Chewing is a great thing for dogs. Chew toys can exercise the mouth, help keep the teeth healthy, and entertain a dog or puppy for a long time. They can save your personal property, home, and furniture a lot of unwanted gnawing, too, if you have a dog that you can’t keep an eye on 24/7. But I choose not give my own dogs rawhide chew toys and here are 5 reasons why:
1. The knots can be a choking hazard.
It is a classic shape for rawhide chew toys to be knotted on each end to loosely resemble a bone shape. Most dogs tear off the ends of the knots and the knots are a size that can easily lodge in the airway of an average-sized dog.
2. Rawhide Can Be Difficult to Digest
Many dog owners assume that because dogs love chewing rawhide, it must be easy for their bodies to process. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. I have certainly had patients that I treated for GI issues, like vomiting and diarrhea, that we could only trace back to the ingestion of raw hides.
Traditional rawhide is made from the inner layer of animal hides and can be tough for some dogs to break down once swallowed. Large pieces may linger in the digestive tract, potentially leading to stomach upset or, in severe cases, blockages that require surgery.
If you enjoy giving your dog long-lasting chews, it’s worth paying attention to how they’re made. Chews that are gentler on a dog’s digestive system are often all-natural and produced using advanced manufacturing methods that break down the beefhide more effectively than traditional processes. This can significantly improve digestibility while still providing the satisfying chewing experience dogs crave.
No chew is completely risk-free, so supervision is always important. However, choosing highly digestible options can help reduce digestive concerns and give you greater peace of mind.
3. Raw hides get damp and smell bad.
After the rawhide has been thoroughly chewed on, it becomes damp and smells gross. I discovered this in college when my friend had her dog over for a visit and the dog dropped the rawhide between my couch cushions. Yuck.
Related Article: Top Rawhide Alternatives for Dogs
4. They can lodge on the roof of the mouth.
These dogs are brought in because they keep pawing at their faces and gagging relentlessly. When I open their mouths to look, there will be a piece of the rawhide lodged on the roof of the mouth, stuck between premolars and molars or both upper sides. These cases require sedation and physical removal of the rawhide piece.
5. Traditional rawhides are processed with harmful chemicals.
Rawhides are made from cowhide that has been processed with chemicals to separate it, and there have even been ugly rumors of them being made from dog hide in other countries. It is a use for a portion of the cow that is less usable, and the hides can be very affordable. Their production is a way to reduce waste, and that is a good thing, but remember, they are cheap for a reason. They are not high-quality prime cuts, and your dog will ingest them.
Although I like the premise of giving dogs things to chew on, rawhides are not my favorite, unless they are the rawhide-based chews designed to avoid GI upset. They are made from better grade cowhide, avoid chemical processing, and are broken down for better digestibility.
Toledo, United States.