Dental Chew Safety: Choking, Calories and Choosing the Right Size
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Pick the size by your dog's weight, stay in the room while they chew, treat it as part of the day's food, and throw away the last small piece. Those four habits cover most of what goes wrong with dental chews, and none of them depends on the brand.
Size is the first safety check
A chew that is too small for the dog can be swallowed whole or lodge in the throat. One that is too large and hard may be awkward to hold and tempt a dog to gulp broken chunks. Manufacturers size their ranges by weight for that reason, and the weight band on the pack is the figure to follow, not the dog's breed or how big the dog looks.
The two listings here show how different the information can be. The Pedigree DentaStix pack for large dogs is labelled for adult dogs of 25kg and over, and comes as four packs of 28 sticks. That is a clear band. A dog just under 25kg falls into the medium range instead, so read the pack for the size that matches the weight on your scales. The Whimzees Variety Box in size small contains 56 pieces in mixed shapes, but its listing gives no weight band. For that one, check the maker's size guidance before you buy, rather than guessing from the word "small".
Dogs that grow, puppies especially, move between size bands. Recheck the weight band when your dog's weight changes. Also note that the DentaStix listing is for adult dogs, and the Whimzees listing gives an age range of adult, so neither listing tells you anything about use for a puppy. Ask your vet.
Supervision, choking and blockages
Even the right size can go wrong. Dogs sometimes bite off chunks and swallow them without chewing, and a swallowed piece can become a choking hazard or, less often, cause a blockage further down. That's why the usual advice is to supervise every chew and not leave a dog alone with one, particularly the first few times.
Know how your own dog chews. A dog that tears off a piece and gulps it is a different case from one that gnaws patiently. The Whimzees listing describes hard chewing sticks with a solid structure and claims a longer chewing time, which tells you the chew is firm; a dog that tries to bolt firm pieces needs a closer watch than one that nibbles.
Signs of trouble include gagging, pawing at the mouth, repeated retching, vomiting, a swollen or painful belly, or a dog that stops eating after a chew. Any of these is a reason to call a vet, and sudden difficulty breathing is an emergency.
Remnants: the last piece is the risky one
As a chew wears down, the last stub is small enough to swallow whole. The common-sense rule is to take it away when it reaches a size the dog could swallow whole, and offer a fresh chew another day instead. Don't let a dog finish a chew unobserved because it seems nearly gone. Pieces left on the floor should be picked up, particularly in a house with more than one dog, where a small dog might find the large dog's leftovers.
Calories: a chew is a treat
Dental chews feel like care rather than food, which is why they get forgotten when portions are counted. Neither listing gives a calorie figure, so the pack is where to look. DentaStix lists cereals and meat among its ingredients and describes itself as low in fat with no added sugar. The Whimzees listing describes its chews as low in calories and fat, and gives a guaranteed analysis of 2.0% fat and 1.10% crude protein. Both are claims about the products, not numbers you can add up for the day.
A simple approach is to count a daily chew as one of the treats in the day's allowance and trim the main meal slightly if your dog is gaining weight. If your dog has a weight problem, a restricted diet or a medical condition, ask your vet whether a daily chew is suitable.
Strong chewers
Some dogs are determined chewers who grind through anything. For them, the main risk is fractured teeth from very hard objects, or bolted pieces from chews they demolish quickly. Hard chews aren't automatically bad for teeth, but a dog that has cracked a tooth before, or whose teeth look worn or chipped, should have a vet's advice on what to give. A rule of thumb that many owners and vets repeat is to avoid anything so hard that you would not want it knocked against your own knee.
If your dog finishes a chew in seconds, a bigger size isn't the answer. A chew that is too big for the dog creates its own problems, so stay in the weight band and consider a firmer format or a different approach, such as supervised chewing time with the chew held. Dental disease is its own consideration: if your dog already has a sore mouth, see our guide to the signs of dental disease in dogs before offering hard chews.
Allergies, storage and water
Check ingredients against anything your dog reacts to; the large DentaStix listing mentions chicken and lists cereals and meat and animal derivatives, and the Whimzees listing includes lupine and malt extract. Keep packs sealed and out of reach, because a dog that finds an open pack can eat far more than one chew. Fresh water should always be available.
For help with picking between products, see our review of which DentaStix size suits which dog. If you want a wider comparison, our best dental chews roundup covers three options.
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