And because it’s an animal product, most dogs are immediately drawn to it and enjoy chewing it.Īs attractive as rawhide is as a canine chew item, it’s not uniformly safe or wholesome. It’s generally not smelly, messy, or overtly disgusting to touch or look upon, even though it’s an animal product. Rawhide is made from dried animal skin, so it is stiff, but quickly softens under the influence of a dog’s saliva and the mechanical action of the dog’s jaws: no sharp shards! Purchased in the right form, it takes a lot of work for the dog to chew off little bits, so it presents a lower risk of choking or digestive problems than many other chews. That leaves me looking at the rawhide chews. Dried “pizzles” (made from beef and other animal penises) also offer an ideal consistency, but I admit that I find them (and certain other chewy but identifiable anatomical parts, like pig snouts) too gross to handle. There isn’t a single product in most stores we would buy for our dogs.Ĭhews made from dried tendons offer what I consider to be the ideal chewy consistency, but can’t be found in a large enough size to ensure that my large dog will be forced to chew them slowly, rather than swallow chunks that he could choke on. It hurts my throat just thinking about it! Be aware that the vast majority of rawhide products on the market are very low quality and present an array of dangers to your dog.

Animal-based chews seem more natural, but some (especially things like pigs’ ears) are dried to a level of brittleness that seems to invite internal injuries when the shards are crunched into small pieces and swallowed. I wouldn’t eat plastic for any number of reasons, and I don’t allow my dog to chew up and swallow bits of plastic-based chew toys, either. Some are splintery, risking perforated intestines and other internal injuries. Why? Because many are too hard, inviting broken teeth. I wouldn’t buy a great many of them for any dog of mine. There are an infinite number of things in pet supply stores that are intended for our dogs’ chewing pleasure. Avoid rawhide products that are unnaturally white extreme whiteness indicates extensive chemical treatment.Don’t buy chews that smell putrid, or that have no odor at all.Look for chews that are made from a single, thick sheet of rawhide.

To reduce the risk of choking or bowel obstructions, take it away from him if it starts shredding pieces that you wouldn’t want him to swallow whole, or when he gets close to the end. Actively supervise your dog when he’s chewing a chew.

Are raw hides good for puppies