# Rawhide Question



## Finnegan (Jun 18, 2010)

I never feed Finnegan rawhide, but a friend gave him a gift - this: Dentley's Traditional Rawhide Rolls - Traditional Rawhide - Rawhide & Chews - PetSmart.

Would it be alright to give him, or just too much of a risk? Like I said, he's never had rawhide and I wouldn't buy it for him on my own, but since I have it, I'm just curious if I can let him have one every once in a while or if you guys would recommend just tossing them. 

Thanks!


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## Caty M (Aug 13, 2010)

I wouldn't.. doesn't add anything to the diet and a beef rib is much better in every way..


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## minnieme (Jul 6, 2011)

I wouldn't. I just glanced at the ingredients and shuddered remembering how terribly our old dog used to itch after having ANYTHING with FD&C Red 40.


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## FairIsleDoxies (Oct 11, 2011)

I've never given any of my dogs rawhide...it's just too risky in my opinion. And the chemical process it goes through is quite disgusting. I'd say just toss 'em!


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## Finnegan (Jun 18, 2010)

Yeah, that's what I'm leaning toward too. Hmm, maybe Petsmart will let me return it for store credit. I wouldn't even really feel right giving it to another dog, even though I do know folks who happily feed rawhide daily. 

Thanks everybody.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Alot of rawhide is also made in China where the ingredients can be pretty scary. 

If it were my dog, i wouldn't take the risk. Chances are everything would be fine but there's always a small chance of something going wrong. 

I have gotten stuff from PetSmart that was not good for my dogs. One thing that comes to mind are some kind of bones that splintered into big shards with giant points that shredded the insides of their mouths. They were happily chewing on my living room floor and I looked down and the bones were all bloody, and blood going everywhere. Their tongues and gums were all cut up.

You just never know.


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## swolek (Mar 31, 2011)

I wouldn't feed it for the reasons already mentioned.

Admittedly, I used to give rawhide when I didn't know any better. Rocky almost choked a few times (the last time it happened I had to reach into his throat and pull the chunk out) and Sophie used to sometimes vomit. That put a stop to feeding rawhide (sadly, I first switched to marrow bones...oops).


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## Janet At Nutro (Mar 11, 2011)

I gave Tank rawhide when he was a puppy, he swallowed the whole piece.
Thankfully his body rejected it about 20 minutes later, and he was ok.
It really terrifed me, I will never give rawhide again. I like bully sticks.


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## Tobi (Mar 18, 2011)

Finnegan said:


> Yeah, that's what I'm leaning toward too. Hmm, maybe Petsmart will let me return it for store credit. I wouldn't even really feel right giving it to another dog, even though I do know folks who happily feed rawhide daily.
> 
> Thanks everybody.


As long as it's unopened and they sell it they will refund it 9 times out of 10, i'd take it back if i were you, rawhide isn't good... while you're there just use the credit for a bully stick or something good!! :becky:


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## eternalstudent (Jul 22, 2010)

The only rawhides I use are the ones which only have one ingredient and are not made outside of the UK. anything else I steer clear of.

I still use them as I don't mind the pup chewing rawhides all over the house, where as beef ribs in general have a tendency to leave meat trails throughout my hose :-0 as she only chews where we are sitting.


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## gorge77 (May 13, 2011)

i read about rawhide here:

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## barneysmom2510 (Oct 12, 2011)

They are good about returns. I had just bought several bags of kibble for my dogs I opened them and had used them once when I decided to go to raw they took them back no problem.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

When Mollie was young, before I knew better and before the China petfood melamine disaster, I use to happily give Mollie rawhides. Then, I learnt to research her food and found that rawhides are often bleached and are full of artificial chemicals. Nevermind the problems should they swallow a big chunk and the chance they can swell in the stomach. So, she has not had another one since. Just my 2cents worth, but I'd either chuck it or get a refund if I were you.


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## Finnegan (Jun 18, 2010)

Thanks folks. I traded them in on some bully sticks. His typical treat bone is a beef rib, so this is a big occasion for him. 

