# Verdict on rawhide?



## SF Golden (Dec 10, 2008)

Hi All,

Day 3 with our new 5 month old! We bought a bunch of treats and are experimenting what he likes. He loves his rawhide chewies, but I've read "mixed" reviews on safety, digestion and calories. Any thoughts? Are rawhides a good choice for chewies? We also bought Nylabones....he didn't care for one, but we're trying another later this week!

Thanks!


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## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

In my experience the rawhides can be good and Very bad. I've had dogs that do fine with them and dogs that have slobbered them to the point of being choking hazards. My advice is to try them but to watch VERY closely to see how your pup does.


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## Ant (Feb 25, 2007)

George's vet whom I trust sez NO RAWHIDE!

Good enough for me.


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## Ardeagold (Feb 26, 2007)

I never give rawhides. Never.

I used to ... but two different dogs pulled off a piece, swallowed it and got it caught in their throats. Fortunately, I could get my fingers down far enough to pull the pieces out. If I hadn't been right there, they'd be dead.


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## KatzNK9 (Feb 27, 2007)

I never give rawhides either (too dangerous). Try bully sticks. They're safe & the dogs love them.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

I never had a problem with them with Gus (my older dog), but he was never that enthusiastic about them either.

The younger dog, Comet, came with a stipulation from the breeder that he never be given rawhides or bully sticks because of choking and GI obstruction hazards.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

no rawhide, no way. YECH. Nasty stuff! Choking hazard, intestinal obstruction hazard, and implicated in cancers due to the tanning process, especially rawhide processed overseas (most of it), which is treated with arsenic.


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## Jo Ellen (Feb 25, 2007)

Try some deer antlers. I've heard good things about them and they last a long time.


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## agoldenliferanch (Aug 1, 2008)

I agree..there are much better options than rawhide. Bully sticks, marrow bones when big teeth are in are better options. Puppy nylabones are okay but I don't use them anymore for adult Goldens, too easy to chew off the plastic.


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## SylviaB (Jul 5, 2008)

We tried the big white rawhides with the knots on the end that the adoption center sent home with Tundra when we were "trying him out"....made him have an upset stomach. Then we tried the pressed rawhides and he really liked them (he's a really, really big chewer) but we'd only let him have them a short while at a time. Well, he got to keep one longer than usual, ate a lot of it and well, $300 later (no obstruction, but really did a number on his insides) it's no more rawhide for him. He gets Nylabones and Kongs!

Sylvia


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Rawhides make my sister's lab violently ill, for what it's worth. He loves them and chews them right away until they're gone. And then, a couple of hours later, she has to deal with the consequences....


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

Just say NO!


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## WLR (May 11, 2008)

Give him a nice raw beef soup bone. You'll see doggie nirvana.


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## SF Golden (Dec 10, 2008)

Thanks everyone! Great advice & happy holidays!!!


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## Brady's mom (Dec 20, 2007)

No rawhide here! Unfortunately we got a bunch of rawhide chews for Xmas from various relatives and it's all going in the trash.


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## Heidi36oh (Feb 27, 2007)

No raw hides here.


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## Ash (Sep 11, 2007)

Brady's mom said:


> No rawhide here! Unfortunately we got a bunch of rawhide chews for Xmas from various relatives and it's all going in the trash.


You can always donate them to your local shelter or SPCA?


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## MillysMom (Nov 5, 2008)

This is probably a stupid question, but what exactly are y'all classifying as rawhide? 

Milly hates those white bones with the knots on the end (well, actually, she has no interest in them... so I'm not sure if that is hate... she won't even go near them), but, every now and then she's been known to chow down on a pig ear (yes, I know, those are controversial), and I have these beef chews (texture of rawhide) that she absolutely loves--she doesn't wolf them down, and just slowly sort of licks at them and lightly nibbles. She adores them, and I've always wondered how awful for them they probably are... so, just what does constitute rawhide?

Part of me feels like I'm doing her wrong by giving into her desire and giving her these beef chews, but, at the same time she absolutely adores them, and when it comes to treats it is hard to make her get that excited unless I've just experimented with a new recipe in the kitchen! The beef chews are flat and rectangle... definitley not a rawhide bone or stick, but not quite pig ear shape either. Hmmmm, now I'm worrying I'm doing her more harm than good. We sort of stumbled upon this love accidently, a friend gave them to her and she loved them. Tons of people give her the white rawhide bones for gifts (those go right to the SPCA bc I know she won't so much as look at them), she does enjoy the occassional pig ear (maybe every 3 months or so), but the pigishness of them weirds me out so she only gets those at doggie day care. 

