I was formerly anti-rawhide but now have resumed using it after a long discussion with my vet. For me, the choice between limited regular chewing with a reputable product beats having to put my dogs under anesthesia for teeth cleaning (which I had to do with one of my dogs last year). Here's some more info, especially note the arsenic concern, which should not affect domestic rawhide.

What is Rawhide?
Rawhide is the inner layer of the hide of any cleft-hoofed bovine livestock. Beef-Hide is premium rawhide made from cows raised for consumption. American Beef-Hide is derived from corn-fed cows within U.S. borders.

What is Rawhide made from?
The animal's skin is split into inner and outer layers. The tough outer layer is used for leather shoes, garments, and upholstery, while the softer inner layer is cut and formed into different shapes for dog chews.

What makes Rawhide so tough?
Collagen fibers link to make the animal's hide tough yet flexible. Human skin has the same basic structure but is much thinner.

Where does Rawhide come from?
The quality of rawhide is often related to its country of origin:

American Beef-hide: Corn-fed beef raised in the U.S. supply a thick, palatable and high quality chew.
American beef-hide is considered "The Source" of choice for premium chews

Oriental Water-Buffalo: Raised to work in the fields of countries like China, Korea and Thailand, they are a common source of imported rawhide.

South American Range Cows: These animals are fed on grass and typically have little fat and a rough, fibrous consistency. They are warm weather animals with a thinner skin.

How is Rawhide processed?
The animal's hide is transported to processing plants where it is split, washed, and cleaned. The hides are then cut, formed and dried into many varieties of rawhide you see in the stores. In less developed countries a lack of modern roads and refrigeration trucks often requires the use of preservatives to get skins from outer-lying areas to processing plants. In the U.S. fresh beef-hides are refrigerated during shipping to prevent degradation, spoilage, fouling and the need for chemical additives

Will my dog chew such a hard rawhide?
When collagen in the skin dries out, it becomes stiff. As your dog chews, the saliva moistens and softens the rawhide. Foreign rawhide is often sun parched while U.S. beef-hide is oven dried to prevent over drying. Smooth shiny areas on a chew are a sign of heat breakdown indicating an extremely hard area that the dog may not be able to soften.

How can chews help my dog?
Natural tendencies of wild canines and their predecessors was to sink their teeth into their prey and pull away on the hides stripping the skin and meat. Inherent in this feeding processes was the beneficial action of the tugging and pressure on the teeth and gums which served to toughen the gums and clean the teeth for a continuously healthy mouth. Chews offer two valuable benefits to your dog.

Dental Benefits
Infections, kidney and heart disease can result when poor dental health gives bacteria an environment to enter your dog's body. Bacteria in the dog's mouth breaks down food particles and converts them to plaque and excess acid. The plaque can become mineralized to form a hard deposit on the tooth surface called "calculus." The excess acid damages the gums resulting in gingivitis. Unchecked gingivitis results in periodontitis, the leading cause of tooth loss. As rawhide is chewed and moistened, it wraps around the teeth and rubs off plaque and calculi.

Behavior Benefits
All dogs have an inherent desire to chew, especially puppies. Aberrant chewing can be a sign of lack of exercise or a vitamin deficiency, but it is most often a normal desire to chew. This drive can exhibit itself on furniture and clothing items. Beef-hide offers a dog a safe chewing outlet.

How do I tell Country of Origin?
Country of Origin is required packaging information. Look closely for indications of imitations of U.S. Beef-hide such as "Made from U.S. Beef-hide in China or Mexico" or "Product of S America." This is a further indication that even the importers recognize the value of U.S. Beef-hide.

What do I need to know about basted rawhide?
Basting ingredients are procured from flavor producing companies that cater to the food industry. USDA and other governmental requirements ensure the quality for U.S. goods. Foreign imported rawhide must use U.S. made basting products or a U.S. approved basted products.

Are basted items non-staining?
Some basted rawhide claims to be non-staining. Generally, the food colors used are water soluble and once wet can run and will most likely stain. Clear Basted American Beef-hide has the flavor your dog wants and is safe for your carpets and upholstery leaving only faint indications of any staining if any at all.

How often should I feed chews?
Rawhide is not a food, but a safe chewable toy that can be, and most often is, consumed. It is 80-85% protein, 10-12% fiber and moisture, and 1-2% fat. High in protein, low in fat, especially compared to pig ears and other pork skin products, and fewer calories per ounce than a typical dog biscuit. One or two hours of daily chewing is sufficient.

Which size and shape should I chose?
Fortunately, chews come in every size and shape imaginable. It is important that the chew be large enough and thick enough that your dog cannot easily chew off and swallow a large piece or the whole chew. Rawhide that requires more than 7 days to chew should be replaced due to dirt and bacteria buildup.

Which dogs should not have chews?
If your dog has gastrointestinal disease or is eating a therapeutic diet, you should seek a veterinarian's approval before feeding any chews. Dogs with beef allergies or that consistently swallow bones whole should probably not receive chews unattended.

Are there any dangers in rawhide chew products?
If your dog consistently swallows bones whole, it should probably not receive chews unattended. When the chew has been enjoyed down to a small portion, you may want to remove the remains if your pet tends to try to swallow or eat pieces that are just a little too big for the pet.

Buy ONLY USA RAWHIDE TREATS.

Buy ONLY from reputable manufacturers. Rawhide is not regulated in many countries. In some these countries, arsenic-based products are used as a preservative in rawhides. Ultra-white treats may have been treated with bleaching chemicals.

http://www.dog-bones.com/rawhide_bones.html

Please read if you use rawhide or similar products (pig's ears, bully sticks, etc.) for your dogs! In addition to the choking/obstruction hazards of these chews, they are frequently recalled for Salmonella.

