As we approach Christmas, I wanted to drop a quick note/reminder about the dangers of rawhide for our babies! Rawhide Christmas treats are on almost every shelf right now, and we all want to shower our babies with love and a little extra for the season, but rawhide comes with so many risks. A quick Google search will show pages and pages of articles on the dangers of rawhide, and I have provided an excerpt from one below for your reference.
The material they are made from is not digestible and is often toxic.
In our house, we give dental chews daily, and we occasionally offer yogurt chews, yak chews, and sweet potato chews as well. For little Miss Scarlett, I offer smaller portions or cut them down to a manageable size for her. When we can get them, I give raw chicken feet, and raw meat bones, elk, deer, or beef. You can often get beef bones at your local butcher block if you ask for them. And of course, there are lots of Kong-type toys to choose from.
Every puppy and dog is different, and some chew more than others. We have a variety of chewers in our home, from chewing the stuffing out and murdering the squeaker to gently mouthing the toy and drenching it in slobber, so I always have a variety of toys available, and we never offer rawhide in our house.
Choking and blockages – Dogs can and will chew off and swallow large pieces of rawhide that can get stuck in their esophagus, stomach, and intestines. Rawhide is indigestible and can swell up to four times its original size as it passes through the digestive system. Blockages can form that may require surgery or in the worst case, may lead to death.
Contamination and chemicals – Even premium raw hides for dogs can contain trace amounts of toxic chemicals, dyes, and preservatives used in the manufacturing process. As a common practice, Arsenic, ethoxyquin, formaldehyde, sodium sulfide liming, hydrogen peroxide, and other chemicals such as BHA and BHT are used as chemical preservatives to increase the shelf life of these dog chews. Other potentially harmful contaminants include antibiotics, lead, and insecticides.
Digestive Problems – Some dogs are sensitive or allergic to rawhide or other substances used to make these dog chews, which can cause problems like diarrhea.
Labelling – Rawhide, for dogs, is not considered a food item and is therefore not covered by any labeling, processing, or content laws.