Is rawhide bad for my puppy? Alternatives?

EllenCherryCharles · 02-23-2007, 09:44 AM

The vet gave us some special dental rawhide things. I don't know what they are made of, but she said that they were better for him than the traditional rawhide. I've been looking for them at the pet store, but can't seem to find them. All I see are a million dried animal parts

I don't know what is good/bad/ugly for my puppy to chew on. He's had rawhide in the past and LOVES it. I think I've read that rawhide isn't good for them, although I don't know why. He needs things to chew on as he's teething right now. He has some nylabones but they just aren't as interesting for him. His kong is great, but he gets bored with it once the treats are removed. Are any of these chewy things acceptable to give to dogs/puppies? If not, WHY is there an entire AISLE of them? LOL

flirtatioustara · 02-23-2007, 10:18 AM

they must be good if you got it off your vet? surely?

in the vets by me they sell things like that there, not an extensive range but things like worming/flea-ing tablets/liquids, etc...also some dental care. maybe you could get some from your vet?

i dont know what country your from so couldnt tell you of stores id think of looking in. maybe try searching on google for stores that sell them? thats what i usually do!

Or maybe a more helpful person than me, will be along soon lmao

briteday · 02-23-2007, 10:32 AM

The rawhide your vet gave you probably contains chlorohexaphosphate (I'm not sure on the spelling but if interested you could googe dog dental products). CET is a manufacturer that gives samples to vets in particular. My dog always comes home with a goody bag after a dental cleaning because she forms plaque quickly.
That being said, I have found similar treats at Walmart (Hartley brand?...blue label, made by Hartz) in rolls, flip chips, and bones...much less expensive. You can also get Petrodex chew products at Petsmart in the dental care area. However, these can get expensive if you are giving them daily. Don't be confused by dental chews on the market that contain chlorophyll, baking soda or parsley. Those ingredients do not promote the enzymatic anti-bacterial action that others do. I buy the ones at Walmart, leave them out for chewing all the time, and brush my dogs' teeth every night with a special dog toothpaste by Petrodex that also contains the enzyme that kills the plaque bacteria. Do not use human toothpaste, ever.

I don't think rawhide is good for every dog. If your dog is the type that can make a rawhide piece last for at least a few days, then I think it's ok. And I buy bones that are one size larger than normal for my dogs, especially the pup who is an aggressive chewer. The larger bones make the dog gnaw at the knotted ends for a long time before they actually get to chew the easy parts. But if a dog wolfs down a rawhide in a matter of an hour or two...I imagine all of this goo rolling around in their gut and mucking up the digestive works, as well as impacting their appetite and eating habits. I've had a few like that and would only give them rawhide chews for a few minutes after meals to work the plaque off, and then take it away.

Bottom line, I would start brushing my dog's teeth at a young age, give rawhide treats with limits.

cjac&mac · 02-23-2007, 11:07 AM

IMO rawhide should not be fed to any dog under the age of six months. Depending on the breed of dog, maybe even longer.

Rawhide is undigestable. Meaning that when a dog consumes rawhide it sits in it's stomach and intestines, and swells untill it is passed. Even then you chance it not passing for several days. Ever notice after your dog eats a rawhide bone, then his stool the next day is slimy or 'off' in some way? That's rawhide.

For a developing dog, the last thing you want to do is let something that does not break down sit in it's digestive system. How is it supposed to break it down when it hasn't even fully developed itself?

As for using rawhide as a 'dental' treat.....you have a puppy. It's going to loose those puppy teeth by at least 4 months. After that, he has "brand new" adult teeth that don't have tarter or plaque build up! I'm not saying don't practise good oral health with your puppy. I'm just saying don't do it at the expense of your puppys overall health.

Pork hide is digestable. If it is safe for your puppy to do so, feed Pork rolls (pig hide rolled up), or pigs ears. Other digestable safe treats are, Veal & Beef chews (Bull or calf penis), lamb ears, cow hooves, beef and pork snouts, tendons, moo tubes (trachea).

Always monitor your puppy to make sure any of these products are chewed properly. Plus do not feed several in a day or week as most of these are high in calories!

EllenCherryCharles · 02-23-2007, 11:57 AM

Thanks! I am in the US, and I guess my real issue was that I didn't want to pay an arm and a leg for the fancy pants rawhides if there was something less expensive but just as good. I didn't know what to look for at the store as I never see where they come from or what the bag looks like at the vet's office. Those chemical names help. I'll keep an eye out at walmart or petsmart. The rawhides get pretty gross after lots of chewing and I wouldn't want that churning around in his stomach. He's pretty good with the "bone shaped" ones. He goes through the flatter ones in a few hours of chewing (although they last a few days because he doesn't chew them continuously). Anyway, I'll look for something more healthy and also look into toothpaste.