The Dangers of Rawhides

This common treat that is available as an inexpensive chew toy can be a danger to your pet. Rawhides are basically cured animal hide, which is molded and pressed into bones shapes for your dog to chew on. A company that manufacturers many types of rawhide products describes rawhides as "the inner layer of the hide of any cleft-hoofed bovine livestock." Besides their undesirable origin, they are a dangerous choice for your pet.

Why are they dangerous?

Prolonged chewing makes the material soft, and stringy. This soft, stringy material is a choking hazard for your pet.

They can break into small pieces. The small pieces are a choking hazard for dogs, and it is not uncommon for dogs digesting smaller pieces to throw them up later on when their stomach is empty.

Because of the texture of the material dogs often swallow pieces that are larger than they should. This can damage the esophagus and the back of the throat. In addition, undigested pieces can cause intestinal obstruction.

Consuming too much rawhide material will cause your dog to get diarrhea. Rawhides are digested slowly, and there is a limit to how many pieces your dog’s stomach can digest.

There is no standard on how rawhides should be made. You will notice, in most cases, that the packaging does not contain a list of ingredients.

Rawhides are made from animal bi-products, and salmonella bacteria can be found in some rawhide products.

Some dogs are allergic to rawhides and/or the chemicals used to process them. This can cause itching in the skin, ears and face. Statistics suggest that 40% of dogs are allergic to cowhide rawhide chews.

Rawhides that are white or cream colored contain many chemicals that are unhealthy for your dog. These bleached rawhides are suspected as a cause of cancer in dogs.

Health problems from rawhide chews include sore throat, intestinal blockage and acute pancreatitis.

If you insist on feeding your dog rawhides, please make sure you do not leave them unattended. Try and find a rawhide brand that includes a list of their ingredients (if you can.) Only buy clear, unbleached rawhides. Also, make sure you check the origin of the rawhides you purchase as well - Some countries supposedly use an arsenic-based preservative when processing them! So, make sure they are purchase from Canadian or American companies only!

Other Dangerous Bones

Pigs ears are just as hazardous, and possess both choking and bacterial risks, the same as rawhides. Beware of (cooked) chicken bones, turkey bones, pork bones, steak bones, veal and lamb bones. These bones splinter easily and are also considered to be a dangerous choking hazard. Cow hooves are hard enough that they can actually chip or break a dog's teeth.

Ant article by the Food and Drug Administration issues a warning about contaminated pet chews:

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/NEW00692.html

http://www.bdnhumanesociety.com/rawhides.htm

I have never used rawhide & never will. Thanks for the posting....just forwarded it off to many of my friends who use rawhides to "keep their dogs busy". Can't tell you how many times we've had disagreements about this stuff.

So what do you all use for safe, supervised chewing? I had a Merrick whole cow hoof that the dogs loved and took forever to get through

Thanks for this thread ... my pups have choked on them and now that they're seniors, get bloody teeth/gums .... no more rawhide for us!

So what do you all use for safe, supervised chewing? I had a Merrick whole cow hoof that the dogs loved and took forever to get through

Raw beef marrow bones, at least 5-6" long (not the round "soup bones" which pose a choking hazard), available from most butchers (sometimes you have to ask).

These should also be given under supervision, and if the marrow causes stomach upset, it can be scooped out. I've never had any problem with these, except for the last time I gave them. Grip was able to crack the end of one (Grip is an exceptionally powerful chewer) but I heard it from a few rooms away and was able to go and take it away before there was any danger.

My dogs continue to chew these long after they've picked them clean... for a year or more.

I am having alot of problems with my 8 month old yellow lab chewing everything in sight. I have given him the large monkey (he chewed the ear off) plastic toys (he chews them in pieces), large beef bones (heard they are not good to chew on as they can cause stomach problems), hide bones (only heard the dark ones are ok) & now I'm down to aluminum bowls which he loves to clang on the cement. I'm looking for a chew item which would taste good, not dangerous & last a long time.

large beef bones (heard they are not good to chew on as they can cause stomach problems), hide bones (only heard the dark ones are ok)

(From the original post) "Rawhides that are white or cream colored contain many chemicals that are unhealthy for your dog. These bleached rawhides are suspected as a cause of cancer in dogs."
That's an ADDITIONAL risk, the dark ones carry all the choking, blockage, etc. risks.

There's nothing wrong with large RAW beef bones. The stomach problems you heard about are probably from the marrow in the bones, which is very rich and can cause some diarrhea and tummy upset the first few times, until your dog gets used to them. You can scoop some of the marrow out, or limit the time your dog has with the bones at first to help prevent any problems.
I freeze the bones and give them frozen, that way by the time they are thawed Earnest has gotten any messy or greasy parts off. He's trained to keep them on his rug in the bedroom or in the kitchen until they are "degreased" and dry.

The bone in my siggy is called a whole femur, it's a whole cow leg bone- Earnest has his Lab mommy's urge to chew, and his Great Dane father's size and power- big bones are the only safe thing for him.

I am having alot of problems with my 8 month old yellow lab chewing everything in sight. I have given him the large monkey (he chewed the ear off) plastic toys (he chews them in pieces), large beef bones (heard they are not good to chew on as they can cause stomach problems), hide bones (only heard the dark ones are ok) & now I'm down to aluminum bowls which he loves to clang on the cement. I'm looking for a chew item which would taste good, not dangerous & last a long time.

nylabones are good. You can simmer it in chicken broth to give it extra flavor if you want.

