Best Chew Treats For PitBulls [Bones, Toys, Treats]

Dogs love to chew, and pit bulls are no exception. However, finding a long-lasting best treats for Pitbulls isn’t easy.

We’ve all purchased chews advertised as long-lasting only to watch our dogs devour them in sixty seconds flat.

Add to that the dangers associated with chews–fractured teeth, perforated intestines, bowel obstructions, choking hazards–and finding a chew treat that’s long-lasting, safe, healthy, and delicious becomes quite a challenge.

Quick list of the best chew treats for PitBulls [Bones, Toys, Treats]

Best Chew Toys For Pitbulls

1. Kong Toy Original

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This iconic Red, snowman-shaped toy is a favorite among dog trainers, veterinarians, and dog lovers alike. It’s been on the market for decades now and is often touted for its indestructible materials as well as its hollow cavity for stuffing treats inside.

Your Pitbull will enjoy chewing on this toy for months, or maybe even years to come. The treat pocket is also a great way to keep your Pitbull mentally stimulated.

This is a toy commonly used by dog owners to keep their dogs occupied while the owner is away from home.

Depending on what you fill the cavity with, it can keep your dog busy for hours.

2. Deer Antlers

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Yes, you read that correctly. Deer Antlers are a new chew toy on the pet market. While they can be more pricey than traditional bones, they last up to 3 times longer and are great for keeping your dog’s teeth and gums healthy.

You can get deer antlers from your local pet store in many different shapes and sizes.

If you know a hunter that lives near you, you may even be able to get these special dog chews for free!

Just be sure the antlers came from a healthy deer and you wash them before giving them to your dog.

3. Tuffy Toys

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Anyone with a Pitbull knows that a stuffed dog toy won’t last more than a few seconds in your house so getting some indestructible Carpet Dog Toys is a good idea.

However, if your dog prefers a toy of the more plush variety, there are some options for the tougher chewers. Tuffy’s is a brand of stuffed dog toy designed specifically for hard-chewing dogs.

While it won’t last as long as a deer antler, Kong toy or tractor tire, it will last longer than a traditional stuffed animal. These toys are constructed from carpet-like materials and triple stitching to make them more durable.

Again, always supervise. These toys do have stuffing inside that can be a choking hazard for your Pitbull.

4. Bully Sticks

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Bully sticks are dried bull pizzles. They’re high in protein, low in fat, and completely digestible. In fact, world-class athletes have been known to consume pizzles for their excellent nutrient profile and reported stamina enhancing benefits.

Caution: Bully sticks vary widely. We’ve seen pencil-thin bully sticks that a pit bull could eat in a couple of minutes. Others are irradiated or chemically treated. Our favorite source for inexpensive, high quality bully sticks is BestBullySticks.com.

We recommend you get the thick 12 inch bully sticks for your pit bull. To get the very best deal, buy them by the case! They also sell 18 inch bully sticks and even full-size 30-36 inch pizzles!

5. Tug poles

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As mentioned before, Pitbulls love a good game of tug. While this suggestion isn’t exactly a chew toy, it’s a great toy for Pitbulls.

Tug poles provide enrichment and mental stimulation for your dog, without wearing your own arm out. Pitbulls can be a high-energy breed and finding activities that keep them satisfied can be tough.

This item is commonly sold on Amazon and can make a great addition to your dog’s exercise plan. The item consists of a flexible pole that is buried in the ground. At the top of the pole is a cloth tug toy they can grab with their mouth.

Your dog will have hours of fun using this toy and it will help you exhaust some of their energy without exhausting yourself.

6. Coconuts

Another unconventional chewy toy is a plain old coconut from your local grocery store. Drill a hole in the coconut to drain all the milk, then let your dog go to town.

While coconuts can be destroyed by your Pitbull in a fairly short amount of time, they’re a healthy treat. Coconuts are high in fiber which can help keep your dog’s bathroom habits regular.

The oils in this exotic fruit promote healthy skin and coat due to their fat content and are high in vitamins A, D, E and K. These are all crucial vitamins your dog needs to live a healthy life.

Always be sure to supervise your dog while they eat their coconut to prevent choking.

7. Himalayan Dog Chew

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This is a very unusual, long-lasting chew made from yak or cow milk according to an ancient Himalayan recipe.

The milk is brought to a boil and then left to dry for several weeks in order to create this all-natural, hard chew. Apparently, folks in the Himalayas chew this treat while working the fields, but your pit bull will appreciate it too!

The Himalayan Dog Chew is high in quality protein and super low in fat (less than 1%). Like our other recommended chews, it won’t make a mess. And it smells so delicious, you may be tempted to start chewing it yourself.

We definitely recommend you get the large size (about half a foot long and a good two inches around) for your pit bull. Yes, they’re a bit pricey, but they should last at least a few days and possibly a couple of weeks.

8. Tractor Tires

By now you’re probably baffled by all our crazy suggestions for Pitbull chew toys, but tractor tires actually make a great chew toy for dogs with strong jaws.

