Is raw hide really bad?

engin33ring · 11-06-2009, 12:36 PM

I've tried to research online abour raw hide for puppies. I heard they are great for overall oral hygiene, so I started giving her some every few days. She will chew on it for hours if I don't take it from her. I have read horror stories about what could happen if left unattended. I hear that she could choke on it if she breaks of a chunk and swallows. I also here that it can cause digestive problems.

My question is, how bad is it for them. It seems that for most dogs use them with no negative outcome. Is it just a few horror stories that are scaring me? Is it simply that the dog was an aggressive chewer or would try to break the bone in half? I would ideally be giving it to her every few days for 15 minutes or so, sometimes as a reward, but mainly to keep her teeth clean.

KBLover · 11-06-2009, 01:03 PM

I've heard the "Regular" rawhide can get stringy/gummy and that can mess up their digestive system. "Pressed" rawhide is better because they have to chew/crunch it (it's harder - like a hard dog biscuit) so the only thing the worry about is making sure they don't take a huge chunk off at a time.

With any chew stuff, you do want to watch the dog to get an idea of how forceful his chewing/biting is. Like with Wally, I don't have to worry too much if I gave him a hard edible bone (or even cooked steak bones) because he can't break off like half the bone and swallow it. He has to chew it up into smaller pieces.

If I had a dog with a stronger bite or more forceful chewer, I'd have to be much more careful.

15 minutes or so is a good time for a rawhide - just keep watching her when you do give it to her. Also consider non-edible bones like Nylabones or even the edible bones from Nylabone. I gave Wally one of those and he was sniffing the carpet for 10 minutes after it was gone trying to find it again.

It was the bacon flavored edible bone.

Again, even with those - watch her and see how she's chewing on it. They can get worn down, especially if the dog takes to it and is a truly determined chewer.

Binkalette · 11-06-2009, 01:22 PM

Yes, rawhide can be deadly if they manage to eat enough of it.. It gums up and can cause intestinal blockages which require surgery. We had to stop giving Zoey rawhide for this exact reason.. She was ok to have them when she was a puppy because it would take her 45 minutes to get anywhere with it, but then as she got older, she started really working them. Now it would take her less than five minutes and she could have that whole thing gone.

I tried a few other things.. I got some real bones.. but that was kind of gross to have as a chew since they like to bring them up onto the bed and such.. Then I got a Nylabone Healthy Edible, because it was nice and smelly and it felt REALLY hard.. I thought, "This will take her a while!". WRONG. I gave her the bone, turned around and finished putting away the other things I bought, and looked back.. 2 1/2 minutes must have elapsed.. and Zoey is sitting there with half a bone.

So our next step was to get a non-edible nylabone.. I was worried she wouldn't like it because it's Nylon and all.. but they both LOVE them.. Still a bit concerned about that bite force though.. All of these chew marks were made by Zoe...

KBLover · 11-06-2009, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Binkalette

So our next step was to get a non-edible nylabone.. I was worried she wouldn't like it because it's Nylon and all.. but they both LOVE them.. Still a bit concerned about that bite force though.. All of these chew marks were made by Zoe...

Looks familiar

I hate stepping on them - always seem to catch the most jagged, gnawed on part with my foot.

Which flavor is the white one? I've never tried that one with Wally.

Binkalette · 11-06-2009, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KBLover

Looks familiar

I hate stepping on them - always seem to catch the most jagged, gnawed on part with my foot.

Which flavor is the white one? I've never tried that one with Wally.

I think they are the Chicken flavor.. I could be wrong though.. I might have chosen the original.. or.. maybe original is chicken flavor?? lol..

briteday · 11-06-2009, 06:43 PM

Rawhide also has horrible chemicals associated with it. They bleach the stuff and ...ick....Raw bones are just as effective with no additives.

BobSD · 11-06-2009, 07:47 PM

Rawhide is not digested in the body so what goes in must come out in whole.
I watch my guys chew a raw hide and they remind me of carpenter ants, instead of chewing the ends they like to get as much in there mouth at at time and work off a good size chunk, thats when I said no more rawhide.

With that said I ask myself why has rawhide been around so long, and even the vet I go to sells special treated raw hide for supposedly for teeth cleaning. I tried it and thats where they were getting very large section all in there mouth, and my little girl kept trying to swallow it while it was too large to get it down, I rushed to her a took it out of her mouth while she seem to be choking her. Wow!!

The only thing that works for me and I feel safe with is the Bully Sticks, Because I have min-schnauzers, I feel people with the smaller breeds this is the greatest tooth and gum conditioner going, other than real raw bones but not sure if they can splinter. The problem with larger breed dogs they go through it too fast and may swallow the last three or four inches, not good. I take the B.Sticks away before it gets too small, and it is fully digestible, they seem to work a small portion at a time at the very end of the stick, so only small amounts is being consumed. So they get about three or four 15-20 minute sessions, thats all they need for good daily gum stimulation. My career was in dentistry and I monitor the results almost daily. I do not know about wild animals, may be different, only my dogs.

