Rawhide - annual reminder

[skinnydipper]

Warrington Animal Welfare on Facebook

Annual reminder about disgusting and dangerous raw hide pet toys / treats

Avoid these nasty things this Christmas...
There are always some pretty grim treats for sale but this time of year it really is a perfect excuse to off load the biggest load of toxic tat for our dogs to "enjoy"

as a treat.
Many of these so called treats end up with the dog "enjoying" some time in a veterinary surgery over Christmas

The vast majority of these rawhide products and treats come from China...
The chews are made from cattle or horse hides and their journey starts with the hides being soaked in a toxic sodium sulphide to remove the hair and fat. More chemicals are used in order to split the hide into layers which is then washed with hydrogen peroxide to give the white "pure" look and remove the rancid smell. Now comes the pretty festive colours and the glue to form cute shapes.
On testing, these chews have shown traces of arsenic, mercury, chromium and formaldehyde.
If that wasn't bad enough they regularly cause intestinal blockages, poisoning from chemical residue and choking. The chews go slippery when wet and are near impossible to get hold of to save a choking dog

Leave them in the shop where they belong or if some well meaning person buys them for your dog put them safely away for later

then dispatch in the bin!

 

[CorvusCorax]

Whilst I wouldn't give most of the things in the picture above, my middle dog gets the pressed rawhide bones from Pets at Home on occasion with no ill effects, he came with that particular habit as a boredom buster when his last owner was ill/in and out of hospital and it's never done him any harm as a treat every now and then.
Pigs ears, hooves, bull pizzles are all sold too and I assume some sort of treatment is used on all of those things.
So I think some reason has to be applied.

When I've seen some of the utterly disgusting dead animal parts and excrement they've imbibed over the years, so I'm not overly worried about plain hide.

 

[blackcob]

I also think the pictured things are fairly grim and would avoid them but honestly, rawhide features much further down the list of seasonal veterinary visit culprits than mince pie and Christmas cake ingestion, selection box and chocolate tin thievery (always a fun and colourful vomit), awww let's give him a roast dinner pancreatitis and even possibly tinsel-based linear foreign bodies, all of which seem to generate less awareness, weirdly.

 

[Tiddlypom]

We give Pets at Home Small rawhide chew sticks to the current JRT on a regular basis...

https://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/pets-at-home-cigar-small

I had no idea that they were controversial...

 

[{97702}]

I have to admit I don’t feed rawhide, but that isn’t a result of the warnings - I simply got too revolted by a series of dogs that chewed rawhide to a soft gooey mess, swallowed it whole then were sick shortly afterwards ? It’s horrible stuff!

 

[{97702}]

I also think the pictured things are fairly grim and would avoid them but honestly, rawhide features much further down the list of seasonal veterinary visit culprits than mince pie and Christmas cake ingestion, selection box and chocolate tin thievery (always a fun and colourful vomit), awww let's give him a roast dinner pancreatitis and even possibly tinsel-based linear foreign bodies, all of which seem to generate less awareness, weirdly.

That has created a weirdly fascinating multi coloured disgusting image in my mind now BC ?

 

[dogatemysalad]

Thanks for the info, Skinnydipper. Didn't know that, but have always avoided buying them and other dog treats. Rawhide is a choke risk, as well as being from unknown food chain sources.

 

[blackcob]

That has created a weirdly fascinating multi coloured disgusting image in my mind now BC ?

One of the very few downsides of WFH, I can no longer wander by the prep room when I've got a quiet few minutes and have a look at what grim or interesting things are going on - 1m of gold tinsel being gently flossed out of a dog's bumhole or a nurse being caught by surprise and ending up clutching a handful of vomited Celebrations still in their wrappers - priceless. ?

 

[Stiff Knees]

Jake's stolen Skittles vomit can never be topped, it really was a rainbow of fruit flavours!

 

[Moobli]

Thanks for the info, Skinnydipper. Didn't know that, but have always avoided buying them and other dog treats. Rawhide is a choke risk, as well as being from unknown food chain sources.

It’s as much the choke risk for me as the nasties that go into the making of them that means I never buy them.

 

[splashgirl45]

my friends border terrier nearly choked on one and they held him upside down and massaged it out. he suffered from fits for the rest of his life and she is sure that was why. i never feed rawhide for that reason...

 

[L&M]

my friends border terrier nearly choked on one and they held him upside down and massaged it out. he suffered from fits for the rest of his life and she is sure that was why. i never feed rawhide for that reason...

Totally agree, we used to give the more natural rawhide (on advice of vets for dental health), but both dogs have had regurgitating and choking incidents, and too scared to risk giving them again.

 

[Nasicus]

I was in Pets at Home recently, and gave the Xmas offerings my usual side eye, until I looked closer and saw that the vast majority of their Xmas chews were rawhide alternatives (Example Here!).
I was quite pleased to see that. I haven't fed rawhide since I had to hook a lump of it out of the old dogs throat years ago.

 

[GSD Woman]

I occasionally buy rawhide chews for my two. I always make sure that they are sourced from the Americas. I won't buy anything from China for my dogs.

 

[meleeka]

I saw this video yesterday which I think is worth sharing.
https://fb.watch/1NUrAGANJJ/

 

[Goldenstar]

I never give my dogs rawhide it’s disgusting stuff , when it half chewed sitting on the furniture or rugs .
Thats before you have deal with the fact it’s crap from China .

