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!"