The short answer is YES! Rawhide bones can be a danger to your dog’s health. Chewing is a healthy and necessary part of your dog’s life. Dog love to chew and chewing helps to keep his teeth clean but be very careful what your dog chews.
Five Reasons Rawhide Bones Are Unsafe For Your Dog
- Can cause digestive upset As your dog consumes his rawhide chew, it becomes a gooey, slimy mess that
- Large pieces may be broken off and become lodged in your dog’s digestive tract, causing a potentially fatal blockage. this is one of the most common causes of emergencies in Veterinary practices and often requires surgery to save the dog’s life.
- Rawhide bones may contain harmful chemicals. Rawhides are soaked in peroxide, bleach and even has been soaked in arsenic to remove the hair and “clean” the hide. The chews are often coated with “flavor enhancers” to entice your dog.
- Rawhide bones are commonly made outside the USA, where regulations are laxer. Countries such as China, Korea and Thailand are frequent sources.
Why Rawhide Bones Are Unsafe For Your Dog
After seeing how Rawhide Chew Bones are made, I’m sure you will agree, these should not be an option in your dog’s life. Fortunately, there are better options, although you should monitor anything your dog chews.
Safe Dog Chews – Alternatives To Deadly Rawhides
- Carrots make great short-term chews for dogs. These are more a treat than a chew since most dogs will make short work of them. Most dogs love carrots due to their crunch and natural sweetness. You will love them for their nutrition value. They are loaded with vitamins and are low in calories which makes for a great treat for dogs watching their weight. The larger carrots work well for big dogs but I like to keep bags of baby carrots in my fridge for my crew. My Pitbull mix, Lab mix and Boxer mix all love when I head for the Refrigerator, knowing they are likely to be offered a carrot.
This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience (which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link I will earn a small commission but it won’t cost you a penny more) Click here for my full disclosure policy.
- Deer, Elk and Moose Antlers provide long-term chewing pleasure for your dog. Antlers are naturally shed in the Spring. They are gathered and cut into pieces for all dog sizes. My heavy chewers have been working on their antlers for months and still going strong.
- Bully Horns are another awesome choice instead of Rawhide Bones. These are my dogs personal favorites. They last forever and the dogs love to chew them for hours. They have a hollow center that can be filled with peanut butter for an added treat. Or, try putting a couple small carrots into the hollow to give your dog some mental stimulation.
Dogs love to chew and they are gonna chew whether it’s your shoe, furniture leg or a healthy natural choice that you choose. Chewing is not only enjoyable for your dog, it’s a necessary activity for his dental health. Bad dental health can lead to an unhealthy body,including heart disease. For more help with keeping your dog’s teeth and gums healthy, check out this article.