Quick answer: Himalayan cheese chews are hard, long lasting chews made from yak milk, lime juice and a pinch of salt. Unlike cooked bones they don’t splinter, and unlike rawhide they are fully digestible. They suit adult dogs and puppies over six months. Choose a size bigger than your dog’s mouth.
Try our Himalayan Yak Cheese Chews, with next day delivery across the UAE.
Himalayan cheese bones go by several names. Cheese bone, yak chew, Himalayan dog chew, churpi — they all describe the same thing: a block of hard, air dried cheese that a dog works at for an hour rather than swallowing in a minute.
What is a Himalayan cheese bone?
It starts as yak milk. The milk is curdled with lime juice, pressed, lightly salted and then dried hard over several weeks. Ours is yak milk, lime juice and a pinch of salt, and nothing else. The flavoured versions add one ingredient to that base, so a mint cheese bone is the same block with mint in it.
The result is dense enough that a determined chewer has to work at it rather than break it up. That is the point of it. It is a chew, not a snack.
Why people call it a bone
It is shaped like one and it is used like one. Most UAE owners searching for a cheese bone are looking for something to replace rawhide or a real bone: long lasting, no splintering, and without a list of additives on the back.
How long one lasts
Size decides it, not flavour. A small bar suits little breeds and gentle chewers. A large bar suits bigger dogs and the ones who mean it. A determined 10kg terrier can get through a bar faster than a relaxed 30kg labrador, so match the size to how your dog chews rather than what it weighs.
Choosing a flavour
There are nine: Natural, Blueberry, Cranberry, Mango, Strawberry, Mint, Coconut, Turmeric and Pumpkin. Start with Natural if it is your dog's first, because nothing is added to it and you learn whether your dog likes the chew itself. Mint is the one to reach for if breath is the issue, Pumpkin if digestion is.
Safety and supervision
Supervise every session, as you would with any hard chew, and take the bar away once it is small enough to swallow whole. That last piece does not have to go in the bin: under a minute in the microwave puffs it into a soft treat. Puppies should wait until about six months, once the adult teeth are in. Before that, a puffed yak cheese treat is the safer option.
For a fuller answer on safety, including which dogs should avoid them, see our guide to whether yak chews are safe for dogs.
Buying a cheese bone in the UAE
We stock Himalayan cheese bones in small and large across all nine flavours, with next day delivery everywhere in the UAE except Sunday, and free shipping above 99 AED.
Frequently asked questions
Is a cheese bone the same as a yak chew?
Yes. Cheese bone, yak chew, Himalayan dog chew and churpi all describe the same hard dried cheese chew.
What is a Himalayan cheese bone made of?
Yak milk, lime juice and a pinch of salt. The flavoured versions add one more ingredient, such as mint or cranberry.
Are cheese bones safe for dogs?
For most adult dogs, yes, with supervision and the right size. Take the bar away once it is small enough to swallow. Dogs with a dairy intolerance should avoid them. The chews are naturally low in lactose, but they are not lactose free.
At what age can a puppy have a cheese bone?
From about six months, once the adult teeth are in.
How long does a Himalayan cheese bone last?
Anything from half an hour to several hours depending on the size you buy and how determined your dog is. Flavour makes no difference to chew time.