Rawhide, horrible or fine?

[Camilla and Darwin]

I'm sorry if this discussion has already been posted somewhere. We have been trying to find safe things for Darwin to chew on (Chilly bone, nylabone, kong, bully sticks, etc.) And many of the edible treats are really expensive. I have read two very opposite ends of the spectrum on rawhide. Some hate it, some love it. Is there a specific kind that is better than another? Is it safe, or not good at all?

[Kelly Gallagher]

I think you will also get a number of different opinions here as well. I have chosen not to give Maddy rawhides after doing a little research on my own and talking to the manager at my local specialty store. She told me even though the store sells them she will not give them to her dog. Apparently they do not breakdown in the stomach and if the dog were to swallow a big piece it could cause an obstruction. I used to give Maddy bully sticks but they were giving her diarrhea. I've since switched to a natural shin bone..plain, not filled. I boiled it in chicken broth and Maddy loves it. It lasts forever and really seems to take care of that urge to chew. Now I have many friends who swear by the rawhides and give them to their dogs and have never had a problem. But like I said I've chosen not to. Hope this helps.

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

I have had the same dilema with the decision to give rawhide. I have found that it can give one of our dogs loose stools and I do worry about the choking and obstruction. So I did some research as well and a happy medium seems to be the compressed rawhide, in moderation. This too can cause very runny stools. My problem is finding compressed rawhide made in the USA. There are some rawhides that are American Made. I also give the natural shin bone. Can get them at a meat market. I do give them raw for the marrow content and when he's gotten out all he can after an hour or so, I either scoop out the remaining marrow to put in his food or boil it so it's not laying around raw. Also cleans it of anyother bacteria. These last forever and are a whole lot cheaper than the petstores. These is more info in this group on this too.

[Sharon, Boo & Cricket]

There was an interesting article about rawhides in Bark Magazine, the July/Aug 2008 issue. I'm not sure if its available online, I'll have to look around. It talked about how rawhide could be toxic due to the manufacturing process (sodium sulphide liming, hydrogen peroxide, etc.) I'm not sure if this applies to all rawhide products, but I stopped giving rawhides after reading it. Now I buy dried beef tendons, buffalo tendons, and other dried muscle meats as rawhide alternatives. They don't give my dogs "the runs" the way rawhide and bully sticks tended to. :)

[Tammy & Gracie]

I also have chosen not to give rawhides due to things I have read and my vets recommendations. We use soup bones cooked by me. Also sometimes I buy knuckles at the pet store, plain not smoked, also not bleached.

[Cherri]

I use big long carrots. My dogs beg for them. They don't stink and give great chewing. They are much cheaper too.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Great idea - thanks for the tip on using long carrots. I am in search of alternatives to bones, salty treats, etc....

[Camilla and Darwin]

I have tried to give Darwin long carrots, he doesn't seem interested. Any advice on how to make a carrot seem more appealing for him?

[Cherri]

We just use regular organic carrots, but you could rub some peanut butter on it to lure them in!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I like Merrick or Old West beef tendon, Merrick Flossies, and Old West Beef Shank Bones. (Yes, they are expensive, the Old West brand is less expensive than Merrick. It does seem to be a rule of thumb that the better foods and treats carry a bigger price tag.) Also, plain marrow bones that I microwave myself; I add the marrow to Jack's food bowl & he gets the bone. You can buy already sterilized marrow bones in the pet supple store, but this is cheaper.
I have always given rawhides, but I only buy American made, which are not available at the big chain stores. Compressed rawhide is safer than the regular kind.
If you click on "Back to F.G. Discussions" above, you will be able to do a search for "rawhide" (or anything else) for more ideas.

[Dan, Judi, & Timbow]

Karen, I just bought Timbow some marrow bones at publix and just gave them to him raw. How long do you put them in the microwave? It doesn't make them chip?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Nothing in the world can make a marrow bone chip; they're like diamonds, lol. I used to give them to my dogs after they'd boiled in a soup pot for hours!
I microwave them for just a few minutes to get the marrow soft enough to remove, because it can make a mess otherwise...leaves greasy spots on the carpet, etc. And my dogs have marrow bones lying around forever, so the marrow would become rancid if left in there. Plus, raw food makes me nervous with JD, because of his immune system issues. If the raw bones work for you, they're fine.

[Dan, Judi, & Timbow]

raw makes me nervous just because raw meat makes me nervous so I would prefer to boil or microwave them. thanks for the info!!