Ever wondered which single ingredient dog chews are the best for your dog? What does best even mean? Is best what your dog likes the most? Is best the healthiest dog chew? Does best mean that it has other benefits other than just pure enjoyment? Is best a function of price and taste? How about the length of time a chew lasts? We would answer yes to all these characteristics.
After 30+ years in the dog chew business, GREAT DOG knows a thing or two about what makes the best dog chews.
- First, best varies depending upon the dog and the dog's size and age. Clearly the best chew for an older, smaller dog will not be the best chew for a larger, younger dog.
- If your dog doesn't enjoy the chew, it can't be classified as best.
- If you can't afford the dog chew, it's likely not a best either simply because it's out of reach.
- A "best" single ingredient chew, from our perspective has to be loved by your dog, appropriate for your dog's size and age, have other characteristics other than just the pure joy obtained from the taste (healthy, teeth cleaning benefits), be sourced and made in the United States, free from added chemicals and preservatives, and priced competitively given other similar chews available.
Based on these criteria, GREAT DOG has identified the 5 best single ingredient dog chews (in no particular order):
- Bully Sticks (Pizzle) - (US sourced and made): Why? It's difficult to find a dog that doesn't love bully sticks. While older dogs with dental issues can't enjoy them, the vast majority of dogs can. They last a good long time, help keep teeth and gums clean, are fully digestible and high in protein while being low in fat. Pizzle can also be cut into a variety of lengths to accommodate a variety of dogs, e.g., 3-4" pieces for smaller dogs, 6" and 12" segments for larger dogs.
- Scapula Cartilage Chews (Scaps) - (US sourced and made): Why? The vast majority of dogs love bison and beef scapula cartilage. Small dogs can partake by buying the pieces cut up (e.g., GREAT DOG Happy Joints) and all other dogs can simply enjoy a full scap. They require gnawing and chewing to break down so they take a good amount of time and help to keep gums and teeth clean. Plus they are tasty and fun to eat - cracking when chewed. Scaps are a good low fat dog chew. Per piece, scaps tend to be less expensive than other similarly sized chews.
- Tendon Chews - (US sourced and made): Why? Tendons take a good amount of time to break down, they shred as a dog chews on them making them excellent for helping to keep teeth and gums clean. Tendons are healthy, fully digestible, high in protein, low in fat, and range in size, both length and width, e.g. Tendolinis are shorter and appropriate for smaller dogs. The cost of each tendon is much less expensive than bully sticks, for example. Either slow-roasted or freeze-dried, tendon chews are loved by the majority of dogs - both delicious and fun to eat!
- Trachea Chews - (US sourced and made): Why? Trachea chews can accommodate virtually all sized dogs cut up into 1-3" pieces, 6" and 11" segments. Both beef and bison trachea are loved by dogs. Regardless of the length of the segments, they require gnawing and chewing to break down helping to keep teeth and gums clean. They are also a high protein, low fat chew, particularly bison trachea. Ounce for ounce, trachea chews are less expensive than bully sticks, scaps or tendon chews.
- Antler Chews - (US sourced and made): Why? In terms of long lasting chews, antlers are IT! Antlers last longer than any other chew on the market, assuming they are sized appropriately for the dog. Elk antlers are considered to be the premier type of antler, followed by Red Deer, Moose and Deer antlers. If fresh, antler chews also contain lots of vitamins and minerals. Chewing antlers also helps to keep teeth and gums clean. For dogs who are lazy chewers or have dental issues, larger antlers (Elk, Red Deer, Moose) can be split to make the marrow type substance in the middle accessible (although the antler will not last a long time when split). Antlers can also be cut to accommodate virtually all sized dogs. Although the initial investment for antler chews is higher than most chews, whole antlers last a very long time making them less costly than other single ingredient chews over the long run.
Let's face it, dogs enjoy and need to chew. A high quality, single ingredient dog chew will not only provide enjoyment from a taste perspective, they a healthy addition to dogs' typical diet, helping to keep teeth and gums clean and breath smelling fresh as well as reducing boredom in dogs' day-to-day routines.
When investing in dog chews, why not ensure your hard earned dollars are invested in some of the best single ingredient dog chews on the market? That way, you can maximize all the benefits of taste, pleasure and health for your dog? GREAT DOG CO. only manufactures and sells single ingredient chews. If you have to add anything else to a great chew, it's probably not all that great!
