Cat nip for dogs

Dear Fisher,

Cosmo here, and I am writing for me and Cookie (aka, Cosmo-Not). Is there a doggie counterpart for cat nip? My human is very concerned about giving me too many raw hide roll-up chew toys, for health reasons and also because of animal rights issues.

I consider myself to be an omni-chewist, and nearly anything will keep me occupied. Once, when my grand-human was visiting, I had a wonderful time with her dentures. If my human knew about a doggie-nip type plant, I am sure she would fetch it for me and my house-mate Cookie, right away.

Cosmo

Dear Cosmo,

Your Grand-Human’s dentures? Oh my! I have to wonder if she ever came back for a visit. Never mind that my readers are all chuckling over this, we must remain sensitive to our guests. But first, we need to address the issues of having too many rawhide roll-up chews and whether or not you should break the habit. We will start there and then I will tell you some surprising news, but I want to caution you against breaking one bad habit by starting another.

Let us first discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of the rawhide chew bone:

1. The Good: They are made of natural elements such as hogs ears and animal hides, seasoned to taste for your gnawing pleasure, satisfying your innate need to chew.
2. The Bad: Rawhide bones can sometimes be hard and brittle, and while fun to chew, they can also be a choking hazard or end up making a mess of your digestive system.
3. The ugly: Have you taken a good look at that wet, slimy thing on the kitchen floor?

The alternative is a type of chew bone that leans to the side of animal rights issues. Made of a synthetic polymer, they, too can satisfy your need to chew. I do not know for sure, nor do I want to find out, but I imagine they taste much like your Grand-Human’s dentures. However, they will not splinter off into little pieces causing digestive disorder or get stuck in your throat. You can find extensive information on chew bone safety and value at The Daily Puppy.

OK, here is the big surprise: Aniseed. According to my friends at wiseGEEK, you can grow aniseed in your own back yard. This semi-bushy plant is safe for children and dogs to eat. It can grow to 3 feet or higher. Some dogs will have the same response to the aniseed plant as cats do to the catnip plant. You will want to protect the plant in its early stages so it does not get devoured.

The one drawback of this catnip for dogs alternative is that it will not satisfy your need to chew. Grand-Human’s dentures are still at risk, but maybe if you share your plant with her she will not care. Again, I do not know, for sure, nor do I want to find out.

Your friend,
Fisher