The canine deal with aisle of your favourite pet retailer is undoubtedly crammed with rawhide chews in varied shapes, sizes, flavors and types. Regardless of its recognition, there are conflicting opinions about rawhide for canine primarily based on the way it’s made, whether or not it’s protected in your canine and what alternate options exist. Thankfully, in case you want to keep away from rawhide chews altogether, there are various nice rawhide alternate options together with issues like dental chews and bully sticks. Let’s paw by way of it.
What’s rawhide?
Rawhide chews are dried animal skins, made out of the leftovers of the leather-based business. Rawhide is the inside layer (hypodermic interstitial tissue) of cow, horse and pork hides and is separated on the slaughterhouse.
How is rawhide made?
Most rawhide is made abroad, and it’s preserved in a high-salt brine to gradual decay throughout transport. When it’s prepared for processing, it’s handled with lime to separate the fats from the cover, after which different chemical substances are used for hair elimination. Subsequent, it’s rinsed and, if wanted, bleached to seem whiter and canopy the indicators of decay. Afterward, the cover is sanitized, often in a hydrogen peroxide tub, rolled into sticks, or shredded and molded right into a form, and dried. Lastly, the rawhide is packaged and shipped to shops.
The place is rawhide made?
As we speak, there are solely about 30 U.S. tanneries in operation. Most tanneries use an unlimited quantity of water and produce giant volumes of wastewater. Because of this, a majority of rawhide merchandise are made in China, Mexico and South America, which have fewer environmental legislation restrictions.
U.S. rawhide merchandise are usually brisker as a result of they journey a shorter distance by truck, as a substitute of throughout the ocean on container ships, and are frozen for transport as a substitute of positioned in salt brine.
Picture 2: Canine rawhide chews are made usually made out of cow and pork hides and are available in many shapes and sizes. ©Rachel Phelps
Ought to I give my canine rawhide?
Most canine are a fan of this well-liked go-to chew. Their homeowners are too, as a result of
- Rawhide satisfies a canine’s pure intuition to chew. It is a wonderful optimistic different to your pup chewing up your footwear, TV remotes, furnishings and different home goods.
- It helps maintain a canine’s tooth clear. Rawhide acts like a doggie toothbrush that helps cut back plaque and tartar buildup and retains their gums wholesome.
- Canines have been consuming dried animal hides for hundreds of years, so it’s a good way to encourage a canine’s scavenging intuition and stimulate your canine.
- Rawhides are cheap treats.
Is rawhide dangerous for my canine?
After all, there may be all the time a draw back, even to canine chews.
- Because of the manufacturing course of, there could be hint parts of poisonous chemical substances and micro organism contamination, corresponding to Salmonella or coli, that might make you or your canine sick.
- Your canine could also be delicate to rawhide and even allergic to the chemical substances used to make it. This might result in digestive points corresponding to diarrhea.
- Rawhide chews could be a choking hazard. Not solely can rawhide trigger critical gastrointestinal upset, explains Dr. Whitney Bruce, accomplice veterinarian at Wills Animal Hospital in Owensboro, Kentucky, however they will even result in emergency surgical procedures. Pets can undergo obstruction, or a critical blockage of their abdomen or intestines, which may end up in dying if not handled appropriately, says Dr Bruce.
- Rawhide may cause tooth breakage. The rawhide is tough and dense as soon as dried and rolled into canine chews. If a canine is an aggressive chewer, or already has broken tooth, chewing the powerful cover might result in tooth breaking or cracking – generally requiring surgical procedure to take away the damaged tooth. The rawhide might additionally trigger cuts and scratches within the mouth and esophagus.
- There could also be subpar high quality and a scarcity of security requirements on the manufacturing plant. Since most rawhides are made in China, they don’t have to abide by the U.S. legal guidelines regarding product purity and security. Additionally, the tanners aren’t required to reveal or recall merchandise that could be unsafe.
What are rawhide alternate options?
There are lots of wonderful rawhide chew alternate options. These merchandise are usually made out of elements extra simply digestible than rawhide however have an identical look and texture. Since rawhide just isn’t advisable for canine underneath six months of age as a consequence of tooth breakage and smaller mouths and digestive tracts, these alternate options are nice for a teething pet.
- Beef and Pig Ears – Convey out your canine’s pure scavenging intuition with flavor-packed pure ears. The Farm Hound model even has ears that also have the hair on them. This hair acts as a digestive assist and a pure dewormer. Nevertheless, ears normally, have greater fats, so they don’t seem to be appropriate for canines who require a low-fat food plan. $3.49 – $6.99.
- Bully Sticks – These single – ingredient sticks are a highly digestible chew made out of beef pizzle (a muscle). These sticks are available in varied sizes, shapes, flavors and even three braided sticks. $2.09 – $13.09
- Cod Skin Rolls – These low odor chews from Tickled Pet are nice for a lot of canine with allergic reactions. These chews are made with just one ingredient, dehydrated salmon pores and skin, and are filled with wholesome Omega-3 oils. Obtainable in eight to 10 roll packages for $16.99.
- Collagen Chews – Collagen is a protein discovered within the pores and skin’s inside layer referred to as the corium. It is likely one of the essential elements in an animal’s connective tissue. “Collagen chews are wonderful in your furry good friend because it gives protein that’s naturally considerable in your pet’s physique,” explains Traci Mierzwa, model supervisor for the Barkworthies canine chew model. “Whereas rawhides present a fantastic distraction to your pet, our 100% digestible collagen chews are minimally processed to make sure the important thing vitamins are there to advertise wholesome pores and skin and coat, assist in bone and joint well being, and the easy act of chewing prevents tartar and plaque buildup.” Chews begin at $9.99.
- Dental Chews – One of many massive advantages of a rawhide is to maintain your canine’s tooth clear and tartar free. There are some nice rawhide chew alternate options designed particularly for dental well being, just like the model Loving Pets Ora-Bone Dental Treats. Their distinctive design includes a central bulb that cleans behind the canine’s tooth and the roof of the mouth whereas the nibs therapeutic massage gums and scrape the tongue. These chews are available in three sizes. Ten chews for $13.99.
- Tough Toys – Goughnuts model canine toys are made for essentially the most aggressive chewers. These 100% pure rubber toys are excellent for the hardest chewers and have a lifetime assure. These actually have a chew toy security indicator (a coloured rubber strip within the heart) that allows you to know when it’s time to interchange the toy. In accordance with president and founder Amy Rockwood, the rubber recipes are developed by an in-house engineer, and the molds are designed for even the hardest chewers. The toys can be found in numerous energy ranges for all completely different sizes and varieties of chewers. $10-$25 every.
Canine ought to all the time be supervised when chewing on rawhide – it doesn’t matter what chew you decide – in case they gag or choke on the merchandise. If the chew turns into too small (sufficiently small in your canine to swallow it entire), take it out of your canine instantly and promptly eliminate it.
Now that you simply perceive how rawhide chews are made, the advantages of giving rawhide and the potential dangers, plus the various nice rawhide alternate options, you may make a better-informed resolution on one of the best chew in your pet.
