Are rawhides bad for dogs?

[shredhead (DOG LOVER)]

I went to a site for dachshunds on the Chazhound Directory. I than read an article that rawhides contains thing that are harmful to dogs. Is this true or is this article crazy?

Here is the article http://gatewaysc.org/u/gateway/kate.w/chewtoys.html

http://gatewaysc.org/u/gateway/kate.w/chewtoys.html
http://gatewaysc.org/u/gateway/kate.w/chewtoys.html

[pitbulliest]

Yes it is true. It can be toxic and harmful for dogs and alot of stores have actually taken rawhide products off their shelves. I definately don't give it to my dogs and I don't suggest anyone offering rawhide for their animals. BAD BAD stuff.

[Renee750il]

Ooohhh, we had this discussion a while back. You'll want to read the thread at http://www.chazhound.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43

[MEG126]

ok i read the previous thread there was a link to, and now i have some follow up questions...

rawhides are chemically treated so that they lose the hair that's on them. Since most rawhides you give to your pets are NOT made in the United States, the US can not regulate the chemicals used.
- so are rawhides that are made in the US safe for dogs? or safeR?

it was mentioned several times that whenever dogs do get rawhide bones, that they should be under supervision. is that as a prevention incase they start to choke, etc? (just wondering if i'm missing out on something else...)

also, are nyla bones safe??

thanks in advance...

[MrBauersWife]

Nyla bones should be safe as long as you match the dogs strength to the bone. For instance for strong chewers like my Golden I would get the strongest they make. Petals is an extremely strong chewer and has had 2 of her Galeleio bones (made by Nyla) for 2 years. I never give her any rawhides.

[Brattina88]

I've heard that raw hide are a huge DON'T for dogs that eat them so fast they practically swallow them is a couple bites becaise it causes intestine blockage almost immmeadiatly. You know they type, bottomless pits that eat anything, or just rawhide crazy pooches. I don't trust them much myself
I don't give my dogs rawhides, except Maddie. Once a year. On her birthday.

[MEG126]

yea we got a nyla bone for my golden... she doesn't like it much tho. i think it's too hard for her. i mean she likes to chew stuff and she destroys rope toys really fast, but i think she likes things that like, she can get her teeth into. like she's obsessed with rope toys and we have a good strong one... i guess we'll just have to go find a nyla bone that maybe has a little more give to it? so it's tough and will hold up but she can still sink her teeth into it a little.. she likes tennis balls but doesn't chew on them, and she has this one toy that she loves and it squeaks and we're amazed it hasn't been destroyed yet. anyways i'll have to take a look at petsmart next time i'm out there!

[Renee750il]

Originally Posted by MEG126

ok i read the previous thread there was a link to, and now i have some follow up questions...

rawhides are chemically treated so that they lose the hair that's on them. Since most rawhides you give to your pets are NOT made in the United States, the US can not regulate the chemicals used.
- so are rawhides that are made in the US safe for dogs? or safeR?

it was mentioned several times that whenever dogs do get rawhide bones, that they should be under supervision. is that as a prevention incase they start to choke, etc? (just wondering if i'm missing out on something else...)

also, are nyla bones safe??

thanks in advance...

I try not to give my dogs any kind of animal chew product manufactured outside the U.S. for this very reason.

Here's a link to the Orbee-tuff Bone. Mine love it and they haven't been able to destroy it! There aren't even teeth marks left in it. Unbelievable!

http://www.planetdog.com/dog-toys.asp?ID=8

[MEG126]

oh that sounds good! the one we got it was like ROCK HARD and she hates it. (and my mom hates that she hates it because it cost like $18) this one that you gave me the link to said it's flexible so she'll prolly like it better. i think we're definitely going to have to stop the rawhides. she doesn't get them that frequently, just when we go on vacation- and now after reading these two threads, that's really bad! thanks!!

[Ratboy]

The rawhide good/rawhide bad is one of those things like religion, there are believers on both sides and some of them get crazy about it. I have asked several (3) vets about it, with a total experience of nearly 80 years, and none of them had any problems with it. None had ever seen any complications from it (suffocation or intestinal blockages), ever. I asked them because I had a dog that went through a huge amount of it daily, and I heard the stories about "dogs that died from ...while eating rawhide".
One of them made the comment, "I have taken about a dozen socks out over the years, that were causing blockages, but no rawhide, ever".

My dog lived for over 14 and a half years and as a result of prostate cancer that spread, rawhide never bothered him a bit. He was one of those "super chewers" that sawed through anything he wanted at an amazing speed. He had a huge head and throat and used to swallow 1/4" thick, cigarette package sized hunks after sawing them off a bigger piece. He loved the beef basted rawhide, and his teeth were still white and looked great the day he died. We never had to touch his teeth at all.

One of my present dogs likes it, one doesn't. The one that does has it available to her at all times, and she probably has 3-4 pieces of the "chew-eez" a day. Her teeth are nearly spotless, my other dog will be getting his cleaned next year as he has a moderate amount of plaque.

I guess I'm a Rawhide - Yes! Member.