Chew on This!

Hello dog lovers!  Back for a second time on the show is Johnna Devereaux, who is a Clinical Pet Nutritionist, Director of Nutrition & Wellness for Bow Wow Labs and the Owner of Fetch RI, a holistic pet supply store located in Richmond, Rhode Island. Johnna’s unique perspective and wealth of knowledge about dog nutrition and wellness empowers people to make educated decisions about their pet’s overall nutrition. Johnna has been featured as a Trailblazer in the pet industry by Pets+ Magazine and her store, Fetch RI, has been awarded "America's Coolest Pet Store" and “Best of Rhode Island” by Editor’s Pick and Reader’s Choice. Fetch RI has also been awarded “Top Dog” by Animal Print magazine. Johnna was also just named one of Pet Age Magazine's 2020 Women of Influence. 

And I know a lot of us have questions about the different dog chews available.

Dogs have an innate desire and need to chew.  When you own a dog, you have two choices: give them something healthy to chew or let them find something to chew (ie your shoes, furniture). Chewing is a natural behavior for dogs, as it helps pups clean their teeth, exercise their jaws, and gives them something to do when they’re feeling bored.

When I think of some chews, I have visions of cracked teeth, punctured gums or actual obstructions and these outcomes hurt your dog and can be very costly to fix.

So, with all of the choices of chews, how do we know what’s best for our dogs?

What are natural dog chews? 

What are some ways that chews benefit our dog’s health?

Let’s talk about bones first.  There are cooked and often bleached bones on the market.  Could those splinter?  I know that some dogs have split their teeth chewing on raw bones.  Are there safe ones and some not safe?

How about hard cheese chews?  Like the Himalayan yak milk chews you see on the market.  Those are pretty hard too and I’d imagine can crack teeth and small pieces can be a choking hazard.  And some dogs are lactose intolerant.

Your feelings on rawhide chews?  Aren’t they hard to digest?

Are hooves still a popular chew?  Do you recommend them?

Antlers.  Yes or no?  Injuries from these as well?

Pig, cow and lamb ears.  Because pig ears are so greasy, some dogs get digestive upset, not to mention, these stink and can stain your carpet.  Any thoughts on these?

Tendons?

Trachea?

Tripe?

Fish skins?

Then we have nylon chew toys.  Hard plastic can’t be a good chew, right?

Lastly, let’s talk about the ever-popular bully stick.  Johnna, for those who don’t know what they are, can you fill us in?

And what should we look out for when buying bully sticks? Some are bleached, so they don’t smell?

And though bully sticks are a fantastic chew, when your dogs chews down to the end, that little piece can become a choking hazard.  Enter the bully buddy!  Johnna, share this great product with us.

What if your dog is overweight?  What is a good chew option and how often should dogs get chews?

On days that our dogs have chews, should we reduce the amount of food for that day (amount of calories)?

Is it best to offer variety of chews or if we’re offering a variety in diet can we stick with one chew option?

OFFER: Bow Wow Labs is giving our listeners a fantastic offer:  use code WOL10 for 10% off at https://www.bowwowlabs.com/

Johnna, where can everyone find out more information about you, Fetch RI and Bow Wow Labs? 

https://www.bowwowlabs.com/
https://fetchri.com/

Where to find on Social Media:

FB & IG @fetchri

FB & IG @bowwowlabs 

We appreciate our sponsor: BowWowLabs

As a Wag out Loud listener you can use code WOL10 at checkout to get 10% off your purchase!

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks so much for tuning in again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the Bark About it section. Or you can click on the social media buttons to share an episode.

Special thanks to Johnna for being on the show again. Catch you next time!

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The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. It is no substitute for professional care by a veterinarian, licensed nutritionist or other qualified professional. The host as well as guests who speak on this podcast express their own opinions, experience and conclusions, and Wag Out Loud LLC neither endorses or opposes any particular views discussed here.

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