Are rawhide chews bad for my dog?

How are commercial rawhide chews made?

Flesh eating ash lye is used to strip the hides of fat, hair, and debris. The hides are then split and the lower quality inner layer of the hide, not used by the leather industry, is used for creating dog chews. The hides are then soaked in bleach, hydrogen peroxide, and other chemicals. This rawhide product is then pieced together with binders and glues to create marketable shapes (candy cane shapes, rings, braids, etc). The rawhides are then basted with colors and synthetic flavor to make it more visually appealing to the shopper (human) and desirable to the pet.


Commercial grade rawhides are made with toxic chemicals, glues, salts, and low grade rawhide that has been processed to a point it hardly meets the definition of natural. The end products need to be artificially colored and flavored to even be made desirable to the consumer.

This is not a product that is recommended for your pet. We feel the process of creating these speaks for itself!

Rawhide Alternatives?

Antler chews are a rawhide alternative. Antler compositionally is comparable to raw bones. It does not splinter, no chemicals or preservatives used, shelf stable, and mineral rich. Antlers are durable, long lasting, leave minimal to no residue, and are odor free! It also is a sustainable and harm free product. Antlers are naturally shed every year and regrown by elk, moose, deer, and caribou. Chewy Pawz antlers are exclusively sourced from wild antlers. Never from game farms.


Another rawhide alternative is a cow trachea. These are not as long lasting but are a great natural chew option that can be stuffed and frozen to create an enriching chew option for your pet.


What about natural rawhide chews?

Chewy Pawz offers natural hide chews as an alternative to commercial grade rawhides. We use the term ‘hide’ for our chews because they are made from the entire hide. This includes the hair! Creating these chews is a labor of love. No lyes, salt brines, or bleaches are used in this process. Each hide is meticulously cleaned by hand without chemicals. These chews are not colored, basted, or altered in any way. Truly a natural chew without any additives.

Any rawhide chew should be supervised while being chewed. No dog should consume an entire rawhide chew in one sitting. It is not natural in the wild for an animal to consume large amounts of hide, nor is it for your pet. Consuming excessive amounts of rawhide can create a risk of blockage. Any hide chew should be consumed through multiple sessions. Natural hide chews with hair and natural dehydrated tissues are digestible and also highly engaging for pets. Many of our dog customers enjoy “pulling” the hair and engaging playfully with their chews.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Other furry chew options


Be sure to check out natural cow and pig ears too. Unlike commercial grade pig and cow ears that are stripped and processed with lyes and chemicals, these are not treated with any chemicals, preservatives, lyes, colors, or artificial flavoring. Naturally dehydrated with hair included, just as nature intended!