Thank you for the information. I will not let Molly chew rawhide bones any more.
I have switched to Nylabones. Has anyone had any trouble with these?

Used to give rawhides to my dogs but i quit after hearing alot of bad things about them and since then i have switched to nylabones. I love nylabones and so do my dogs. They are very well trusted and safe for all dogs.

Raw beef marrow bones, at least 5-6" long (not the round "soup bones" which pose a choking hazard)
I've never heard of this distinction between "marrow" bones and "soup" bones. We buy "soup" bones at the butcher, and sometimes at the grocery store, 4-5 inches long, definitely no choking potential. I always thought marrow and soup was one and the same.

I agree with rawhide. That stuff is awful. We gave it a few times and it scared the heck out of me to see the size of the pieces my pup would soften and swallow. It's such a prevalent treat in any pet store or pet section of a grocery store, yet there's hardly any consumer awareness of its dangers.

(not the round "soup bones" which pose a choking hazard)

I've never heard of this distinction between "marrow" bones and "soup" bones. We buy "soup" bones at the butcher, and sometimes at the grocery store, 4-5 inches long, definitely no choking potential. I always thought marrow and soup was one and the same.
The soup bones that Zen was talking about are also called knuckle bones.

The soup bones that Zen was talking about are also called knuckle bones.
Gotcha. I'm familiar with knuckle bones. Our grocery stores generally label marrow bones as soup bones.

Oops! Just saw these.

I tried a knucklebone once. What a disaster, Grip ate the ENITRE thing and then vomited it back up a half hour later.

Soup bones vs. Marrow Bones. I found in grocery stores in both CT and NC, if the label said "Soup bones" they were the beef femur bones cut short and round, however if I bought packaged or placed an order with the butcher for "marrow bones" they were generally the longer (5" or more) sections of beef femur. It may just be a matter of local dialect ;)

Hello my name is ZenCat and today I gave my dogs rawhide ;)

Haven't used rawhide with either of my current dogs, though my first lab used to get them without a problem (he chewed, but didn't swallow). My vet recommended yesterday that Grip do some chewing, since he didn't have significant tartar, but his teeth could use some cleaning. I told her I used to use marrow bones, but the last time I gave them, Grip shattered one, and then another, and many of the shards that came off were between 1 and 3" long, and razor sharp (I cut my finger on one). In addition, all three dogs got diarrhea from those bones (they usually didn't have a problem with marrow) so I stopped giving them.

Today I spent a long time browsing in the rawhide aisle, and with 3dognite's assistance, chose the 12" rolled sticks (unbleached, natural, 100% american beef hide). My dogs were in HEAVEN, even Drum, who is not a chewer as a rule. They each got to keep their rawhides for about an hour, and then I took them away for another day. Grip had chewed off 1/3 of his; Drum's was barely dented. I sat with them the entire time they were chewing (I'm paranoid :D ). But I feel confident that they can use rawhides - fully supervised - for teeth cleaning purposes now. And it was wonderful to see them so happy.

I still give my guys the compressed ones from time to time. We use the 12" long ones, and they never get them if I'm not sitting here.

Hello my name is ZenCat and today I gave my dogs rawhide ;)


:eek: WTG, Lisa! :thumb4:

Living life on the edge! :floor

Thank you for posting this -- it is so timely!

We always have given our guys raw bones and avoided rawhide chews. On Thursday, the kid's English History teacher brought a rawhide chew to the house for Butter as a treat.

After two minutes of letting him lick and gnaw it, I scooped it up, hid it, and threw it out after she had left. The kids looked at me as if I was mean-hearted to take Butter's goodie and wondered what the problem was. Now I have your post to show them! THANKS!

Kris

This whole anti-rawhide thing just puzzles me. Animal skin is something that any wild wolf, coyote, or fox is going to gnaw and eat whenever he has a chance to. The article that talked about the "undesirable" origin of rawhide is laughable for that reason. What's undesirable about animal skin for dogs? Then there comes the post from someone whose dogs get "bloody teeth and gums" from rawhide and therefore won't use them. Hello? The bloody gums and teeth mean your dog has gum disease which he/she probably would NOT have if you'd been giving rawhide chews on a regular basis to keep the mouth healthy. Lots of wrong thinking here.

I've been giving my dogs rawhide chews on a regular basis (daily as puppies, semi-weekly or so as adults). I've been doing this now for a decade and a half with three different dogs with not a single incident. If this stuff is as bad as all the alarmists seem to claim, I'd surely have seen some evidence of it by now. Dogs don't choke nearly as easily as a lot of people seem to think they do. They have large throats that can swallow things easily that would choke any human being. Rawhide softens in the gut and almost always will curl up and pass right through if it's not digested. Unlike humans, dogs also have the ability to "unstick" most of the things that do happen to get stuck in their throats. I think this whole anti-rawhide thing is a case of well-intentioned humans projecting human problems onto their dogs.

I'm sure I'll now see about a dozen people point me to various websites documenting all kinds of rawhide problems. Were any of you there to see those problems happen? Were the dogs supervised while chewing? Was the rawhide itself getting gnawed down to where it was small and swallowable? Was it removed at that point? Zencat has the right idea above. If a large rawhide chew is given and removed before it becomes small enough for a dog to try to swallow it, and the rawhide was from an American source, the risks are actually quite small while the benefits in happy dogs and cleaner, healthier teeth and gums are quite significant.

