Himalayan Dog Chews

I’ve been reading reviews about these Himalayan Dog Chews for months now.  I didn’t want to spend $$ for something Kirby wouldn’t like so I had been waiting for our local co-op to carry them.  Believe me when I say Kirby has discriminating taste buds.  He loves bully sticks, pig ears, and toobles yet turns his nose up at Greenies, deer antlers, and milk bones.

Our local co-op has a pet section that can rival any pet store with a wide array of the newest and best products for dogs.  I like purchasing new products there because if Kirby doesn’t like it I know I can return the item for a full store credit (I’ve only returned one item so far).  I started getting impatient so I decided to write the company to request a sample.

I was thrilled when they didn’t send a sample but regular size packages of two of their products: The HDC dog chew for small dogs containing 5 pieces and the HDC Yaky Yam containing 20 – 25 cookies.  (Watch for my review on these).

What is the Himalayan Dog Chew?

It's is a very hard cheese from an ancient recipe using only four ingredients: yak milk, cow milk, salt, and lime.  This chew was originally created to provide a long-lasting snack the locals can slowly work in their mouths while they are working in the fields.  Dogs work the end of the treat for hours softening it with their mouths before small parts of it can be slowly scraped off.  I found the process fascinating which you can read here.

Are these chews safe?

This is a very important factor for me! Kirby isn’t allowed bones which can splinter or rawhide which can swell to four times it size causing choking or blockage which would require surgical removal.  I like the company was concerned enough to have the chews tested for digestability:

The Durometer tests confirmed that: Himalayan dog chew 5 mm thick pieces –Durometer (shore A scale) hardness of the chews was reduced an average of 49 and 46% for pieces immersed in simulated gastric and intestinal juices (respectively) for 8 hours. The pieces were flexible and much softer than prior to soaking

The Digestibility tests confirmed that: Himalayan Dog Chew 5 mm cubes –had digestion reaching an average degradation of about 33% within 8 hours, which is much faster than bones, antlers and rawhides but much slower than other softer treats.

When they get small enough for Kirby or our foster to swallow I had planned on throwing them away UNTIL I read on their website exactly how to fix that!  Just microwave them for 37 seconds to make yaky puffs - a crunchy treat both dogs loved!

Even though Kirby is in the small dog range I’ve decided I’m going to purchase the medium size when these are gone just to be safe.  

Does Kirby like them?

Yes, he does!  He can devour a 10 inch triple braided bully stick in less than three days.  He has been gnawing on his first HDC chew for almost two weeks now and it isn’t much smaller than when he started.  Our foster dog is enjoying her own chew although they seem to enjoy working on each other's chew.  This chew requires more gnawing than chewing which keeps them busy.  Even though the packaging says 435 calories, this is a great low calorie snack when you consider he is only digesting scrapings over a very long period of time which is a very good thing for this chunky monkey.  I like that they don’t leave behind stains on my light cream colored rug and have a very minimal cheesy odor.

How much do they cost? 

They range from $9.99 to $19.99 depending on the size chosen.  They do seem expensive until you consider how long they last which is the true value.  There’s no telling how long these will last with Kirby but I’m pretty sure they won’t last past the expiration date of approximately 4 years from the date of opening the package!

Where can I buy them?

You can check the website here for a listing of stores in each state where they are available for purchase.  If you don’t live close to any of these stores (Not one store in Mississippi?) they can be purchased online at Doggiefood.com and The Natural Pet.

Kirby gives this "everest sized" chew four paws and a wag - Kirby tested, Kirby approved!