Himalayan Dog Chews

Make sure to provide your dog with fresh water and always supervise chewing.

Ingredients: Yak Milk, Cow Milk, Salt and Lime Juice.

Guaranteed Analysis: Protein 52.6 %. Carbohydrates 30.3%. Fat 0.9 %. Ash Food 6.0 %. Moisture 10.2 %.

Isn't milk supposed to be bad for dogs?

Milk in its raw form is what is difficult for dogs to digest. Once it is made into cheese, the cooking process actually alters the protein making it more easily digested. Positive rewards-based obedience trainings often encourage the use of small pieces of cheese as motivators for behavior. In addition, our product is extremely hard and quite long lasting, and because of this, the amount of dairy that a dog can consume at any one time is extremely limited.

Generally speaking, about 10% of the dogs that try our product experience an initial loose stool or gas that always resolves. We have never had a problem with repeated or lasting GI issues. We have been giving this product to our dogs for 6 years, and we have had no problems over this sustained period of time.

Most or all lactose is removed during the cleaning and removal of whey liquid from the solids after the coagulation of the milk. So, the final product have little or no lactose to contribute towards the intollerance among dogs.

Isn't salt/sodium supposed to be bad for dogs?

The amount of salt included in the creation of these chews is negligible. It is included by the people as a flavor enhancer, not for the flavor itself.

Is the cheese fattening for dogs?

The fat content is less than 1% of the whole product.

What if my dog gulps down big or sharp pieces?

In the 6 years using this with dogs, we have seen many different dogs gulp down every size of chew imaginable. On two occasions our Boxer has passed smaller versions of what he had gulped down, but never have we had any medical problems as a result. Unlike rawhide, these chews are fully digestible.

Is this fair trade?

Currently, we are proud to know that our Beyond Fair Trade policy is contributing to the economic development of the world's second poorest nation in Nepal. We purchase direclty from the farmers, and help them make that extra money in one year, that they would have been able to make in five years by selling the chews.

Do you manufacture the chews yourselves?

We do not have a manufacturing factory anywhere. Instead we collect all the hard cheese from rural community co-ops of the Himalayas (currently Eastern Nepal and West Bengla in India), which use traditional methods in making it for human consumption.

How are the cows and yaks treated?

Cows and yaks are raised in sheds, the way it has been done forever. No modern equipment or techniques are used in raising or milking the animals. They graze on open grasslands or are brought fresh cut grass by their families, and have never been introduced to hormones, prophylactic antibiotics, or other chemicals. Cows and yaks are considered to be sacred life-givers and are directly responsible for the improved economic situation of the family.

What do you recommend I give my dog?

We believe that there is no size too big, and you can always give larger chews to smaller dogs without any problem. Generally speaking the small size is intended for dogs under 20 pounds, medium for dogs 20-55 pounds, and large for dogs bigger than 55 pounds. In fact, our Boxer and German Shepard have access to (and yet continue to steal whenever possible) all sizes of this product. They are just as happy to work on a small piece as they are to work on a big one.

Of course, any voracious chewer should probably be given the largest available and definitely be observed during the initial 15 minutes after the dog is introduced to the new product. If it appears as though the dog is going to inhale the entire product before those 15 minutes are up, then it should be taken away and reintroduced at a later time. In fact we would recommend that ALL dogs be watched at least for 15 minutes after being given ANY new product, not just our chews.

All this being said, we do understand that there will always be some dogs that will be unable to tolerate our product. In many cases where stomachs sensitive to lactose or change have been discovered in the past, owners are very aware of their own dog's limitations around different types of food and will decline to give it to their dogs.