This whole anti-rawhide thing just puzzles me.
My beef with rawhide is, why give it when there's much better alternatives. I don't find that rawhide is particularly effective in cleaning teeth (as compared to a hard bone), nor does it have any nutritional value, nor is it completely safe.

And, you really can't compare rawhide to "Animal skin ... that any wild wolf, coyote, or fox is going to gnaw and eat..." When was the last time you found something equivalent to a commercially manufactured rawhide in the wild?

I'm sure I'll now see about a dozen people point me to various websites documenting all kinds of rawhide problems.
Sure, here's one: http://www.wisn.com/family/3923480/detail.html
A local ABC affiliate reports on a dog's death due to a rawhide blockage. No, I wasn't there, but I know that I'll never find myself in that situation on account of rawhide.

And, as far as saying that the pup is always supervised, or the rawhide is taken away when it gets smaller, I am still not persuaded. That's recognizing the danger, but it's sort of like playing with fire. I mean, no one gives a baby a toy with small parts, even if they plan to diligently watch the baby.

No offense to anyone who has found that rawhide works well for them and their dogs. I understand that. I remain opposed to it, though.

My beef with rawhide is, why give it when there's much better alternatives. I don't find that rawhide is particularly effective in cleaning teeth (as compared to a hard bone), nor does it have any nutritional value, nor is it completely safe.

And, you really can't compare rawhide to "Animal skin ... that any wild wolf, coyote, or fox is going to gnaw and eat..." When was the last time you found something equivalent to a commercially manufactured rawhide in the wild?


American rawhide is just oven dried cow skin. I mean, come on, how much closer to animal skin can you GET? Have you ever seen the skin of an animal in the wild that has dried out? It's basically rawhide with hair on it.


Sure, here's one: http://www.wisn.com/family/3923480/detail.html
A local ABC affiliate reports on a dog's death due to a rawhide blockage. No, I wasn't there, but I know that I'll never find myself in that situation on account of rawhide.

And, as far as saying that the pup is always supervised, or the rawhide is taken away when it gets smaller, I am still not persuaded. That's recognizing the danger, but it's sort of like playing with fire. I mean, no one gives a baby a toy with small parts, even if they plan to diligently watch the baby.
That's an unfair analogy. I'm not suggesting you give your dog SMALL rawhides, I'm suggesting large ones that they can't swallow and won't even try. It's the same concept as kids and toys. Do you avoid giving your child large toys because small ones are dangerous? Is it "playing with fire" to give them big toys?


No offense to anyone who has found that rawhide works well for them and their dogs. I understand that. I remain opposed to it, though.No problem. I'm just saying it's without any real foundation if the rawhide is given properly.

I'm not suggesting you give your dog SMALL rawhides, I'm suggesting large ones that they can't swallow and won't even try.
The problem is that dangerous-sized pieces come off the large rawhide at unpredictable intervals (kind of like a large toy with small parts, for the sake of my analogy--which, by the way, I hate dog-human analogies, so I apologize for that).

Did you read that article that I cited? It was a smaller piece of a large rawhide that killed (in a very painful way) the dog.

We have given many rawhides in the past. My pup would soften and tear off very large pieces. So, my fear is, start with a large one, get distracted (maybe the phone rings), and before I know it, a large piece is down the hatch. Likely to kill my dog? Probably not. But when weighing the potentially grave risk against the minimal benefits, the risk wins for me.

The problem is that dangerous-sized pieces come off the large rawhide at unpredictable intervals (kind of like a large toy with small parts, for the sake of my analogy--which, by the way, I hate dog-human analogies, so I apologize for that).

Did you read that article that I cited? It was a smaller piece of a large rawhide that killed (in a very painful way) the dog.

We have given many rawhides in the past. My pup would soften and tear off very large pieces. So, my fear is, start with a large one, get distracted (maybe the phone rings), and before I know it, a large piece is down the hatch. Likely to kill my dog? Probably not. But when weighing the potentially grave risk against the minimal benefits, the risk wins for me.

There is a type of rawhide that consists of multiple pieces of rawhide pressed together. I think they're usually sold as "pressed rawhide" or something like that. Those aren't the right kinds to use, as they can be softened and unraveled easily, sometimes with sharp points. By contrast, if you get large rawhides that are all one piece, they aren't going to come apart very easily. When dogs do chew pieces off those, they are typically small and well softened - not a threat at all. The only thing you really have to worry about is the last big chunk getting swallowed whole. Some dogs will do that. If your dog is that type, just take the rawhide away when there it's getting near the size he'll try to swallow. Like I said earlier, I've had three different dogs chewing rawhide on a regular basis for 14 years and have never had a problem. I have a hard time believing I will in the future. You just have to be smart about it, not overfeed it, and supervise it.

To add to this. Our Vet was the first the first person to introduce our Pup to rawhide chews. When we went in for his first check-up the nurse came in with one. At that time he didnt even know to use his paws to hold it (so cute). Since then we have been giving him large pieces once a day for about a half an hour and he barely dents them. I have only see him get a little piece off twice. The key is to supervise, but this should be with all toys. (hard rubber ones should be ok to leave alone with).

Once he figures out to tear it to shreds we may think twice but as of right now he seems to be fine with them. I doubt that my Vet (three of them at the same office) would give my pup something harmful. I will ask them about it when we go in for his final shots next week.

