Are rawhides safe?

[Rosiegirl]

Oh, yes, I used to work at a pet store and knew all about it then. It smells like it was a living thing at one time! Yuck....

[Britster]

Originally Posted by YorkieShadow

I use to let mine chew on them, they wasnt big chewers and seemed like we had them aorund forever. but the other day if my Yorkie mix had not come to me while in bed, she would of died. she had one that she had chewed on and soaked with slobber and it had reshaped itself and was then the shape of a burrito and it was stuck in her throat. i saw the edge of it and started pulling and it was so long, she could not breath. if I hadnt been awake she would of died. Ill never get them again. My daughters English bull dog once choked and swallowed one.

Same thing happened to me! Scared me half to death! My other bigger dog had gotten a hold of it and chewed into a really small, slobbery piece and then Jackson must have found it and started chewing. He started choking while I was watching TV and I freaked out and picked him up, trying to get it out of his throat. Luckily, I did. And he will no longer eat those!

[chattiesmom]

Not only are rawhides choking hazards, unless they come from free range cattle they contain dangerous chemicals. Cattle are routinely treated with pour on insectisides for flies and parasites.

[Rosiegirl]

Originally Posted by chattiesmom

Not only are rawhides choking hazards, unless they come from free range cattle they contain dangerous chemicals. Cattle are routinely treated with pour on insectisides for flies and parasites.

That's a really great point to make. It makes a whole lot of sense but I didn't think of that problem with them either.

[Honeys Mama]

ok yall have me scared out of my WITTS! My problem is i dont know what bully stick is in german they have a wide range of them at the store but when i asked for them they looked at me like i was insane! anyone know where i can get them online? My girl has some dental sticks that she absolutly LOVES but honestly i havent looked tos ee what they're made of ! i shall do that when i get home lol. Thanks in advance!

[yoon714]

how about those healthy edible ones? are those safe? I give her the chicken one

[Rosiegirl]

??? I am not sure that any rawhides are safe at this point. It is a hide that these little ones try to digest. I imagine that the chemicals used to prepare them are really unsafe for our dogs. I would find a totally new treat for your dog, no point in taking the chance, right?

[Mom2One]

My vet says don't give rawhide ever. My dog will chew on the bully stick I bought and on it she can't get any large pieces off. She seems content with it. Also, even though it smells awful at first, the odor seems to fade after a short time !!
I think they say since rawhide can get pretty soggy it can harbor bacteria, whereas the bully stick stays solid and drier. They cost more initially, but they last a long, long time, too.

[dogbert]

Originally Posted by Rosiegirl

I tried to search for the answer but it didn't work. I rarely give rawhides because little 'wars' erupt in my household between the dogs and I find them in the sheets of my bed and other great places but I did just give one to a dog I have just started containing because she is bred, and I am now wondering if she works on it all day if there is some safety issue with them? She loves it but has already worn down a half inch of it in an hour.

I was always told to be sure to only give raw hides made in the USA due to impurities. But after hearing of chocking I don't give them at all.

[FlDebra]

Originally Posted by Honeys Mama

ok yall have me scared out of my WITTS! My problem is i dont know what bully stick is in german they have a wide range of them at the store but when i asked for them they looked at me like i was insane! anyone know where i can get them online? My girl has some dental sticks that she absolutly LOVES but honestly i havent looked tos ee what they're made of ! i shall do that when i get home lol. Thanks in advance!

Bully sticks are sold by one of the YT members here: http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/yor...ack-stock.html Hers get good reviews.

You can also order from Petsmart or Petco. But if ordering, check to make sure they say "low odor" because I have had some that I had to get rid of because I could not handle the smell once they chewed on them a little.

[Beenie]

I just got Chico his third bully stick, and this is the first one that has an odor. Now I know what people talk about when they say the smell, like gouda cheese rubbed on dirty feet. My husband can't smell it though. The first two I bought were not as dark as the new one, I don't know if that has anything to do with it. Chico goes nuts for his bully sticks, and they keep him from chewing on other things.

[viviansnickers]

I never gave my babyboy rawhides after reading how scary they can be. It took much convincing for me to get a bully stick....being bull weiners, I just couldn't get myself to do it. Finally I did and found a great company called Free Range Dog Chews (Welcome to Free Range Dog Chews, Inc.) and they sell MOO! Bully Sticks and I can only smell the stink if I go right up to it and sniff the stick after Snick has chewed on it. Also, his beard does not stink after chewing either...!! Whew!

[scrapindee]

We don't do rawhide or bully sticks. We do use compressed rawhide when we can find them. We use Nylabones--never have had a problem with them.

[elleandca]

2 of our dogs have been very ill after having raw hide chews ..nothing new in diet/routine other then those so we are blaming those and will never buy them again

never herd of bully sticks don't think we have those in England

will stick to raw carrots in future

[Romo604]

No rawhide's aren't safe!!! I had to find that out after giving Romo one =( He became sick after chewing one and now we'll never buy them again...appearantly they have a reputation for making puppies sick my neighbour told me