This is a really long post, but now I'm worried sick that I'm hurting my dog! I mostly give her greenies, and these beef sticks from Whole Foods that sort of have the texture of if you dehydrated a Slim Jim (weird, I know!).

Basically, I'm the kind of dog owner that if I learn something should possibly hurt my dog I stop using it. I'm always striving to give my girl the best possible life I can!


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## Ardeagold (Feb 26, 2007)

Rawhide will say it somewhere on the label...even in small print. Chews are often rawhide.

Some are in chip form, others in the knotted form, others in ring form, some are "compressed" (they've been ground up into chips and put back together forming a stick).

I'd also suggest getting a big knuckle bone from your butcher, or a nice marrow filled bone. BUT...do NOT cook it in any way. They can splinter into sharp pieces after being cooked because they dry out. Give RAW.

Also, if your dog is not used to raw bones, do not let them have the marrow at first. Scoop most out with a spoon, knife or something. It can make them very sick, because it's very rich. Little by little, leave a little more marrow in each bone. Over time, they'll be able to handle it.

Also...when the dog is finished with it, rinse it and put it in the fridge until the next day. If it starts to chip leaving SHARP edges (crumbling is normal, and it's normal for them to eat the bone itself) .... or cracks/breaks, leaving sharp edges, toss it and give a new one!

OR....Bully sticks/rings, etc. Those are great!


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## Lucky's mom (Nov 4, 2005)

When Lucky was young, he did fine on rawhide...because his jaws were small and he relished it slow enough where I could take large peices away that it looked like he'd swallow.

When he was bigger, he'd swallow before I could get to him and he threw up a couple of times and I stopped giving them.

My BELIEF (not based on anything but experience) is that raw hide is fine for some dogs but they need supervision.


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## chopsuey (Jun 3, 2008)

With any chewable bone/rawhide i believe your supposed to make sure they have enough water to drink. i gave my guy a pig ear and he devoured it.... then started to cough. i gave him a bowl of water and he downed it. no more cough/gag. Carefull with the amount of water as it can cause bloat.. Right?


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## GRZ (Dec 4, 2008)

Ziggy had one of the flat rawhides a while back and when I noticed that it was so soft that he could chew off and swallow it, I took it away. Next day I cleaned up an awful mucousy poop. I'm pretty sure he swallowed a large chunk and it went through basically undigested. That can't be good. We use bully sticks (even though they smell BAD when they're wet) and the antlers are on the way.

My vote? *NO* rawhide.


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## Jo Ellen (Feb 25, 2007)

chopsuey said:


> Carefull with the amount of water as it can cause bloat.. Right?


It would be easier if it were that simple but I think it's a good deal more complicated. I think it also has to do with how quickly they drink, how much air they take in, and the condition they are in at the time. My Daisy bloated from drinking water right after she came home from surgery. I think it was related to the anesthesia along with drinking too fast because she was really thirsty, and excited to be home.


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## vrocco1 (Feb 25, 2006)

Homey don't play rawhides, pig's ears, chips, chews, etc. Most of them are from China, so at least be aware of that. They are all an extreme choking hazard if nothing else. Real bones are the best way to go. I am using antlers now. The dogs love them, and I have not seen any choking hazards develop, YET! I imagine I will throw them away when they become small enough (or even close) to swallow.


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## spruce (Mar 13, 2008)

we've never done rawhide --but the neighbor (Bear) got one for Christmas & it ended up here (they have a trail of toys thru the woods). They loved it!! caused a lot of problems within the family, thu 
Glad for this thread to remind us why we never gave rawhides (we just didn't & couldn't quite remember why!)


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## skylielover (Sep 27, 2008)

vrocco1 said:


> Homey don't play rawhides, pig's ears, chips, chews, etc.


HAHA I like how you said that, made me laugh lol


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## skylielover (Sep 27, 2008)

I don't give any of that stuff anymore. I'm not completely sure, but I think rawhide may have been one of the causes of Skylie's stool issues.


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