As an aside, is it normal for teething puppies to have tiny amounts of blood where their teeth are coming in?

cockapoolvr · 02-23-2007, 01:13 PM

I just took my 4 month old puppy to the vet and he told me that within 2 weeks my puppy's teeth are going to start to fall out. He said don't panic if I see a little blood. I may or may not even see the baby teeth, cause he may swallow them.
So don't panic with a little blood.

briteday · 02-23-2007, 02:38 PM

I think it's pretty normal to have a little bleeding where the teeth are sprouting out.
I wouldn't give a dog without permanent teeth any rawhide either.

And I've had dogs like yours that weren't interested in nylabones.

Kongs have never failed me, especially the bell shaped ones that I stuff with peanut butter and kibble/treats and put in the freezer. I've not had a dog yet that didn't beg for those.

What kind of dog do you have?

Roxxy · 02-23-2007, 03:08 PM

I work in an animal clinic and i have seen several dogs come in as an emergency because they have choked on rawhide. I won't give my dogs rawhide but i will give them edible chews that come in different flavors. They are digestible . Always supervise with any chewable bone.

CrzyBritNAmerica · 02-23-2007, 03:21 PM

We used to give our dog (at 1 1/2 years old) rawhide bones, which she LOVED, but one time she stood up from sleeping and threw up a the WHOLE middle piece of the bone (the part that is in between the two knots)! I FREAKED of course and I thank god that she DID throw it up or else it could have mean surgery and/or burst intestines! I have never given her a bone like that since. We still give her rawhide, but the small, thin, square-shaped chews. And she is ONLY allowed them occaisionally and when one of us is with her (in the same room).

But I also agree with the other who said it, I wouldn't give a puppy rawhide. I have been told by vets that they shouldn't have it before they have all of their permanent teeth.
A lot of people also say that rawhide is not easily (or just not) digestible...which may well be true, but my families dog has been chewing it the 12 1/2 years we've had her and she is fit as a fiddle...so it depends.

Just remember to ALWAYS supervise the puppy/dog if you do decide to give it rawhide.

AsankaDogs · 02-24-2007, 12:59 PM

An alternative is Antlerz. They are deer antlerz cut and cleaned, the wild smell that we can't detect drives them wild for it. Our Siberian is a year old and is a heavy chewer.

Some boutiques have them though they fly out of stock due to increasing demand.

Antlerz are completely natural, no additives or preservatives.

david · 03-06-2007, 09:32 AM

Do not buy rawhide made in china or mexico that is pure white
Real rawhide is brown. The other varietys use bleach for cosmetic attraction
Very bad for your dog

Ginny01OT · 03-06-2007, 05:59 PM

My dog had persistent ear infections and our vet to take away rawhide as they has a propensity to facilitate ear infections in some dogs--we took the rawhide away and changed his dog food to raw and he is fine now!!

MagicToller · 03-06-2007, 06:07 PM

Quote:

they must be good if you got it off your vet? surely?

That's a very dangerous train of thought.

Just because the Vet recommends it, doesn't make it an automatic OK for your dog.

Case in point?

Recommendation of foods like Hill's Science Diet and Iams
Compound Vaccine Boosters
Unnecessary yearly vaccines
Over worming
Over prescribing anti-biotics.

LoveLilly · 03-07-2007, 11:40 AM

I give dehydrated sweet potato slices, bully sticks and chicken "rawhide" to my Papillon. I avoid a rawhide as I have heard it does not digest and causes issues. Lilly's favorite are Flossies, they are made by the bully stick people. Bully sticks are some part of the cow so when they chew on them they just become melted and gummy and I am told cause no issues. Alot of people give their dogs pig ears but they give Lilly horrible tummy aches b/c they cause trapped gas for her.

EllenCherryCharles · 03-07-2007, 01:33 PM

Thanks for all the advice everyone! We have switched to some of the edible chew bone things made by nylabone (or maybe its booda?). They aren't as tough as the traditional nylabone and he seems to like them a lot. No more rawhide. We also started letting him chew/play with ice cubes. This seems to ease some of the pain of teething.

netsirk · 03-08-2007, 12:39 PM

How about taking your kong treat, filling it with canned dog food, and putting it in the freezer until frozen? This keeps my dogs entertained for quite some time.
I also found a great product online that my two retrievers do well with Quest bones ( I think they come in a 3-pack). I don't know where else you can get them, but I order mine from www.petsupplies4less.com. Hope this helps!