Cheers,

I think supervision is the key. Rawhides are not risk-free, neither are raw marrow bones. I myself can't equate processed rawhide to the natural, untreated hide of a freshly killed animal by a wild canid. Those hides would be eaten, along with the fur on them, together with the rest of the meat/bones/organs etc. providing fiber, as well as a cushion to help undigested bits of bone pass safely through the wild dog's (wolf, coyote, etc.) digestive tract. I think it unlikely that wild canids would chew skin/hides for long periods, the way they would weight-bearing bones like femurs.

I certainly understand people who are wary of rawhide, just as I understand why people are wary of marrow bones.

I think anyone who's ever experienced an obstruction or choking experience with their dogs would be doubly wary... I know I am.

I agree. Nothing is fool proof. You can have an issue with Marrow bones, Kongs, rawhides or whatever you give as a treat. I mean lets be honest a dog could choke on a treat if he/she swallows it wrong. My Beagle loves Rawhides and has never had a problem with supervision. When I brought Moose home, I joined this forum to find the suggestions on what is good and not good to give your puppy.

Couple things I owe to this board is finding out about dog/puppy food. I have switched both my Beagle 10 months and Lab almost 4 months to EP Holistic and noticed the difference in coats. I also learned good training techniques.

When it comes to treats though, I have to say I use a mixture of everything. I buy as natural a rawhide as you can get, Kong products and I just tried Marrow bones this past week. They love all three and can't get enough. I work with them to ensure they don't growl when taken away and they know its a treat and not given on a daily basis.

When it comes to chewers I also think its due to boredom. Walking and training is always a key to have a balanced dog, whether its a Lab, Beagle or Poodle. If we add a dog into our families its our responsibility to train, walk and educate our dogs and selves to what is best for both. Rawhides are a choice we all have and it doesn't make us poor pet owners, if we use as a treat and make sure they are a safe USA product and supervise while eating them.

Wow, this sure is interesting! So glad I found this thread, as we have tried rawhide and all sorts of treats for our 'chewey' Lilly.
And I needed to know the hazards of the various items.
Our vet said no rawhide, so I gave it away. And no to pigs ears cause they break off with sharp small pieces.

It also makes a difference how old she is, as things that were 'safe' when she was a puppy, she now fragments. A cows hoof turned into a ball of splinters about 20 minutes of chewing, into the trash bin it went.

Our vet suggested the Virbac company's C.E.T. Hex chews.
But our all time favourite is the 12 inch premium Bully Sticks. No chips or shards from them, and there is no swallowing of hunks. Do remove after they get small though. I wont tell what they are,,,,,,,:o:
But she loves them,
Jane

so wait- in the very beginning of the thread it says they RESUMED using rawhide chews, doesn't that mean they started using them again? i don't understand if they are supposed to be good or bad for my pup?!

It's simply personal preference. You can debate the pros and cons of rawhides for years and never reach a happy medium, some people like them, others do not. Anything can be safe if you buy proper size treats and supervise.

So what are you going to do when your dog rips off a piece, bolts it down, and lies there gasping for breathe? I have never been able to run down any good figures on how many dogs die from rawhide or at least have to have surgery, but it is going to be zero of mine.

So what are you going to do when your dog rips off a piece, bolts it down, and lies there gasping for breathe?
I don't have dogs that gulp pieces of things down, they chew calmly and contently on anything given to them. I also give them pigs ears :eek:!

I have never been able to run down any good figures on how many dogs die from rawhide or at least have to have surgery, but it is going to be zero of mine.

Again, personal preference. None of my personal eight dogs have EVER had an issue with rawhide chews nor have any of my fosters in the last eleven years, yet our friends golden had parts of marrow bone removed from her intestine.

Debating about Rawhide is pointless, everyone has and is entitled to their own opinion. So you do not give rawhide; I do, both great. Both our dogs are still breathing, so I'll end it here.

BUT to anwer lunamar's question: "Anything can be safe if you buy proper size treats and supervise." keyword being ANYTHING (as in ANY TREAT of your preference).

I don't use rawhide since Lilly can chew off huge chunks in a few minutes that I have to wrestle out of her mouth!

I buy the Merrick knuckles from the local pet store ($4.50) or the femur bones from Walmart ($8)... not what I prefer bc of the preservatives but she will chew on one for about a week....

We don't have any stuffed animals... she has a few Kong toys & Nyla's, she has an Orka dice looking toy that is hard and floats in the pool.... we only break out the tennis balls when we are playing catch....

I used to give rawhide until Jersie got it stuck in her intestines... it cost me over $400 to have it removed through and endoscopic procedure... there are other things that you can purchase to keep dogs teeth clean besides rawhide. We keep china (marrow) bones around along with fleece ropes for the dogs to chew on and keep plaque to a minimum, and we also have bought toothpaste from the vet and use a toothbrush on occassion. I will never go back to rawhide, it was a bad experience, however, I know this doesnt happen to everyone so for me it has just become a personal preference.

Thank you for sharing.

Thanks for the info. I give Gatsby one maybe once every two weeks just for chewing and dental purposes, but I'm sure to be right near him and I take it away when it seems to get too small for him (I probably take it away way too early sometimes, but it's better to be safe than sorry).

We give rawhide sometimes, only the big pieces and only if they are supervised. Once the piece gets small we throw it in the garbage. I also give marrow bones and turkey necks for them to chew on.

I have had two different vets tell me two different things about rawhide chews.

