Should I give my dog rawhide?

[Eudora]

Hi everyone,I've got a question and i was wondering if you could help....
I would like to know what rawhide is and if I should give it to my dog?? Hoping you can help me on this one, I don't really want to ask my vet since he hates rawhide(or so he says) so he'll be prejudiced about the idea.

[KayAnn]

Yes, i think you should give raw hide to your dog.. Simba seems to really enjoy chewing on it.. but just be carefull if your dog chews on it alot it will get soggy and will be easy to chew off big peices that will not swallow or digest correctly witch can lead to problems... so just loet the dog chew on it for a while then put it up somewhere where they cant reach it.

[jackiesdaisy1935]

Hi Eudora, a lot of people give their dogs rawhide, but we don't. I'm afraid they could choke on them for one thing, instead we give them nylabones which come in different flavors and last a long time.
Jackie

[Daisy's Mom]

To give rawhide, or not to give rawhide! That is the question!

Rawhide is basically what the name says. It is a cow's hide. To use or not? It's really just a matter of opinion. Some people love rawhide, some people refuse to give it to their dogs. I am one of the "refusers." I remember a while ago, one of the members here at Pet Talk lost their beautiful sweet puppy from choking on a piece of rawhide, and since then I have never given Daisy any rawhide. I just don't think it's worth the risk. There are many other types of bones that are safe for her to chew, so why not take an unneccessary risk? That's just how I see it, though. Enjoy Tanya and give her some kisses for me!

[ September 30, 2001: Message edited by: Daisy's Mom ]

[kobieeli]

Ahh, The Rawhide Question! Both dogs love the stuff, but I've been paranoid about giving it ever since Eli swallowed a soggy piece roughly 2 inches square--it caused no problems, but I was a basketcase for a couple of days just waiting for trouble. Now, if they get it at all, we do what KayAnn recommends: take it away when it gets soft and let it harden up before giving it back, and throw it away completely when it becomes small enough to worry you. You might also try the pressed rawhide--it just flakes apart and can be completely chewed up, although I wonder what all that gunk does once it's in the dog's tummy...

BTW, I've heard that if you give rawhide try to find the stuff that's made in the US. Other countries often treat the hides with nasty chemicals.

[3-greys-and-a-mutt]

We give U.S. made rawhide flip chips rarely. Usually they get special treats on Friday nights, and often a flip chip is that treat. However, the dogs are always supervised while they are chewing (they usually are done with a flip chip within a half-hour). My dog Paula has swallowed too-big of pieces before, and gagged - I've had to pull a piece out of her mouth/throat. This is why I don't give them any treats unsupervised. If you decide to give rawhide, I'd suggest not to get a big bone that stays out all the time, because then your puppy may chew on it when you aren't around. Get either flip chips or very small bones that the puppy can finish in a short time, while under your watchful eye.
I don't know what the availability is in Sinapore, but here in Toledo, Ohio, we can buy other discarded animal products for our pets. Smoked pig ears, pig snouts, beef chins, pizzle sticks, smoked tendons... These are just a few of the products we have available. We like to give the pig snouts and beef chins as special treats - they are softer and easier to chew than the rawhides. (However, that also means that they don't last as long!)

[AdoreMyDogs]

Beef chins...I have never heard of that being on the market. As for rawhide, I strongly discourage giving rawhide to dogs. I heard of a dozen or so dogs choking and dying from rawhide. There are other (and safer) chew things, including the booda velvets (corn starch bones), and the pig snouts and beef chins (although gross sounding) that stuff is less of a hazzard then rawhide. Just understand, there is a reason your vet hates rawhide!

[3-greys-and-a-mutt]

Leslie, I saw that you responded and mentioned the Booda Velvets... I was just wondering how long it takes Graham to eat one? We have bought the large-size velvets a few times, and they were eaten in a few minutes. Are they supposed to be treats? I thought by the packaging that they were supposed to be longer-lasting chew toys, but maybe I read it wrong?

[AdoreMyDogs]

Graham is not a real heavy chewer. I have booda velvets that he will chew on for an hour or so then he will leave it for a few days or so and then start to chew it for a couple of hours again. I would say that one booda velvet lasts at least 2-4 weeks. A watermellon flavored booda velvet that I bought him in June is all bumpy from his teeth marks, but it is still shaped like a bone, and he still chews on it. I guess Graham is one of those light chewers. I am not used to dogs that are heavier chewers then Graham, so I did not even realize those booda velvets could go so quickly. But then again...I have one medium sized dog and you have 3 large dogs and one small dog. I would expect that you go through chew toys alot faster with that ratio, too. Those booda velvets aren't cheap, either

[Eudora]

Hmmm... I can't find flip chips here, so would cutting a small piece off one bone be OK?

[Logan]

Oh, I wouldn't be cutting up any bones, Eudora. I can't tell you how many times I have pulled rawhide out of Lilly's throat. She is an avid chewer and gets obsessed with finishing the bone. Find your Cookie something else to chew on. Do you have a pet store nearby or some kind of department store that sells pet supplies? You can even find some good, strong chew toys at the grocery store here in the states. Or how about shopping online? I just found that when mine were younger, they mostly loved stuffed squeaky toys (still do) and the occasional stuffed Kong.

As for the Booda Velvets, Graham you must be a very gentle dog. I bought those once. Honey and Lilly took care of them in less then five minutes too. What a waste of my money!

[3-greys-and-a-mutt]

When we have given rawhide bones, I only allow the dogs to have them for short increments of time - no more than 20 minutes - so that they only gnaw on the ends a little. And I emphasize that I am always right by them, watching. Never, ever, let Cookie chew a rawhide unsupervised.
Logan's right - there are lots of things that Cookie could chew on that are safer for her!
I only use rawhides because: 1) my dogs are finicky about what they chew; 2) one of my dogs has a cracked tooth, and our vet told us that dogs shouldn't ever chew on hard nylabones, bones, or hooves; and 3) greyhounds tend to get really yucky teeth, and I want them to have the chance to chew on something that will help to keep their teeth cleaner.
There's lots of things out there that Cookie can chew on if she's not a very aggressive chewer. My four dogs are all very aggressive chewers, and that's why they can't chew on hard things. Maybe non-aggressive chewers can chew on hard bones??? Ask your vet!
There's so much variety in the things you can give you dog to chew on. If you don't have any big pet stores near you, you can order toys from www.petsmart.com or www.dogtoys.com or many other websites.
Hope you find something good for Cookie to chew on!