Rawhide Treats May Be Deadly to Your Dog

Dogs need to chew right? Rawhide has been a very popular treat for dogs since the 1950's. Recently, we have begun to understand why Rawhide chews are not the best choice for dogs and may be deadly. Rawhide treats are made from dried out animal hide, bones, ears, tails & hooves and come from cows, pigs, lambs and horses. In some countries such as China and Thailand, where their slaughter is not illegal, dog and cat parts are used in the treats intended for the same pets and sold to the United States. Parts are obtained from slaughterhouses then processed and treated usually by soaking the animal parts in lye or lime, deadly chemicals used to make soap, drain opener and other caustic chemical cleaners.

To remove the solution, the animal parts are then bleached - yet another harmful chemical in the product. In some countries, arsenic is used in the treatment process. The rawhide is then formed into a shape that will attract the consumer (and that's you, the one with the wallet) such as a bone, ball or stick. Some rawhide treats have flavors added.

The manufacturing process should make it clear that these are not suitable treats for your pet. The chemicals in rawhide can be extremely harmful to your dog and the manufacturing process may result in salmonella and other harmful bacteria that pose a risk to humans who handle rawhide as well as dogs who chew them. In 2008 the FDA recalled Hartz Rawhide treats for possible salmonella contamination. Salmonella poisoning in dogs causes vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, bloody diarrhea, dehydration, and lethargy and may lead to death.

There are basic physical dangers to dogs resulting from chewing rawhide. Choking is common when a dog breaks off a piece of rawhide and tries to swallow it. The piece of rawhide may become lodged in the throat and cause your dog to choke to death.

When a piece of rawhide is broken off and swallowed successfully, it swells up in the stomach or intestine and may cause a blockage which can kill your dog at worst and require painful and expensive surgery at best. Blockages caused by rawhide are quite common, it is very easy for dogs to break off a piece of rawhide - they have no understanding that you are supposed to chew and not eat.

Some recommend that you supervise your pet while they chew rawhide, but there is no way you can keep your dog from breaking off a piece. Dogs cannot digest rawhide. If they are lucky, the piece is small enough to pass through their system. If they are not lucky, a life threatening blockage will occur.

There are other ways rawhide may harm your dog. Broken teeth are common from chewing on rawhide treats. Some dogs who are otherwise friendly become extremely food aggressive while chewing on a rawhide treat. Many dogs may be allergic to rawhide treats and experience extreme itching. Rawhide will be among the first thing eliminated for a dog with skin allergies.

You will find that may pet stores, both online and brick and mortar will recommend rawhide chews. They recommend rawhide because they sell rawhide! Consider the source and do not be influenced by those recommendations. Similarly, long time dog owners will swear by rawhide because it's what they have always given their dogs. Like a great grandmother who put babies to sleep on their stomach or used a teaspoon of whiskey to soother an infant's cough, times have changed and so has what we believe to be safe for our loved ones.

Considering the dangerous consequences of offering rawhide treats to your dog, rawhide treats are no treat!