We had a Cocker Spaniel that caused us some grief over rawhide. I had bought a rolled up twist that had filling in it. I guess you could say that he loved it. We had given him rawhide in the past and never had a problem with him totally eating it. They would last for a while by letting him have them for 30 mins at a time. He managed to eat the whole thing in about 10-15 mins. That is where the problems started. He did not eat for about 6 days. I took him to the vet and he said it was stuck in his stomach and that if he did not pass it we would have to go in after it. Well to make a long story short, he adventually passed it 6 days later. In the meantime he would not eat anything. We tried soft dog food that he loved, he just turned his nose on it. We had to give him Pedialite once every hour we were awake.

After that experience, I have mixed feelings about Rawhide Chews. I have a 8 month old lab that will not touch a Nylabone or Kong. I have been giving him rawhide in very short incriments to clean his teeth and having him sit at my feet when he is enjoying his treat.

Any suggestions on something else to give him to clean the teeth and fill that urge to chew beside rubber toys or bones?

I have had two different vets tell me two different things about rawhide chews.

We had a Cocker Spaniel that caused us some grief over rawhide. I had bought a rolled up twist that had filling in it. I guess you could say that he loved it. We had given him rawhide in the past and never had a problem with him totally eating it. They would last for a while by letting him have them for 30 mins at a time. He managed to eat the whole thing in about 10-15 mins. That is where the problems started. He did not eat for about 6 days. I took him to the vet and he said it was stuck in his stomach and that if he did not pass it we would have to go in after it. Well to make a long story short, he adventually passed it 6 days later. In the meantime he would not eat anything. We tried soft dog food that he loved, he just turned his nose on it. We had to give him Pedialite once every hour we were awake.

After that experience, I have mixed feelings about Rawhide Chews. I have a 8 month old lab that will not touch a Nylabone or Kong. I have been giving him rawhide in very short incriments to clean his teeth and having him sit at my feet when he is enjoying his treat.

Any suggestions on something else to give him to clean the teeth and fill that urge to chew beside rubber toys or bones?

Raw marrow bones and/or bully sticks. Never give either unsupervised.

I will give them a try, thanks for your help.:smile

I have had two different vets tell me two different things about rawhide chews.

We had a Cocker Spaniel that caused us some grief over rawhide. I had bought a rolled up twist that had filling in it. I guess you could say that he loved it. We had given him rawhide in the past and never had a problem with him totally eating it. They would last for a while by letting him have them for 30 mins at a time. He managed to eat the whole thing in about 10-15 mins. That is where the problems started. He did not eat for about 6 days. I took him to the vet and he said it was stuck in his stomach and that if he did not pass it we would have to go in after it. Well to make a long story short, he adventually passed it 6 days later. In the meantime he would not eat anything. We tried soft dog food that he loved, he just turned his nose on it. We had to give him Pedialite once every hour we were awake.

After that experience, I have mixed feelings about Rawhide Chews. I have a 8 month old lab that will not touch a Nylabone or Kong. I have been giving him rawhide in very short incriments to clean his teeth and having him sit at my feet when he is enjoying his treat.

Any suggestions on something else to give him to clean the teeth and fill that urge to chew beside rubber toys or bones?

Many dogs aren't interested in a slick, new Nylabone. I think they are putting the nubby texture on more of them now. I think it is part of the reason so many dogs like the hard to find dinosaur ones. The ultimate is the Souper Size Galileo Nylabone. It is about 7 inches long and 3 inches around. It has the slick surface. They are more attractive if you rough up the surface with sand paper or by rubbing it on a concrete floor. Another technique is to jam a Nylabone into a Kong creating what I call a twofer. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

You can also brush dog's teeth. The pet stores have tooth paste and brushes meant for dog.

When we started raising puppies for a large dog guide school in 1991, they forbid giving their puppies rawhide. Since then, they have added pigs ears, real bones, and a number of other natural products to their verboten list. I put a lot of weight on the opinions of highly experienced professionals. I don't like the consumable treats either. There was a big class action suit over Greenies.

The dinosaurs are hard to find? I didn't know that... at the pet store down the street, they have a TON of them.

I just got a Dr. Foster and Smith Catalog yesterday that has the dinosaurs. Lola would have the tail chewed off in minutes!

The last time I was in a Petsmart was a couple of years ago, and their selection of chews was so bad, I haven't even looked since.

What about compressed rawhides? They eventually come apart in thin shreds which I would think would not cause obstruction risks.

They sound less likely to cause blockages, but no dog needs any rawhide.

I used to give my dog rawhide, but stopped because she thought her mouth was big enough to eat the thing in one bite, and later because the salt would cause her to "leak" sometimes. I stick with big milkbones, it takes her a while to get through one and it does help her teeth a bit.

I used to give my dog rawhide, but he got constipated sometimes. However, he wont even touch rawhide anymore… those bullysticks, nylabones, and other treats from the natural pet food store are so much more intriguing!

Gator loves Raw hide. I give one to him every few weeks however I take it away when it gets small enough for him to swallow. He does love my ear plugs. He'll steal them from the night table and I'll find them in the yard a little discolored. :)

It's so nice to see a discussion, and not a name calling match. Topics like this have a tendency to bring out the alpha in us. ;-)

I never bought the big rawhide, just from what I had heard of accidentally swallowing of pieces. However I've been buying the ground compressed raw hide since Rusty was a pup. Rusty and Rudy enjoyed those 12 sticks and christmas shapes for years.

However the priced jumped big time. So now it's a holiday treat... day after Christmas 1/2 sale I buy enough to keep them busy for a month or so.

The other 11 months of the year it's the biggest femur bones I can find. For about $9 each isn't a bad deal, or to mix things up Milkbones in the super big box.

I tried the nyabones, but no one liked them. Rudy liked the kong, and Baby likes the kong, but no one else even looks at it.

