Ahhhh…Monica and Minnie Pearl. The saga of their friendship continues.
They both love boxes. Minnie Pearl likes to rip apart boxes and dance/run around them and Monica likes to sit on or in them.
Before giving boxes to Minnie Pearl, I make sure to pull off the packing tape (especially the kind that contains strings) and any labels. Though it’s not an every day occurrence, I still worry about her ingesting the cardboard. Because of this, I make sure to throw away any pieces she tears off.
We give her lots of alternatives to chew on because American Eskimos are well-known chewers. One thing we steer clear of is rawhide.
We learned all about rawhide through trial and error with our previous Eskie, Vegas. We stopped giving him any “pig ear” or rawhide treats once we found out they were chock-full of calories and when one broke one of his teeth.
Rawhide can also cause choking, which he would start to do sometimes when trying to swallow them almost whole. We’d have to pull them from his throat when he started to gag.
Instead of rawhide, we supplied him with cardboard boxes, rope toys, cardboard tubes (only ones with small amounts of adhesive), stuffed animals for heavy chewers (but took them away when the stuffing started showing) and Kong toys.
Here’s an article from the American Kennel Club that can help you decide whether or not rawhide is appropriate for your dog.
Minnie Pearl has taught us that she also loves to chew sticks from the yard. After reading this article from Animal Wellness Magazine, I am working with MP to curb that habit since they can also cause harm.
While we’re not perfect pet owners, we try our best to give them the very best food, toys and more. That way we can have years upon years with them and their unconditional love. And who wouldn’t want that?!
Happy Friday ya’ll! Sending our light and love to anyone who needs it!
Photography by Carolyn J. Braden
Carolyn’s Friday Funnies: Rawhide Alternatives for Pets
Pin me! www.carolynsbloomingcreations.com
Art by Carolyn J. Braden, Media: Microsoft PowerPoint