 

[Country Mouse]

The most dangerous are the ones that are rolled, twisted, or shaped into balls. They can open up in the animals stomach, and sharp edges can cut the stomach lining. Dogs will swallow anything small enough to swallow, especially if they think it is going to be taken from them.

 

[skinnydipper]

Thats before you have deal with the fact it’s crap from China .

^This^

Always good to read labels.

The alternative "rawhide" from Pets at Home is made in China.

Composition: Pea Starch, Sweet Potato Starch, Tapioca Starch, Vegetable Glycerine, Chicken Powder (10%), Minerals, Yeast, Flaxseed Oil, Alfalfa Extract.

Additives: Sensory Additives: Colourants.

Nothing there to tempt me to give one to my dog.

Pea and sweet potato implicated in DCM.

Vegetable glycerine (byproduct of biodiesel production) - gastrointestinal irritant.

Yeast aka MSG.

Colourants.

 

[Nasicus]

^This^
Always good to read labels.
The alternative "rawhide" from Pets at Home is made in China.
Composition: Pea Starch, Sweet Potato Starch, Tapioca Starch, Vegetable Glycerine, Chicken Powder (10%), Minerals, Yeast, Flaxseed Oil, Alfalfa Extract.
Additives: Sensory Additives: Colourants.
Nothing there to tempt me to give one to my dog.
Pea and sweet potato implicated in DCM.
Vegetable glycerine (byproduct of biodiesel production) - gastrointestinal irritant.
Yeast aka MSG.
Colourants.

Aye, but it's a start and a step away from Leather Industry byproduct and the delightful tannery chemicals that go along with that.
For those that don't know any better or rather haven't done the research and come to an informed decision as to whether they wish to feed rawhide or not, it's a start.

For what it's worth, I'm a natural chew kinda person, hairy ears, legs, feet, scalp etc. Single ingredient, air dried kinda stuff. Camel Scalp from Akela is a particular favourite at the moment!

 

[skinnydipper]

Aye, but it's a start and a step away from Leather Industry byproduct and the delightful tannery chemicals that go along with that.
For those that don't know any better or rather haven't done the research and come to an informed decision as to whether they wish to feed rawhide or not, it's a start.

For what it's worth, I'm a natural chew kinda person, hairy ears, legs, feet, scalp etc. Single ingredient, air dried kinda stuff. Camel Scalp from Akela is a particular favourite at the moment!

My dog recommends these:

"The beef noses are prepared without additives and gently dried for maximum chewing fun. The dry pieces offer pure beef taste and ensure that both small and large dogs stay busy for a long time

100% beef nose (dried)
without chemical additives.
Without preservatives.
Without sugar."

from here: https://www.hunde-design.de/Rindernasen-1-Kg

 

[Littlewills]

My dog recommends these:

"The beef noses are prepared without additives and gently dried for maximum chewing fun. The dry pieces offer pure beef taste and ensure that both small and large dogs stay busy for a long time

100% beef nose (dried)
without chemical additives.
Without preservatives.
Without sugar."

from here: https://www.hunde-design.de/Rindernasen-1-Kg

they are cheaper on zooplus. Mine get them all the time, along with various similar things

 

[Goldenstar]

My dog recommends these:

"The beef noses are prepared without additives and gently dried for maximum chewing fun. The dry pieces offer pure beef taste and ensure that both small and large dogs stay busy for a long time

100% beef nose (dried)
without chemical additives.
Without preservatives.
Without sugar."

from here: https://www.hunde-design.de/Rindernasen-1-Kg

OMG that’s got me in touch with my inner vegan .

 

[skinnydipper]

OMG that’s got me in touch with my inner vegan .

wait till you see the photo

 

[Goldenstar]

It was the photo .
it’s needs a warning for the squeamish

 

[skinnydipper]

It was the photo .
it’s needs a warning for the squeamish

Oh, you've spoilt it, GS. I've just taken a photo to show LW how much bigger these are than the ones from Zooplus.

I would feel guilty if I posted it now

 

[Moobli]

My dog recommends these:

"The beef noses are prepared without additives and gently dried for maximum chewing fun. The dry pieces offer pure beef taste and ensure that both small and large dogs stay busy for a long time

100% beef nose (dried)
without chemical additives.
Without preservatives.
Without sugar."

from here: https://www.hunde-design.de/Rindernasen-1-Kg

Mine loved puffed pig snouts

 

[DressageCob]

I haven't fed that coloured rawhide, but I have a stupid question. I give mine "pork rolls" which seem to just be rolled skin. Also venison chews which are just jerky. I get them from the local pet shop.

I assume they are ok and not the same as the rawhide?

 

[Nasicus]

My dog recommends these:

"The beef noses are prepared without additives and gently dried for maximum chewing fun. The dry pieces offer pure beef taste and ensure that both small and large dogs stay busy for a long time

100% beef nose (dried)
without chemical additives.
Without preservatives.
Without sugar."

from here: https://www.hunde-design.de/Rindernasen-1-Kg

Disgusting!
... So I'm sure the dog will absolutely adore it

 

[TheresaW]

Mine have just learnt about chickens feet. They love them.