I did accidentally buy 4 real raw hides at the after Christmas sale. Was rushed, thought I had toys, but ended up with large rawhides that looked like turkey legs. Not wanting to waste, I did give them to the kids, but watched closely.... oh did they love it.

I honestly think there isn't a universal right or wrong answer to the rawhide question. Each dog and it's owner is different. What works for one my not for another.

I've been so frustrated trying to find something safe for my kid to chomp on. Solid rawhide's out. Not after our recent emergency vet in the wee hours $750 blockage scare. :(

At our regular vet check up last week I asked about the marrow bones I'd read about in this thread. But she said the chance of splintering isn't worth it. Maybe if it was supervised but still, the recent scare we had has really made me nervous trying anything with a risk. The only things I've found that may work are the are the "Check-ups" (but these are gone in about 60 seconds), the Red Barn pieced rawhide treats and a bully stick type (long cylindrical shape). I still supervise (am too nervous not to) and at least these treats come off in small pieces. I guess any thing's apt to get caught in their digestive tract when you think about it. But oh how I wish I could find something that is safe & would last for awhile. It's beyond frustrating.

My dogs seem to throw up from raw-hide. Does anyone's dog do the same?

My pup hasn't thrown up...but does seem to have runnier stools when she has been on a beefhide too long. I say beefhide because my vet says not to buy rawhide, but BEEFhide. When I asked about beef bones - the people at the pet store say beef bones don't splinter- my vet replied that all bones splinter and didn't recommend. I would love to spoil my baby with a beef fumur...maybe for her first birthday I will get her one and watch her like a hawk!

rawhide makes my guy constipated. Bulley sticks and cow hooves are what I give. He usually takes forever to go through them, but this week has gone through them rather quickly. :tapfoot:

WARNING ! DO NOT GIVE YOUR DOGS ANYTHING... No Bones, No dog food for theres poison, corn, and whatever else in it. Dont give them water they can drown. Lets give them invisable things, its the safest thing on the market out there. LOL

Hello everyone:

We only give our dogs rawhide lamb ears from Merrick or the crunchy beef tails which are also from Merrick. Both are made here in the USA and all natural.

They don't last long, so their not great for removing tartar. They are a nice occasional treat though.

Share Your Opinion On Rawhide Please

I wanted to ask if anyone would be interested in sharing their opinions on rawhide on my website as well. I have a page dedicated to this topic and I think your opinions are extremely valuable to others who may be new dog owners, etc. There is a link in the middle of the page so that you can enter your opinion.

Thank you so much.
Janie ;)

http://www.old-dog-treats-and-rawhide.com/rawhide-dog-chews.html

Great thread. I never knew it would be such a tough decision selecting something to chew on. I had initially gotten a rawhide, but guess I will be changing that now. I'm going around and around, but guess I'll just have to go and re-evaluate my choices after reading all the feedback. The Nylabone I guess might be my next try if Akela will try it. Wish me luck as we're still getting her used to her new home!

Akela - 2yr old Lab/Boxer mix adopted 4/17/09

The puppy trainer I go to says NO rawhide. She says she'll be giving us a handout as to why on the 3rd week.

I just bought two marrow bones (3" long with a 2" diameter at the smallest end) ... frozen and raw for $1.70 at the grocery today.

question for those that use raw bones... did I get the right thing? do I need to refridgerate them after she is done chewing on them? How long can I leave them out? How long before they need to go in the trash? anything else I need to know?

I plan to give them to her in the evening on a washable rug and try to train her to stay on the rug with it. She's a 22 lb 3/4 Lab pup born Jan 12, 2009

For marrow bones... most people give frozen and limit chew time to 30 minutes or so at a time, the pop them back in the freezer.

it might be a good idea to scoop the marrow out since it could cause tummy upset.

I'd throw the bone away when it becomes small enough for her to fit in her mouth and potentially swallow whole.

I will let Carmen chew raw hides, but only when I am able to watch her because she sometime likes to try and swallow the things whole. When they do get too small I will take them away, but with her still being a puppy I make sure she has something the chew on.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a9/NickG2082/profilepic.jpg

I have very little experience to base what I am saying on... but here is my :2cents: anyway. :D

Zoey is a chewer. She likes to chew anything and everything. Even concrete. After her first few days with us, she got comfortable and starting the chewing. Since then, she gets two 15 minute sessions of fetch in the backyard per day, and a nice long run in the evening. (usually around 2 miles) This seems to help SOME with the chewing. She also has a full basket of toys, mostly rope bones, or nylabones.

No rawhide. That stuff scares me. However, I have known a lot of people who give it to their dogs, and never had any problems. But, you can also say that about pretty much anything. :)

My dogs seem to throw up from raw-hide. Does anyone's dog do the same?
My labrador always throws up after hide bones. He is 5 years old. I do know they irritate the stomach.

It's like anything in life you need to decide for yourself if it's right for your dog. I know some dogs it's completely inappropriate for that particular dog to have raw hides to chew, because they swallow everything and are not slow careful chewers.

Dogs like mine have a perfectly fine time enjoying Rawhide slowly without incidence or problems.

I do give them to her in adult presence, she slowly licks, chews and gnaws forever, never a problem.

She also regularly chews on whole carrots sticks.
So it all depends on your own dog.

And I also taught her how to chew whole almonds (i eat a lot of raw almonds) and showed her how to chew them, and she copies me, it's the funniest thing to see her chew them to mush! That's my dog I know she is a slow careful chewer and eater in general.

what about bully sticks?

