Become a chew expert

The Chew Guide

Practical, honest guides on natural chews — sizing, safety, and what actually keeps dogs busy.

Schematic neutral hide layers show shared inner-hide tissue branching to a collagen braid and a generic rawhide sheet.

Are Collagen Chews Just Rawhide With a Better Name?

No, but they start on the same inner layer of hide. What the corium is, what rawhide's chemical route adds, and the claim no study has measured.

Aug 27, 2026 6 min read

Owner calling for veterinary advice with the chew package ready to describe.

My Dog Swallowed a Bully Stick: What to Do in the First Hour

Call your vet if your dog drools, gags, struggles to swallow, brings food back up or keeps gulping after eating a bully stick. Then the two-day watch window.

Aug 27, 2026 6 min read

Schematic side views compare clamping, friction and a loose fit in generic bully-stick holder mechanisms.

Bully Stick Holders: What They Fix and What They Do Not

Foodiepaws does not sell bully stick holders. A holder locks the last inches of a chew out of reach - here is what that fixes, and what it leaves alone.

Aug 27, 2026 6 min read

Conceptual graphic comparing stomach-stage and whole-tract research endpoints using two observation windows.

Are Collagen Chews Digestible? Two Ranking Pages Say Opposite Things

Yes, collagen is protein and a dog's gut breaks it down. No published assay has measured a chew, which is why two retailer pages answer this opposite ways.

Aug 27, 2026 7 min read

Owner showing the remaining chew to veterinary staff after a dog swallowed rawhide.

My Dog Swallowed a Piece of Rawhide: What Happens Next

Call your vet the same day, even if nothing looks wrong. In a simulated dog stomach, rawhide lost just 7.6% of itself at six hours. A piece stays a piece.

Aug 27, 2026 7 min read

Close-up comparison of a lamb collagen braid and the folded surface of lamb tripe.

Lamb Collagen or Lamb Tripe: Which One for Your Dog

Lamb collagen is the firm braid that buys a long quiet chew; lamb tripe is the soft, rich one a picky dog finishes. Both odor free. How to pick.

Aug 27, 2026 7 min read

Hands wash with soap at a sink while a bully stick rests separately on a dry tray.

Bacteria on Bully Sticks: What the Two Studies Found

Neither study found Salmonella on a bully stick — 26 cultured in 2013, 505 treats in 2025. The figures as published, the two FDA recalls, and the handling rule.

Aug 27, 2026 7 min read

Thumbnail pressing the thickest part of a bully stick to screen its firmness.

How Hard Is Too Hard? The Fingernail Test That Sorts Every Dog Chew

A dog chew is too hard if your thumbnail can't dent it. The veterinary test, the enamel measurement behind it, and a one-line verdict per chew category.

Aug 27, 2026 6 min read

Owner offering two small pieces of the dog's usual food as a training reward.

Your Dog Is on an Elimination Diet: Which Chews Are Allowed?

During an elimination diet trial your dog gets no chews at all, ours included. What counts as food, why one slip costs weeks, what a vet may allow.

Aug 27, 2026 6 min read

Illustrated sample label showing ingredient, analysis, feeding and company-information fields.

How to Read a Dog Chew Label, and What Single Ingredient Guarantees

A dog chew label carries eight required items, four federal and four from the AAFCO model. Plain chews like pizzles and ears are exempt from all of them.

Aug 27, 2026 7 min read

Adult dog investigating the scent of a lamb tripe chew on a washable mat.

Are Tripe Sticks Good for Dogs? The Straight Answer

Tripe sticks are a good chew for most healthy dogs and a short one. Who they suit, who they do not, and what a US treat label is required to tell you.

Aug 27, 2026 7 min read

Illustrated shape comparison of a broad cow-ear sheet and a dense bully-stick rod.

Cow Ears vs Bully Sticks: Which One Suits Your Dog

A bully stick lasts longer than a cow ear for most dogs and keeps a handle outside the mouth. We sell bully sticks and we do not sell cow ears.

Aug 27, 2026 7 min read