Thanks again,
Paula (& Finn)


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## xchairity_casex (Oct 8, 2011)

sorry to hijack the thread but i was wondering about antlers anyone eevr try them for there dogs? i heard they are a good sorce of calcium? my bf dad goes deer hunting every year and sometiems just tosses the smaller antlers out i was thinking about takeing them for Cesar?


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## Noodlesmadison (Sep 18, 2011)

I wouldn't only because of the horror stories I hear (choking, blockages, etc).
Once, Noodles was chewing a rawhide and started choking on it - a long piece of it got stuck in her throat (because they are hard to chew small pieces off of) and my husband had to stick his hand down her throat before she stopped breathing.
It was a nightmare and I will never ever give her rawhide again nor do I think anyone should.


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## Noodlesmadison (Sep 18, 2011)

xchairity_casex said:


> sorry to hijack the thread but i was wondering about antlers anyone eevr try them for there dogs? i heard they are a good sorce of calcium? my bf dad goes deer hunting every year and sometiems just tosses the smaller antlers out i was thinking about takeing them for Cesar?


We sell antlers where I work and dogs apparently like them.. Noodles would not TOUCH it. They were super hard.. I don't know if they pose a tooth breakage risk?


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## minnieme (Jul 6, 2011)

xchairity_casex said:


> sorry to hijack the thread but i was wondering about antlers anyone eevr try them for there dogs? i heard they are a good sorce of calcium? my bf dad goes deer hunting every year and sometiems just tosses the smaller antlers out i was thinking about takeing them for Cesar?


Noodlesmadison is right in that you have to be somewhat careful of which antlers you select ... some of them can be quite dense (elk or moose), but I find the deer ones just fine. Minnie loves chewing on them and they last a LONG time. Around here they are sold in various sizes for various sized dogs... and Minnie hasn't had any problems yet. And while they do last FOREVER, I always supervise her chewing them because there's always a risk that once they get to "gulp-able" size, they might try to swallow them. Bully sticks are pretty expensive for how fast she goes through them...so we're big antler fans.


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## leilaquinn (Sep 7, 2011)

I actually buy rawhide "rolls", shaped like this. For what ever reason Luigi vastly preferes them for fetch, even to balls (not that he doesn't LOVE balls too, lol) we play fetch with one until the game's over and then he ignores it and I put it away until next time. i replace them just because they get gross. we play tug with them and I'll alow him to knaw on the end as long as I'm holding it. Also, I only buy ones made of PORK skin, supposedly it's much more digestable than regular beef rawhide, so the tiny bits he ends up swallowing don't worry me. I wouldn't let im just lay down and go at one, ever a pork one, I don't treat it like a bully stick or rib.


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## xchairity_casex (Oct 8, 2011)

awsome noodlesmadison and minnieme thanks for the info!


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## Tobi (Mar 18, 2011)

xchairity_casex said:


> sorry to hijack the thread but i was wondering about antlers anyone eevr try them for there dogs? i heard they are a good sorce of calcium? my bf dad goes deer hunting every year and sometiems just tosses the smaller antlers out i was thinking about takeing them for Cesar?


I prefer not using them because Tobi is an extremely heavy chewer, I use bully sticks instead... they go faster, but we don't run the risk of him trying to power through it and damaging himself instead of the antler... some of them can be very hard, some of them more soft. (broken teeth just scare the hell out of me) 

For Caesar, if he's anything like mine, i'd use one that he can't get between his big teeth with ease, about 1 1/2-2" in diameter to keep him from really trying to chomp down.

I've heard many people that have never had an issue, but i've also heard, (and seen) dogs that have broken or chipped teeth with them.


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## xchairity_casex (Oct 8, 2011)

thank you tobi! broken teeth frighten me as well i wonder if i could find the softer ones? ill have to be picky my bf father gets about 5 deer per hunting season ill also ask him to talk to his deer hunting freinds to keep some deer antlers for us! i live in upper MI people come from all over to go deer hunting here its also not rare to find shed antlers lieing around.


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## doggiedad (Jan 23, 2011)

i would toss them. don't re-gift them because
you don't want anyone else's dog having them.


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