’t need to explain the problem with breaking or cracking your dog’s teeth. That’s pretty self-explanatory. But if your dog’s teeth prove victorious and break the chew, it may be even worse. Bones and antlers both splinter when broken, creating sharp shards that can pierce the mouth, esophagus, stomach, and intestines. They can also create blockages since they aren’t particularly digestible. In fact, in two separate studies from 2017 and 2019, around 80% of all foreign body obstructions were found to be bones.

When it comes to durable chews, these ones are pretty low on my list. I know a lot of people like them, but the FDA even put out an official warning to not give your dog bones. It’s one of the reasons we don’t sell them.

Himalayan/Yak Cheese Dog Chews

Durability: Super Strong

Risk Level: 3/10

Pros:

Easily Digestible
Good for power chewers
Natural
Comparatively Low Choking Risk

Cons:

They are so hard that there is a risk of breaking or damaging teeth

Yak Cheese Dog Chews, often simply referred to as Himalayan dog chews, are made from incredibly hard yak cheese. These chews have a lot of good things going for them. They’re natural, digestible, and very unlikely to cause any blockages. The major downside of these chews is the same thing that makes them great for aggressive chewers: they are crazy hard. That gives them the same flaw as antlers and bones, which is a risk of broken, cracked, or chipped teeth.

As with all dog chews, you need to know your dogs chewing style. Some dogs are going to do really well with these, and some dogs won’t. But they’re a reasonable option (and we aren’t even biased, because we don’t sell them.)

Natural Beef Hide

Durability: Super Strong

Risk Level: 3/10

Pros:

Digestible
Good for power chewers
Natural
Comparatively Low Choking Risk
Safe on teeth

Cons:

Some risk of obstruction

Of course I’m a little biased since natural beef hide is the main product we sell here at Ugly Chews, but I’ve tried to keep things pretty fair. Beef hide is different from conventional rawhide because it isn’t shaved down or processed with chemicals. Because they keep the full hide intact, they last longer and are much less likely to break into choking chunks. Most don’t, but our chews keep the hair on, which helps clean your dog’s teeth, gums, and digestive tract. Don’t worry, we roll the hair on the inside so it doesn’t get too messy.

Because the hides soften as your dog chews, they won’t damage teeth.

Moderate Chews

Rawhide

Durability: Moderate

Risk Level: 9/10

Pros:

Cheap
Lots of different varieties
Safe on teeth

Cons:

High choking hazard
Chemical exposure
Can easily create sharp pieces

The more we learn about the health impacts of “classic” rawhide, the worse it gets. When I talk about rawhide, I’m usually referring to the steretypical white twisted or bone shaped rawhides. These are a by-product of the tanning industry, so they’ve often been soaked in salt and lime (not the fruit) to keep them from rotting as they are shipped internationally. Rawhide is usually made from the leftovers after a hide is split, which leaves the dog chew hard, but thin. Combined with the chemicals, this makes for a thin, brittle chew that can easily splinter into sharp pieces or break into large chunks that present a choking hazard.

Rawhides are one of the worst choices for chew treat when it comes to safety, sustainability, and overall health.

Bully Sticks

Durability: Moderate

Risk Level: 4/10

Pros:

Low Risk
High Protein
Cheap And Accessible

Cons:

Smelly
High Protein

That’s right, high protein is both a pro and a con. The pro is that protein is generally good for you! The con is that too much protein rich food can give your dog diarrhea or other digestional distress. You just need to use caution and moderation.

Obviously, some bully sticks smell more than others. If you are looking for odor free bully sticks I would recommend checking to make sure that they aren’t descented using any harsh chemicals or processes. Aside from the protein issue, the only risks of bully sticks are the same risks that most natural chews have. You need to make sure your dog doesn’t break off a chokable chunk or try to swallow too much at once. But those apply to pretty much every reasonably durable chew.

We’re hoping to carry bully sticks in the future, but we want to make sure we’ve refined the process of making them odor-free while still maintaining our zero-waste, sustainable model. Check back for updates!

Trachea

Durability: Moderate/Light

Risk Level: 1/10

Pros:

Low Risk

Cons:

Not as durable

Beef trachea is an incredibly safe chew. Again, there is always some risk of trying to swallow too big of a chunk, but trachea is almost as safe as they come. Unfortunately, compared to other items on this list, beef trachea doesn’t have near the durability. They are a great option for moderate chewers, and will still last a power-chewer some amount of time, but they just don’t have the staying power. That can make it kind of discouraging if you have to keep buying more and more to keep your dog entertained.

Still, beef trachea is a great option. That’s why we sell it here at Ugly Chews (or at least we will soon, depending on when you read this.)

More To Come!

There are a lot of chew treat types out there. We’ll keep updating this list over time, adding more and more treats, their pros, and cons. In the meantime, check out our natural, zero-waste chew treats to see if they’re a fit for your canine companion!

10/10 Customer Service and EXCELLENT quality

For my pup’s first box, we tried the chips and chunks sample pack. My Labrador loves these chews. They safe for him while he is teething, and they don’t make a mess. The CEO personally checked on my item when I had a shipping issue. You just don’t see products and customer service like this anymore. Please try the product, you won’t regret it.

My dog is obsessed with these!

