Dur!
...but we dane owners sometimes forget that big mouths mean they can swallow things smaller dogs can't. Below is a list of items to avoid and a alternative toys that Great Dane owners can substitute.
No, No, Not EVER : No-No Toys!
Not just puppies, but all Danes should avoid the following toys and chews.
Rawhides
Full of questionable chemicals: Great Danes can rip off larger pieces that will swell in the stomach to create a blockage in the intestines.
Danger Rawhide by Dusti Summerbird-Lockey
Great Dane Alternatives: Bully Sticks, Kong Rubber Toys, Muscle Chews, Nylabone
Pigs Ears
Same goes for Hoof Chews, Lamb Ears, Cow Ears, etc. pass them all by.
These are brittle due to their processing and can cut and perforate anywhere along the entire intestinal tract of your Great Dane, besides being chemically questionable.Alternatives: Bully Sticks, Kong Rubber Toys, Muscle Chews, Nylabone
Rope toys with frayed ends
When Rope Toys start to shed, the threads are easily swallowed without you knowing. Small amounts of threads can tangle in the intestines and has been known to cut or bind intestines. Large amounts of threads will cause a blockage.
Pet Safety Warning: String, Thread, Yarn, Rope Toys
Alternatives to rope toys: Udder Tugs, Hemp Toys
Greenies
Greenies can lodge in the esophagus and swell in the stomach and cause blockages.
CNN.com "Dog Treats Killed Our Pets" By Greg Hunter Pia
Malbran
Alternatives to greenies: any dog treats with wholesome ingredients no sugars, no fillers. Digestible.
If your dane is a swallower, avoid
Tennis Balls
Any ball smaller than a cantalope
Stuffies with limbs
**Please do not leave your dane unattended with any toy that he or she can get pieces from.
by Jodiann Cates August 2007