Would you say the whole issue can be resolved by raw feeding? Never even seen a hint of yellow on Emmas teeth and she is soo shiney too :D

I've heard that since rawhides are only 80% digestible they can get clogged in a dog's intestines or something, but I've never heard of it actually happening. Maybe the manager where I used to work just told me that so I could move more bully sticks and porkhide, haha.

My dog just wants to chew... she has chewed up all her toys... the only thing she hasn't destroyed in her kong and she only chews it when there is food inside it. I need to have things she wants to chew on because I keep pulling the kids' toys out of her mouth. ugh.

I got those rawhide chips, and in the ingredients it only says rawhide. I decided to give it a try. I have four dogs and 3 of them had no problems. But of course my lab Sadie had problems. It would not completely block her but it would partially for the rest of the day, so everything she ate would almost instantly come back up. It took her a whole 2 days seemingly to digest the small chip. She would never vomit the rawhide, just the food. Never again for Sadie pants.:eek:

So what do you all use for safe, supervised chewing?

an oak log usually does the trick....lol....

i will be getting a puppy in 2 weeks and was wondering if it can play with raw hide or is it bad for puppy teeth? thanks!

troutbumgreg: I've given my pups rawhide. Just watch out for the choking hazard once they wear the toy down or if it breaks into pieces.

ZenCat:This is a Great post. Thanks for this info

We had a giant mutt some years back. We often gave him and our other dog the rawhide chews.

One day while I was watching TV he came right up to me face to face. I tried to move him to the side because he was blocking the TV but he kept coming back into my face staring at me.

I finally noticed that his breathing sounded funny. I opened his mouth and looked inside.

At the very back of his mouth/top of his throat, I saw a small piece of gooey rawhide. I grabbed it and pulled on it and a piece the size of the sole of a shoe came out of his throat. He was most grateful.

We have never bought rawhide chews for any of our dogs after that.

Be CAREFUL with rawhides!!!!!! I absolutely will not give my dogs rawhides again after this morning.

I had a bowel obstruction scare this morning with Solstice, my 1yo black lab...She was literally throwing up feces...almost rushed her to the vet but then she threw up a HUGE hunk of rawhide and has been acting fine since. I even monitored her chewing last night but SOMEHOW she swallowed a huge chunk. It could have been fatal..... Anyone have ideas on other SAFE treats?

But like a previous poster said, it's up to your dog. My Solstice is a HOG and not a careful eater, whereas my chocolate lab Josie takes her sweet time and is very gentle. I guess it's up to your dog! Personally, I'm not going to take the risk again with rawhides

Oh my!!! Our boy used to polish off a rawhide in under 10 minutes :eek: Thankfully we never had an issue with rawhides, but I think I'll stick to Kongs to be on the safe side.

I know it's been said over and over again so at this point one more time could not hurt but might annoy lol

Everything in moderation AND depending on the dog. I've seen small breed dogs who can chew through a rawhide in minutes and Great Danes that took weeks. It's not about the breed so much as it is about the individual dog!

As with anything you choose to do with your dog or allow your dog to do is really only up to YOU. You know your dog best and in the end only you know if rawhide is a safe chew toy for your dog.

We like to give our dogs bully sticks. You still need to watch your dog when you give them one, but they take absolutely forever to get through (i.e. 30 minutes for a thick 6" one) but they are fully digestible.

We get ours online at AllNaturalBullySticks.com

I think it depends on the dog. My big boys chew them for weeks.

My pup eats them like candy! Her we watch closely.

yeah my girl can finish one of the 12" ones in 20 mins

My boy Cass loves rawhides, but after a very scary stomach incident that involved a 2 day stay in ICU, the vet said no more rawhides... Any recommendations on a safer alternative for him to chew on because he absolutely loves chews!!

My boy Cass loves rawhides, but after a very scary stomach incident that involved a 2 day stay in ICU, the vet said no more rawhides... Any recommendations on a safer alternative for him to chew on because he absolutely loves chews!!
I like the little kongs. labs have super strong jaws and they are hard rubber that flexes against the jaws. all the labs i have ever had have loved them. i also have always had lots of luck with nylabones. they make flavored ones that last a lot longer than rawhide does.

i just got a new lab puppy. i bought him a few toys from petsmart. stuff a treat in it and he'll go crazy for it. i sometimes put a little peanut butter in it too. after a few play sessions with food in it, he will play with it all the time, treats or not.

i also recommend kong's stuffed toys if you want something a little softer. they are expensive in my opinion, but worth it. i got him this giraffe and he likes to chew on it a lot. it has a thickly woven braid in it that has held up against my dog's 3 month old jaws.


i will never use a rawhide with any dog. many years ago, before i knew better, i gave my first lab a rawhide and he got it stuck in the back of his throat. i got it out, and he was fine. i was more traumatized by it than anything. never again. switched to nylabones and kongs and 5 minutes later, he had his new favorite toys.

EDIT: i tried to put pics and links in for this stuff, but this is my first post and i can not post links or images. sorry!

Mia loves her kong. I usually mix up some dog biscuits and kibble with a bit of peanut butter and shove it all in there. I used to just put some dry biscuits in there, but the little punk figured out that if you crunch the kong, you get crunched treats. Peanut butter and kibble helps there. Its also her favorite toy to fetch, it bounces a bit sporadically and keeps her on her toes. :P

I might try the "extreme" kong when hers wears out. No more crushing the dog biscuits.

i feed them to lucy about one 4in roll a day. she takes about 30 min to chew it up, she use to crunch them but has recently slowed down.