I switch Riley from Merrick BG Buffalo recently to Wellness Core. He was having problems with the Merrick with runny stools. Since switching to the Wellness he has been MUCH better. Firm stools and I have even noticed that his coat is softer. In the last two days he has had two runny stools which he could not control and ended up going in the house. The only thing different is that he devoured a raw hide about two days ago. Can raw hides cause this to happen?

Yes .. raw hide is not a recommended treat.. Get some nylabones...

Raw hide is treated with very harsh chemicals when being made into treats.. One chemical used is arsenic.

It is one of the things I believe killed my old Jazz girl... She got a strip after each meal to clean her teeth.. She died with clean teeth, but got Cancer of the Lymphs.

http://www.rondoggie.com/rawhide/

Almost anything new in the diet can upset the digestion. There are additional risks with rawhide. A dog can rip off a chunk and gulp it down. It then swells and can cause a blockage. I haven't seen any numbers on how often such happens, but I wouldn't take the risk. Those that carefully watch their dog with a rawhide might want to check out http://www.woodhavenlabs.com/images/heimlich.jpg

My dogs have been getting rawhides for years and no illnesses, cancers, choking or whatnot. Yes, it is true that some dogs don't do well on them. But with supervision, they are a useful outlet for chewing. We stay away from the ones with knots as those get chewed off easy and swallowed...

Same as CanyonLabradors...
Our dogs have been getting rawhides as long as I can remember without any ill effects. The key is purchasing the appropriate size for your dog and as with any treat, use supervision. We give our dogs the rawhides in stick form (not knots on the ends) and also only purchase the ones with natural coloring, no colored rawhides that have food dies and added ingredients.
AND arsenic was only found to be used by cheap companies or those out of country, particularly Asia. They use hydrogen peroxide to wash the hides these days, which breaks down in water and oxygen; this is completely harmless and creates a more sterile treat than a nylabone eliminating toxins and harmful bacteria.
Everyone has their own opinions and some dogs may not digest them well, so you may want to consider another chew toy, but for me it works and my dogs enjoy them. You can find a dozen sites geared toward giving rawhide and opposing nylabones just as you can vice versa, you just need to find what works for your pup. This is in part what makes every dog unique!