Safe food, treats, and toys for dogs?

[reveriereptile]

I'm trying to find a good brand of dry dog food that has healthy ingredients in it that I can buy at Walmart. The closest pet store just closed down and Walmart is about the only other place other than tractor supply stores or grocery stores to buy food from. I've been looking around online but it is hard to tell what brands to buy without having to read every bag in the store. I just keep coming across sites listed the ingredients to have and what ones to avoid. Be easier if I had a list of the brands when going to the store to search through. I'm also wanting to know what treats and toys are safe. I keep seeing nylabones listed as safe as long as they don't have the bumps on them incase the dog chews them off. There should be other toys other than just the nylabones that are safe.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

You can buy the off-brand Kong's. They also have "real" bones. I use the Ol'Roy puppy complete for my two little dogs. They LOVE it.

The first ingredient is meat and bone meal. It was the only affordable one that had a meat by product mentioned in the first three ingredients.

Once I'm better able to purchase higher priced foods for my dogs, I plan on only purchasing Authority from PetSmart.


Edit: Wal-Mart used to have a dogfood called "Maxxima", but I can't find it anywhere.

It was a REALLY good dog food considering...

 

[Moabite]

I gave my pups a whole raw 'beef' femur a couple weeks ago. They managed to break it in half and have been working at the marrow. Bad news: bad breath: sick Good news: no shards, clean teeth, and they are still working on it.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

But then you get smelly dog-butt farts!

 

[Wolfwoman]

Cost and brand of dog food doesn't matter as long as MEAT is the first ingredient...beef, chicken, lamb or whatever other meat. Nylabones aren't that great.... As mentioned, get a KONG... I get them on eBay for great prices, stuff em with peanut butter and pup is happy for hours. Out of the nine dogs that I have, there isn't one that has been able to kill a Kong yet... but I buy the HUGE black monster ones...lol

 

[PineappleMama]

Mine aren't huge on chewing but they love to get our leftover bones (not chicken) when we have them.

I have gotten them those gigantico bones for Christmas... I swear the three of them had to work as a team to move the thing.

I've got a Chi/Terrier Mix and two doxies... bone is as long as any one of them.

But, mine aren't remotely picky... Matt (mix) snarfs any dropped wasabi peas...
Lilly (the youngest/smallest doxie) snags any dropped raw carrots...

 

[reveriereptile]

Thanks for the replies. I have seen some of the Kong toys around. I'll definitely get one. I'll check the Walmart labels before buying food. I don't get to pick up my puppy till the 16th so I have time to still look around.

 

[SallyF]

I've got a 9 month old chihuahua/terrier mix (20 lbs) and a golden lab (50 lbs) and they both love to chew, especially the little one. Kong toys are the only ones I've found that the two of them cannot destroy.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

A lot of toys are fine for your puppy or dog to play with, while being supervised. Some dogs are very gentle with their toys and some are very hard on them. If they start playing too rough or destroying it, so that swallowing part of it is a danger, then you can take it away. For when they are alone, you have to be much more careful about what you give them. That's why the safe list is so short.

I like to have things I can toss for my dogs to fetch. I also play tug of war sometimes. It kind of depends on the breed of your dog and their temperament. Some games are better for some types of dogs and not as good for others. All puppies are going to need things to chew on and mine enjoy chewing as adults, too.

 

[Crazyland]

Tractor Supply has better brands than Walmart.
Taste of the wild, 4health and others. Best at walmart is not going to be the best that you can get considering your other choices to shop.

The cuz brand is the only toy that my dogs will let last. Even black kongs are destroyed in our household.

Try looking at Jefferspet or petfooddirect. Both have a good supply of toys.