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 canines based mostly on the way it’s made, whether or not it’s secure to your canine and what options exist. Luckily, when you want to keep away from rawhide chews altogether, there are various nice rawhide options together with issues like dental chews and bully sticks. Let’s paw by it.
What’s rawhide?
Rawhide chews are dried animal skins, comprised of the leftovers of the leather-based business. Rawhide is the internal 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 sluggish decay throughout transport. When it’s prepared for processing, it’s handled with lime to separate the fats from the conceal, after which different chemical substances are used for hair removing. Subsequent, it’s rinsed and, if wanted, bleached to seem whiter and canopy the indicators of decay. Afterward, the conceal is sanitized, normally 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?
At present, there are solely about 30 U.S. tanneries in operation. Most tanneries use an unlimited quantity of water and produce giant volumes of wastewater. In consequence, a majority of rawhide merchandise are made in China, Mexico and South America, which have fewer environmental regulation restrictions.
U.S. rawhide merchandise are typically more energizing 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 sometimes comprised of cow and pork hides and are available in many configurations and dimensions. ©Rachel Phelps
Ought to I give my canine rawhide?
Most canines are a fan of this in style 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 hold a canine’s enamel clear. Rawhide acts like a doggie toothbrush that helps scale back plaque and tartar buildup and retains their gums wholesome.
- Canines have been consuming dried animal hides for 1000’s 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 unhealthy for my canine?
After all, there may be all the time a draw back, even to canine chews.
- As a result of manufacturing course of, there will be hint components of poisonous chemical substances and micro organism contamination, comparable to Salmonella or coli, that might make you or your canine unwell.
- 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 comparable to diarrhea.
- Rawhide chews is usually a choking hazard. Not solely can rawhide trigger critical gastrointestinal upset, explains Dr. Whitney Bruce, companion veterinarian at Wills Animal Hospital in Owensboro, Kentucky, however they will even result in emergency surgical procedures. Pets can endure obstruction, or a critical blockage of their abdomen or intestines, which can lead to loss of life 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 enamel, chewing the powerful conceal may result in enamel breaking or cracking – generally requiring surgical procedure to take away the damaged enamel. The rawhide may 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 which may be unsafe.
What are rawhide options?
There are various wonderful rawhide chew options. These merchandise are sometimes comprised of substances extra simply digestible than rawhide however have the same look and texture. Since rawhide isn’t really useful for canines beneath six months of age on account of enamel breakage and smaller mouths and digestive tracts, these options are nice for a teething pet.
- Beef and Pig Ears – Deliver 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 help and a pure dewormer. Nonetheless, ears basically, have increased fats, so they don’t seem to be appropriate for canines who require a low-fat weight loss program. $3.49 – $6.99.
- Bully Sticks – These single – ingredient sticks are a extremely digestible chew comprised of beef pizzle (a muscle). These sticks are available in varied sizes, shapes, flavors and even three braided sticks. $2.09 – $13.09
- Cod Pores and skin Rolls – These low odor chews from Tickled Pet are nice for a lot of canines with allergy symptoms. These chews are made with just one ingredient, dehydrated salmon pores and skin, and are stuffed with wholesome Omega-3 oils. Out there in eight to 10 roll packages for $16.99.
- Collagen Chews – Collagen is a protein discovered within the pores and skin’s internal layer referred to as the corium. It is among the vital parts in an animal’s connective tissue. “Collagen chews are wonderful to your furry good friend because it supplies protein that’s naturally ample in your pet’s physique,” explains Traci Mierzwa, model supervisor for the Barkworthies canine chew model. “Whereas rawhides present an ideal 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, help in bone and joint well being, and the straightforward act of chewing prevents tartar and plaque buildup.” Chews begin at $9.99.
- Dental Chews – One of many huge advantages of a rawhide is to maintain your canine’s enamel clear and tartar free. There are some nice rawhide chew options designed particularly for dental well being, just like the model Loving Pets Ora-Bone Dental Treats. Their distinctive design incorporates a central bulb that cleans behind the canine’s enamel 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.
- Powerful Toys – Goughnuts model canine toys are made for probably the most aggressive chewers. These 100% pure rubber toys are good for the hardest chewers and have a lifetime assure. These also have a chew toy security indicator (a coloured rubber strip within the middle) that permits you to know when it’s time to switch the toy. In response to 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 several power ranges for all completely different sizes and forms of chewers. $10-$25 every.
Canine ought to all the time be supervised when chewing on rawhide – it doesn’t matter what chew you choose – in case they gag or choke on the merchandise. If the chew turns into too small (sufficiently small to 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 options, you can also make a better-informed choice on one of the best chew to your pet.
