Hi Linda,
I don’t think there are any perfect chews. There is risk in everything and what may be suitable for one dog isn’t for another.
That said my preferred chew items are food stuffed kongs. For my own dogs I’m not a fan of vegetable chews like carrots or dehydrated potato. Of the available animal based options I choose flat rawhide “chips” larger then the dog’s mouth and trade them out when the dog can get it into the mouth.
I shy away from bone shaped rolls etc as they can break teeth.
I understand that many are uncomfortable with rawhide. Certainly if large pieces are attempted to be swallowed it can result in obstruction. In regards to all the bad press regarding chemical containment, after learning that the same “lime splits” used to make rawhide are used in human food production I’m comfortable with the processing agents used in production and the steps taken to remove them.
As with dog food companies ,there are certain rawhide manufactures with whom I’m comfortable and others that I’m not.
