Himalayan Dog Chew™ Review

BOLTER: "Mommy, pwease don't take my Chew away!!"

Buster enjoying a Himalayan Dog Chew

We first discovered Himalayan Dog Chew from several of our Instagram friends.   Rawhides, tendons, pig ears, hooves, bone marrow, antlers, bully sticks, you name it, we've tried it.  As a quick run down, I still give my boys antlers, and on rare occasions (once a year), I'll give them a bully stick (the odorless ones, of course).  Rawhides are hard for dogs to digest, and while we've never had a blockage resulting in a vet visit, we gave up on rawhides when Buster began swallowing chunks of rawhides, and then throwing up all over the bed (just before bedtime).  We gave Bolter pig ears, and he made a mess on the carpet with bits and pieces everywhere; it was a pain in the butt to clean up.  Suffice to say, we never gave it to him again.  He seemed to love those, however.

BOLTER: "Antler's are good, but can I pwease have a Himawayan Chew?"

How to wake a dog up. SOLUTION: Himalayan Dog Chew!

I'm always hesitant to try new foods/treats for my boys since Buster has such a sensitive stomach, but the ingredients in these Himalayan Chews are so limited that I decided to give it a try.  Himalayan Dog Chews were born from an ancient recipe for a hard cheese snack chewed by the people of the Himalayas.  They are made of yak and cow milk, salt and lime juice, grain-free, gluten-free, with no preservatives or binding agents.  After the milk is boiled for an hour, it is poured into a hand-cranked centrifuge device while still hot to remove all the fat.  The remaining fat-free milk is used to make Himalayan Chews.  Once the milk is cooled down, a touch of salt and lime juice is added to coagulate the milk.  The solids are then separated using a burlap sack, which is washed several times using warm water to remove the whey and any hints of salt and lime.  Moisture is squeezed out of the milk solids for three weeks.  Bricks are used as weights and shapers on tops of the sack of moist chew.  The cakes are then cut to size and strung to hang under the sun, where they are smoked for about two to three months. 

Himalayan Dog Chews come in 6 different sizes to suit your pups’ needs.  Our boys are both 14 pounds, so technically, they are supposed to have the smallest (blue packaged) one, but since they are such voracious chewers, I give them the ones for “dogs under 55 lbs” (red packaged ones).  The 6 sizes are distinguished by the colors on the packaging (smallest to biggest): blue, green, red, yellow and gray.

Himalayan Chew (microwaved)

I give it to them in 15-20 minute increments.  I have heard of owners letting their dogs have it for longer periods of time, and have heard of some dogs finishing the chews in one sitting, and then ultimately getting sick afterwards.  The ones we give our boys are approximately 359 calories.  That’s a lot to eat for a pup in one sitting!!  They've never had any issues with Himalayan Chews, and the company states that “about ten percent of dogs that try [the] products experience an initial loose stool or gas.  [They] have never had a problem with repeated or lasting gastrointestinal issues.”  The boys’ best friend, Toby, however, seems to be allergic to Himalayan Chews, however.  Toby’s mom has told me that every time he eats them, he ends up throwing it up, no matter how much or how little he has eaten.  That being said, always monitor your pups when they eat something new or different and see how they react in the following day(s) after giving the treat before you give it to them again.

BOLTER: "Mommy says this antler is now a choking hazard."
SOLUTION: Himalayan Dog Chew!!

One of the best aspects of the Himalayan Dog Chews is that every last bit can be eaten unlike other treats that should be thrown out if they get to be too small.  Once the Chews get to a size where it can potentially be a choking hazard, just pop it in the microwave (as stated in the directions), and let it “puff” up.  It will get to be about twice the size, and the consistency of stale French bread.  Be careful not to leave it in the microwave for too long since it will burn.  The directions say 45 seconds; I usually end up microwaving my pieces (I microwave them when they get to be about 2-3 inches) for about 90 seconds.  Let it cool completely before you serve it to your pups.  They will love it just as much as the un-microwaved Chews, if not more!!  The entire house will smell delicious, not to mention, your pups breath will smell “smoky” as well.  I think it’s a pretty good smell!!

They have various other products which you can see on their website.  The ones I recommend in addition to the Himalayan Chews are the “Yaky Nuggets” and the “Yaky Charms” (the latter which is not on their website yet).  The “Yaky Nuggets” are little bite-sized Himalayan Dog Chews that are created to be puffed in a microwave and given to dogs to enjoy.  These can also be boiled for ten to fifteen minutes in water to make them soft and easy to chop into smaller bits that can be served with regular dog food.

Yaky Charms!

We also LOVE their creative dog treat “Yaky Charms.” They are packaged EXACTLY like microwaveable popcorn, with the exact same directions.  They are to be microwaved for 1-3 minutes, or until the popping starts to slow.  Be careful not to let them burn.  Let it cool completely and give it to them as normal treats.  This way, you can enjoy your popcorn, and your best friend can enjoy his/her Yaky Charms while you watch an episode of “Dog Whisperer” together on the sofa!!

Airy, bite-sized treats!

BOLTER: "Lemme just stick my head in here..."

I’ve found this particular brand of Himalayan dog chews at PetSmart, Petco and Amazon.com.  The Himalayan Dog Chews I give them (the red packaging) are $8 to $12 depending on the store’s sale.  You can also find other brands of Himalayan dog chews at other pet stores; I have never tried any other brand.

BUSTER: "Are these ALL for us?"

Feel free to leave questions/comments/suggestions below.  I try my best to answer them as soon as possible.  Any suggestions on future blog topics are greatly appreciated.  As always, follow us on Instagram @buster40k.  I may not be able to respond to every comment on there, but I read it all and absolutely appreciate all the love and support you give the boys!!