In our quest to satisfy our dogs' need to chew safely (all dogs need to chew, so every dog owner should find something safe) we came across yak cheese chews. We knew nothing about them really, but were intrigued by their ingredients, just yak milk, lime juice, and a bit of salt, their size, and their level of hardness. Also, that while being chewed, they softened just a bit, to allow tiny pieces to be scraped off with back teeth, and that these pieces were 100% digestible.
They sounded perfect for our big dogs, since our source for genuine US sourced rawhide using non toxic chemicals has closed its doors due to unavailability of US hides.
We needed to learn more, hopefully try them on our dogs, and perhaps, if they passed the test, offer them to our friends and neighbors.
After doing lots of research, I contacted Mr. Bhandari, PhD, the owner of a company that imports directly from Nepal, where his brother oversees the entire yak chew making process. He explained the process, that only three human-grade ingredients are used, that they take months to produce, that they are extremely satisfying and long-lasting for even the super-chewer dogs, much longer than rawhide (this is backed up by many customer reviews).
The only smell while being chewed is a mild smoky aroma, similar to that of smoked gouda. They are not gooey, and dogs cannot break off large chunks. As mentioned, they are effective at reducing tartar on molars, because dogs use their back teeth to scrape off tiny pieces. They proved to provide a satisfying chew experience for all breeds.
He patiently answered all my questions quite well. I was impressed!
Dr. Bhandari agreed to send samples for our dogs to try. As soon as they arrived, we began testing.
All of our testers, including two customers' dogs who are very aggressive chewers, and several of our own dogs who love to chew, gladly accepted the challenge.
They all took the chews with gusto, and chewed to their heart's content.
The results? Happy! These delightful chew bars stood the test nicely. No big chunks chewed off after several days, hours of satisfying chew time provided, no slime, no odor.
Lasted longer than rawhide, and everyone felt better about offering these chews than rawhide, pig ears, bully sticks, Nylabone, rubber bones, or any other type of chew.
Of course we will watch the chews and when they get small, they will be replaced. However, another great feature is that none of the chew goes to waste! Once they are too small to chew safely, the last piece can be placed in the microwave for a bit, and it turns into an edible cheese puff!
What could be nicer? An all natural, hard, yummy cheese chew that is also safe, using no chemicals or preservatives, with no waste?
These chews match our philosophy to the letter.
We are proud to offer Napa Fresh Yakity Yak Chew Bars in two sizes: Large and Medium. These are the correct sizes for most dogs. For our customers with tiny dogs, if there is interest we will order a supply of teeny weeny size next time. Just let us know.
And if anyone has any questions that I have not covered, Dr. Bhandari has offered to answer any and all questions personally. He is very proud of his product and looks forward to working with us directly.
We couldn't be happier, nor could our dogs.
Try them HERE .