Saying nylon chew toys are bad for dogs is like a human taking Ibuprofen for an infection and saying it doesn’t work. Ibuprofen works for a headache. It’s not an antibiotic.
Nylon chew toys are very effective for what they are intended for and what they are intended for addresses issues nearly every dog owner faces.
There is so much conflicting information on this topic so we wanted to write an in-depth article to help explain the ways in which nylon bones shine and the times when they are not the best option.
It’s important to note that not all nylon is the same so when we are referring to nylon in this post we are talking about the proprietary USA blend used by Bullibone. It has been tested, designed, and engineered to be the best nylon chew toy. Are they good? Are they bad? Right off the bat, we will address one of the biggest questions we hear: Is Nylon OK for Dog Toys?
Yes, they are when used properly. They are intended to address 2 of the biggest and most common problems for dog owners.
- Destructive Chewing:
Destructive chewing is the biggest behavioral problem for dog owners after barking and jumping.
- Dental Disease:
Dental Disease affects 80% of dogs over the age of 3.
Those 2 issues touch almost every dog owner.
Dogs have a natural instinct to chew on things which helps clean and strengthen teeth as well as increase blood flow to the gums. In the wild dogs can be found exhibiting their chewing habits on bones and sticks, but if domestic dogs are not given something to chew on they will chew on shoes, tables, chairs, or anything hard they find in their environment. Power chewers can wreak havoc on a home environment in the blink of an eye. Treats don’t last long enough for dogs to rid themselves of their chewing needs.
Why are Dog Toys Made of Nylon?
A dental treat or chew treat is helpful, but it’s often gone in 60 seconds. Plush toys are fun, but don’t last long and don’t help with dental health. Dogs need something to chew on for longer periods of time, usually at least 20-30 minutes a few times a week.
Animal bones, like a big cow femur, paradoxically have a tendency to splinter which can cause a choking hazard in extreme cases. Why is this a paradox? In the wild dogs will gnaw on the raw bones of the prey they catch, but the ones we buy at the store have usually been cooked or processed in some way that makes them more brittle and can lead to splintering when chewed.
Rawhide chews can be a great option but sometimes get stuck in a dog’s stomach which can cause intestinal blockage in extreme cases.
Enter the nylon dog chew toy. As we mentioned earlier, not all nylon is the same. We are talking about the proprietary USA blend used by Bullibone.
Bullibones do not splinter and are designed to fray in a way that allows for small bristles to act like mini toothbrush bristles. These bristles will clean and scrape the dog’s teeth which helps to improve oral health as well as helping to remove plaque from a dog’s tooth.
This durable nylon material is also designed to be hard enough to withstand regular chewing to address a dog’s chewing instinct and exhaust that energy. 30 seconds of chewing on a treat does not exhaust that energy. 20-30 minutes of chewing on a Bullibone a few times per week is enough for most dogs.
The material has to be strong enough to withstand hours of chewing and has to be designed in a way where the material acts like fiber when ingested. When the small bristles are ingested they pass through the dog’s stool. That is the way our Bullibone nylon chew toys are designed. If the small pieces are swallowed through the dog’s mouth they exit through our furry friend’s rear end.
Side note- Your dog should not be allowed to chew obsessively on the toy, or any toy for that matter. If they are exhibiting this behavior, there is probably an underlying issue. A calm balanced dog who has had plenty of exercise should chew on the toy for a little while and then put it down.
What if My Dog Swallows Nylon?
You’ve probably noticed the rainbow colors in your dog’s poop if you have ever given them a multi-colored rope toy. Dogs chew stuff up and then poop it out. I have personally found the following items in my dog’s poop- a bottle cap, a battery, rocks, pieces of all the toys she has, parts of a tennis ball, etc. I have no idea where she finds this stuff but somehow she swallows it.
Our proprietary nylon blend breaks apart into small pieces the size of a grain of rice. These will pass right through your dog if used properly.
If your dog chews obsessively for hours and hours there is probably an underlying issue. If this is the case it doesn’t matter what toy you give them, they will have issues. Our chew toys are no different. No dog should be allowed to consume large amounts of any toy. It’s our responsibility as a pet owners to monitor their behavior.
If you rarely walk your dog, play with your dog, or provide them space to run around in and expect a chew toy to exhaust their energy, you’re going to have a bad time.
If you don’t give your dog the proper nutrition and they are starved, don’t give them a chew toy. That is not what it is designed for.
It’s rare, but I have seen videos of dogs walking around with an 18 lb bowling ball in their jaws. There are dogs that have an insane amount of power in their jaws. Even our ultra-durable nylon toy may not be strong enough for an extremely aggressive chewer wolf-dog hybrid. If you have a pet wolf, they will tear any toy up including a nylon bone.
Bullibones might last a little longer than other toys but there are some dogs that are just too powerful for a nylon chew toy. If we made our material any stronger it would be too hard for the majority of dogs and might lead to a broken tooth.
Why is the Bullibone Nylon Better than Other Nylon Chew Toys?
A Bullibone dental chew toy is designed to clean teeth and address the problematic chewing behaviors of many dogs using non-toxic materials that are safe for your dog to chew on. Bullibone chew toys are made with a proprietary nylon and natural flavoring blend using Chew Scrub Technology(TM) that creates a tough, long-lasting chew toy that can withstand aggressive chewers.
We tested and engineered every single part of the Bullibone process in the USA. We have never done anything outside of America. Not even our packaging. Every single thing we have done is done in the USA.
As mentioned before, our proprietary nylon blend breaks apart into small pieces the size of a grain of rice. These will pass right through your dog if used properly.
Dogs are a very important part of our family so people want to make sure they are informed on what they buy for their pups. This feeling can be taken to the extreme when over-enthusiastic dog parents make crazy claims about nylon being bad. It’s important to ask “in what context is it bad”?