I learned about Bully Sticks here, BTW

,

Labsnothers · 11-06-2009, 08:18 PM

Since the dog guide school we raise puppies for has long forbidden giving their puppies rawhide, we never have. I have read many bad reports about it. My vet says the worst thing are the little squares. Some dogs will bolt them down whole and tear their throat.

I like to base my opinions on hard facts. Unfortunately, they seem to be hard to come by too often in the dog world. I have done searches too, and never found anything conclusive. The worst thing is that even when you find something, you need to be careful it isn't a pack of lies put up by somebody with an agenda.

I end up trusting the dog guide school. I know what their agenda is, not having to ever replace a dog that choked to death on a rawhide. After all, you can buy a nice car for what it costs to train a dog.

Michiyo-Fir · 11-06-2009, 08:24 PM

A dog I know (shih tzu mix) had a blockage from swallowing large chunks of raw hide. He ended up having a surgery to get it out.

So I personally wouldn't use it. I'd probably use bully sticks instead or nylabones.

Shell · 11-06-2009, 08:40 PM

My boxer mix could chew and swallow a rawhide bone in mere minutes. Pieces of rawhide were nearly swallowed whole.

So he gets an extreme Kong (the black one) with peanut butter and sometimes dry food or dog biscuits squished inside and he really will work that a long time. And the bouncy factor is great, he will throw it around the living room (hardwood floors) and chase it for a half hour easy.

He has an extra large Nylabone that he does chew and has barely made a dent in but he really isn't that into it. I think maybe it doesn't have a flavor to him and since he is well trained about not chewing stuff around the house, it might be too much like a regular object for him. The upside though is that I feel comfortable leaving it on the floor when I am not watching him as I have seen him chew it HARD and not break off pieces. Tiny scrapes come off but that's harmless and expected.

HORSEandHOUND · 11-06-2009, 10:36 PM

rawhide is treated with formaldehyde which is a carcinogen, and is frequently manufactured in countries with little to no regulation *coughCHINAcough*

sorry, no dried up preserved dead animal skins for my guys!

SandyPuppy · 11-07-2009, 03:42 PM

Sandy loves rawhide and I used to give it to her until she started throwing up blood and chunks of rawhide. Thank God she didn't get a blockage and require surgery. I had no idea at the time that they are undigestable and so dangerous. I will never use rawhide again.

aphioni · 11-07-2009, 04:53 PM

why isn't there are law against rawhide! I can only imagine how many poor dogs die or have surgeries because uniformed owners think it's a good treat for theire pets.

SandyPuppy · 11-07-2009, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aphioni

why isn't there are law against rawhide! I can only imagine how many poor dogs die or have surgeries because uniformed owners think it's a good treat for theire pets.

I know, if I start thinking about it, it really pisses me off. I'm just so thankful that Sandy wasn't harmed worse than she was.

Labsnothers · 11-07-2009, 07:22 PM

What surprises me is no big class action lawsuit. There was a big one about Greenies.

KBLover · 11-07-2009, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Labsnothers

What surprises me is no big class action lawsuit. There was a big one about Greenies.

Yep.

Wally never got Greenies before, but he won't ever after I read about that and other stories/accounts of problems with that line of products.

GatsbysMom · 11-07-2009, 07:56 PM

Do the vast, vast majority of pet owners in America feed their dogs rawhide without a second thought, and without consequence? Yes.

But this is a group of extra-enlightened, extra-educated dog lovers so you're getting skewed answers.

The fact is, sometimes rawhide can cause problems. It's whether or not you think it's worth the risk.

I was way too scared to feed Gatsby rawhide due to the posts here, then I finally did -- and now I know why posters here are mostly anti-rawhide. A 4 inch long piece of rawhide came out with his poop. So never again for us, but I have a lot of friends who feed their dogs rawhide and they're just fine.

Labsnothers · 11-07-2009, 10:15 PM

Yeah, that is why I would really like to see some numbers. We know rawhide has killed dogs. One in 10, one in 10 million????????

BobSD · 11-07-2009, 10:46 PM

I feel the most important part is what kind of chewer your dog is? My first dog was a dobbie, and he would chew and chew, the heck out of anything before it went down. back then I did not know of the bad side of rawhide, but he died of old age, and took a little of me with him, bless him..........still miss him alot...

TxRider · 11-08-2009, 09:08 PM

50+ years of dogs chewing rawhides here without any issues.

Never saw any come out the other end either.

I do prefer the pressed rawhide stuff though if I'm going to give it to her, it's not a solid piece but little pieces like large sawdust pressed together.

Hope loves rawhide, she chews it up good. If any significant pieces came out the other end I would know it, I have to pick it up after all.

I tend to give her pig ears more, but with rawhide it's usually flat strips, mainly compressed stuff, not the coiled up or tied up bone type things. I've given her the bones, but she ends up burying them usually, and digging up a nasty dirty wet slimy bone later.

Choking on too big a piece would be the only thing I fear, if it's small enough she can swallow it I'm pretty confident it'll pass on through, especially the compressed stuff. I only give rawhides to her when I am watching as well.

The only chew I had a problem with was a hoof.