I have a 60lb Dalmatian mix that loves to chew. He would finish the large chew in a single sitting if I let him, which would take between 1.5 and 3 hours depending on the chew. He is an intense chewer. I break it up into smaller chunks of time so it lasts longer. He follows me from room to room with his chew.
I have a subscription for the large chews, and he gets pretty excited when they arrive. This month, he found the package in the mail!

Love what you guys are doing!

Excellent quality, my dogs love them. Customer service is top notch.

Dog Loves These!

I gave one of these to my 7-mo old puppy right out of the package, and she took it immediately and worked on it for the better part of the morning. She loves a good chew, but these have a special power over her.

Absolutely Love

My dog Loves ugly chews so much!!
they’re definitely ugly, but keep my little land shark busy, Will definitely keep on buying these

Success!!

Sully is loving his ugly chew. The medium is huge and I can imagine it will last him a very long time. Took him a couple minutes to realize this ugly thing was for him to chew!! I knew it was going to be ugly but opening the package still shocked me! Much less stinky than a bully stick and longer lasting. Will be purchasing again!!

Well, he’s addicted

These chews should come with a dependency warning. Our Australian Shepherd 11mo puppy destroys everything. He LOVES these chews. Takes them to a private place and worships the chew until it’s gone… hours. He will NOT play fetch with it - see video

Great chews

These are some great chews for all size dogs
My bully normally eat all bully sticks
Or other chews super fast .. Ugly chews have lasted much much longer , days now !! Most try !!

Scrap sampler

There was no variation in the product received (no chunks/chips) but my boys really liked the scraps. I was a bit concerned about them eating the hair but they had no troubles. Good deal of product for the money.

Dogs love these!

I really like the hair on rolls. I have gotten others that are extremely hairy on the outside, and have sometimes upset one dog's stomach- these are great! And they don't leave hair around either! My 2 dogs get a "chew" after each meal for 10minutes so they last a long time, and that satisfies them.

A hit with the terriers!

My entire crew of Jack Russell Terriers absolutely loves their Ugly Chews! from 12 years old down to 8 months old...all 6 are excited when it is unboxing day here. Even with my heavy chewers, these last a good long time. I love that no chemicals are used on them, they are locally sourced, and they are a quality product from a small business. Wins all the way around!

Amazing

My dogs love chewing on these rawhides and they last for days!!

Our experience with ugly chews

Our dog loves ugly chews. I think they help keeping his teeth clean as he ages. My wife won’t touch them and hates the smell, but she appreciates how much our dog enjoys them. Very satisfied with this product.

Puppy loves them!

My Shiba Inu puppy is super picky when it comes to chews, but she seems to really enjoy these! I received a sample pack of chips, chunks, and scraps and she loves them! It also came with way more pieces that I had expected for such a great price! It feels super great to support a small business as well. Thank you for making such great chews that my pup enjoys!

Awesome Collar

I bought the Turquoise and Grey collar for my American Bully nearly one year ago and even with daily wear it still looks new. Quality is excellent.

So smelly but so good!

My dogs LOVED these. They are both super chewer pitties and these were awesome for them. As they get all slobbery, the smell is awful but normal and my dog’s love stinky things so it was all good. I just moved them out onto the porch for chewing sessions. Will be ordering more! Thanks!

George loves them!

My 8 month old is happily chewing his ugly chew as I write this. I’ll be ordering more!

Love the chips

The chips and pieces are perfect for my little dogs.

Best chews!

My retriever loves the hair on rolls! The shipping was quick, they fit perfectly into his JW ball & chew-holders, they also last for days! Definitely some of my favorite chews to give!

Not a good purchase for my crew

I wanted to like these- I bought the largest rolls as well as a few other varieties for my pack of dogs who range from 10-50lbs. I over-estimated how tough these were after reading other reviews- my two middle-aged bigger dogs ate the entire rolls within 20 minutes. Thankfully they digested them ok, but not an experience I anticipated nor was happy about. My smaller dogs found the pieces too thick to chew on so they lost interest quickly. Now I have a bunch of pieces that are too dangerous for my big dogs and my small dogs won’t touch. I regret purchasing such a large order. Lesson learned for me.

These are probably most suitable for gentle big dog chewers or strong smaller dogs.

My senior dog loves these!

I have an 11 year old American pitbull terrier. We used to get him cow hide when he was younger and he loved it, but the person we got it from stopped selling it. I recently saw an ad on Instagram for these and decided to try it. My dog literally expects his chew after dinner every evening. We give it to him for about 30 min - 1hr.
We got the large and one crew last him about 1 month (he has 4 missing molars on one side). Once the hide gets soft, its very easy for him to chew. We recently got the thin chews and those ones will not last as long, but he loves them all the same. Make sure to let them dry between chewing so they last longer.

Aussie-tastic!

My working bred Aussies enjoy down time in the evenings and Ugly Chews are a huge hit!

I found it in the mailbox

My dog loves it ,!

Hair on hide

Our lab LOVES the hair-on-hide rolls. He is a big chewer and the rolls provide comfort and eliminate his need to chew.

My four dogs love the scraps!

I tried these scraps because the dogs already love the full size chews - and these were a hit! They were a variety of sizes and each one was finished with zest!