You can buy these types of toys from a pet store, but you can also pick them up at your local hardware or farming store.

Again, always be sure to supervise your dog with any toy that can be ripped into small parts to prevent choking.

You can even tie your tractor tire to a tree in the backyard to give your Pitbull a place to tug, an activity that Pitbulls love to do.

9. Buffalo Tripe Bone

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Buffalo Tripe Bone’s are a super healthy, nutritious chew that dogs can’t get enough of.

Made from dehydrated green tripe complete with gastric juices, this highly digestible treat is incredibly rich in essential fatty acids, probiotics, antioxidants, essential minerals, and high quality proteins.

The tripe comes from free-range, grass-fed buffalo raised without hormones and antibiotics. They’re made in the USA and come in 6 inch and 12 inch sizes.

Packages of smaller Buffalo Tripe Bones can be found at Active Dog Supplies. To save even more, check out their 10 count, 25 count, and 50 count packs.

By the way, Canine Caviar also makes the fabulous Buffalo Stix. These are like bully sticks, except that they’re made from free-range, grass-fed buffalo pizzles.

Again, Active Dog Supplies seems to have the best prices; however, Buffalo Stix cost more than twice as much as the thick bully sticks recommended above.

How To Choose The Best Chew Treats For PitBulls?

If you own a Pitbull, you know what big chewers they are. Typical squeaky toys and Nylabones just aren’t going to cut it for this hard-chewing breed.

If you’re a dog lover who’s tired of having to constantly buy new chew toys for your bully breed, never fear.

Some of these suggestions above may seem unconventional, but if you’re an avid Pitbull lover, you know that these dogs are unconventional chewers.

A great chew treat keeps teeth and gums clean and healthy, provides great nutrition, and fulfills a psychological need in dogs.

Here’s what we look for when selecting chews for our dogs:

Long-Lasting – Now, obviously this is somewhat relative, since it greatly depends on the individual dog. An aggressive chewer might plow through a treat in an hour or two, while a less aggressive chewer can make the same treat last for a week. Generally speaking, we look for treats that will provide even the most aggressive chewer with at least an hour of chewing entertainment.

Safety – A safe chew wears down slowly without splintering. There should be no sharp fragments, and the treat should be easy to digest (see below) to prevent obstructions. Chews should be hard enough to be long-lasting, but not so hard that they’ll fracture teeth.

Digestibility – Many commercial chew treats are made of indigestible substances like plastics and poorly digested animal parts such as hides; we avoid those, and look instead for chews made of quality ingredients that dogs can actually digest.

Human-Grade – Treats should contain only ingredients approved for human consumption, as “feed-grade” ingredients can legally include rancid fats, meats from diseased animals, and other things we don’t want our dogs eating.

All-Natural – We don’t want chemical preservatives or artificial flavors, colors, and other additives in our dogs’ treats, and we especially don’t want treats made from synthetic substances that aren’t even foods. Treats containing meats raised without growth hormones and antibiotics get extra points.

Healthy – We like treats that are high in species-appropriate proteins or minerals, and we prefer to avoid treats containing sugars, rendered meats, starches, and empty fillers.

Non-Staining – While it’s always possible to put your dog in her crate, the kitchen, or outside while she’s busy with her chew, we like treats that won’t make a mess on the carpet. Less odor is a plus too.

Not Made in China – Given China’s lax food safety standards and history of recalls, we try to avoid chews that are made in China or use ingredients from China.

What About Bones?

Pet supply shops and catalogs carry large selections of femur, shank, and knuckle bones, both plain and roasted or smoked. Additionally, raw bones are available in grocery stores and butcher shops.

These hard, weight-bearing bones can provide long-lasting chewing exercise for pit bull puppies (particularly during the teething phase), but we don’t recommend them for adult pit bulls.

We know a number of dogs who’ve crunched right through these hard bones and fractured teeth in the process, to say nothing of the dangers posed by the sharp bone fragments that are created when these bones start to splinter.

If you want to feed your pit bull bones, stick to soft, raw bones with plenty of meat that are easily digested. See our series on feeding a home-prepared raw diet for details.

What NOT To Give Your Pit Bull

Besides avoiding hard, weight-bearing bones (except for puppies), we also stay away from rawhide treats, Greenies, hooves, pig ears, and the many chemical chew concoctions bursting with sugar and other sweeteners, corn starch, wheat gluten, meat by-product meals and digests, and artificial flavors, colors and preservatives.

Check out this link to learn about some of the dangers many of these popular treats pose.

Have you discovered a healthy treat that lasts your pit bull at least a few hours or, better yet, a few days or weeks? Tell us about it! We’re always looking for new chews that are long-lasting, safe, and healthy.

Final Thoughts

While it can be hard to find appropriate toys for a dog as tough-chewing as the Pitbull, there are options out there.

In this article we covered 5 of our favorite options including the Kong toy, deer antlers, coconuts, tractor tires, tug poles and indestructible carpet dog toys.

While they may seem strange, these chew toy options are durable, healthy as long as used with supervision, and bound to save you tons of money each year on dog toys.