Sunday, November 4, 2012

The "Indestructible" Nylabone


I might as well start out here with a confession. I am an overprotective, "Nervous Nellie" dog mom. My dogs don't run loose (they might get hit by a car), they don't eat raw eggs (they might get salmonella), and we don't hike near steep cliffs (they might fall off). You get the picture. This caution extends to bones and toys too. While all the other dogs out there happily chomp on rawhide knots, cow hooves, and steak bones, Lady, Lucky, and Katie must be content with crunchy rawhide - the type that crumbles and can be easily chewed. Not quite the same, I know. But at least I don't have to worry about a chunk of rawhide getting stuck in their throats or intestines.


But one day recently, I decided to purchase a pack of those indestructible hard plastic (or nylon, I guess?) Nylabones for Katie. She loves to chew, and had discovered Jessie's 10 year old Nylabone at the bottom of the toy basket. Jessie found the concept of a plastic bone ridiculous, and after giving it a sniff and tentative lick, never went near it again. But that rejected Nylabone had remained there in the toy basket all these years. When Katie discovered it and seemed to enjoy gnawing on it, I decided to spring for some new ones. And not just the boring plain type, but the beef flavored variety!


It took less than a minute. One loud chomp, and by the time I registered what that sound was and got to her, the end of the Nylabone was gone, and Katie was working on sawing off the next hunk. Eeeek!! I grabbed it away from her, and frantically began reading the back of the package. PRODUCT IS INEDIBLE. The instructions go on to assure you that if a dog consumes a piece about the size of a grain of rice, it will often pass through the intestinal tract without incident. Anything larger - "consult your veterinarian." Oh, GREAT. As you can see from the photo above, the hunk that was chomped off was considerably larger than a grain of rice.


Katie, Katie, Katie...Nylabones are indestructible, don't you know? You gnaw on them because they're too hard to bite through. Ugh. Thus began a vigil, with various doggie emergency room scenarios playing out in my mind. I passed the time by reading every word on the back of the package, searching for some hint that these bones aren't always indestructible. And then I saw that Nylabones have weight limits! See?...


What, you can't see the weight limits? Well, that's because they're hidden behind the white bone in the package! Apparently you're supposed to rip the package open in the store in order to determine if a certain size Nylabone is safe for your dog. How about now, can you see it now?


No? Well, let me enlarge the photo even further...


There it is, plain as day - "for dogs up to 35 lbs." Hidden behind the bone inside the package, and in a microscopic yellow font that I had not noticed even when I took the bones out. Katie weighs 50 pounds! Grrrrrrrrrr..! Boy was I mad. Even Lady, who watches over Katie always, and tries to keep her safe, could not save her from this. We just had to wait and see.


All I can say is that it's a good thing Miss Katie apparently has an indestructible gut, because I would have wanted to sue the company had anything happened to her. As it is, I think they owe me for worry, lack of sleep, and 3 days of dissecting poop in a futile search for the missing piece of bone. Take heed any of you who let your dogs chew on these bones - Nylabones are NOT indestructible!

"So, can I have the rest? That plastic is delicious!" 



19 comments:

  1. Couldn't agree more!
    Buster who is 44lb can chew through almost anything and will eat it!

    I don't mind marrow bones from the butcher but Nylabones are dangerous!

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  2. Oh I'm sorry but I am LOLing so loudly!!! Crazy Katie :) I'm beginning to think Katie is in general an indestructible dog! Rest assured though, no Nylabones will be entering our house...

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    Replies
    1. Seriously Sam, I think so too! She is such a scavenger dog, it's nothing short of a miracle that none of the weird things she eats ever seem to make her sick. I've caught her eating gravel, worms, turkey poo... oh, and did I ever tell you about the time she ate the computerized mouse toy - computer and all?? So I suppose it shouldn't have surprised me that eating a chunk of inedible Nylabone didn't phase her!

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    2. Oh good heavens, I've never heard the mouse toy story! What a dog, gotta love her. :)

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  3. My dog went through a nylabone. I won't buy another one ever again. Glad your pup is okay.

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  4. Lets just say my Lily had a very very bad experience with a Nylabone ultimately winding up in the ER
    Benny & Lily

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  5. We had a similar experience -- no harm done but indestructible -- no.

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  6. After learning about so many dog treats made in China I have (1) learned to read all packages and buy only 100% American made chewies (2) bake my own dog treats as time permits and (3) mostly give my crew baby carrots and snap peas (Costco) - they LOVE LOVE LOVE those!! and gobble them up.. they also love apples and I will split a banana among the 4 dogs. Especially when the bananas get brownish.

    And thanks for thinking of my NJ family. This has absolutely been a tragedy for so many there. My family has been luckier than most. xoxo

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  7. Mom says no no to nylonbones! We get bully sticks and moo tubes instead from a place that says no no to china made noms. They also has all kinds of good noms like antlers and stuff. Best bully sticks dot com. I love when the mailman brings those boxes! Glad everyone is okay...shame on those little-word using nylonbone peoples!! GRRR!

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  8. oh, that's kind of scary. But look how cute Katie is, she looks like one of those soft-spoken, seemingly-innocent dogs who slip quietly along through life but has some grand plan no-one would ever suspect and knows she can get away with just about anything!

    ps, I love the picture of the three musketeers on your sidebar!

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  9. Wow, that's the first that I've seen of anyone breaking a Nylabone. I'd contact their customer service dept.

    Happy Thanksgiving,
    Oskar & Pam

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  10. Oh my what a potential nightmare. And Yes I bought on of those so called treat and fortunately my humungously big 114 pound GSd Baron took one sniff and walked away. Apparently he preferrs things that smell really really bad. I look in his toy box and chucked it out.... Thanks for the heads up. :)

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  11. Umm...It looks like the pack says it is the one on the left is a "healthy edible." See link: http://www.nylabone.com/product-finder/by-brand/healthy-edibles-bacon-bone.htm

    I think only the one on the right (the white one)is the durachew.

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    Replies
    1. Oh wow... I never saw this comment when it came in, am just now seeing it now in January 2014. You're right! I am looking at the photo again, and I see Healthy Edibles and DuraChew at the bottom. Gosh, it's plain as day, can't believe I didn't notice that. I guess because at the time I bought it, I didn't realize "edible" Nylabones existed, so wasn't even thinking along those lines. That's kind of crazy though, as I scoured the package and eventually found the weight limit, that I never noticed the "Healthy Edibles" thing on the front bottom left. Too bad I threw it away, maybe Katie could have enjoyed the one on the left! Nah... I probably wouldn't have chanced it. Thanks for enlightening me... even though it's a year later, lol!

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  12. Hi Brenda,
    Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas and a Wonderful New Year!!
    Many hugs and kisses.

    Kisses to lovely Lady, Lucky, Katie and Lucy, too.

    Love,
    Sonia.

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  14. Ooooo I too like to test this so called "indestructible" phenomenon them humans market to one another on our behalf. I've destroyed a few Kongs in my day! 75pounds and counting!

    ReplyDelete
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  16. Me again,
    Lovely Katie has sweet eyes! So adorable!

    ReplyDelete