Why Rawhide Is Such a Dangerous Treat
Rawhide Dog Chews Good or Bad
Is Rawhide Natural?:
Rawhide is one of the most common dog treats on the market and also one of the most toxic and dangerous.
Rawhide is one of the most common dog treats on the market and also one of the most toxic and dangerous.
In this article, I explain why this dangerous dog treat is not what most people think it is. It’s not a nice piece of dried beef skin or scalp it is not raw and it certainly is not hide. In reality, it is made from leftovers and scraps from the leather industry.
As a dog chew, it is often described as natural and wholesome. it is nothing like its description. In reality, is created in a toxic chemical soup from hides from almost any animal.
What Animal Does it Come From?
The animal could be anything from a cow, horse, goat, pig, water buffalo, deer, camel or any type of mammal and it could be from anywhere in the world. You are just told it is rawhide. The process begins with the hides of animals from the slaughterhouse. They are initially soaked in saltwater to slow down the rotting process
The animal could be anything from a cow, horse, goat, pig, water buffalo, deer, camel or any type of mammal and it could be from anywhere in the world. You are just told it is rawhide. The process begins with the hides of animals from the slaughterhouse. They are initially soaked in saltwater to slow down the rotting process
The Tanners:
The hides are sent to the tanneries where the leather process begins. Therefore rawhide is a by-product of the leather manufacturing industry. These hides are then treated with a variety of chemicals such as lime, sodium sulphide, or sodium hydrosulphide which removes the hair and fat to clean and further preserve them and expand the hide to make it easier to cut and split.
The outer layer goes to make leather goods such as shoes, coats, and handbags. It is the inner layer that they use for the rawhide, this layer is also used to manufacture glue, gelatin and some cosmetics
If it is to make rawhide treats, they are formed into the chews that we give to our dogs. These chews are coated or dipped in other toxic chemicals to give them flavour and to bleach them white. They can also be dyed or painted with titanium oxide to turn them a brilliant white.
Preservation:
To preserve them they are once again introduced to various chemicals and depending on which country they were made in this can include formaldehyde, arsenic, and strychnine. All the flavours are artificial, how they can be described as natural is beyond my comprehension. It is a piece of leftover fatty skin without any protein soaked in a vat of chemicals, acids and bleaching. The only thing natural about it is the shape.
It is an unhealthy treat for your dog that can cause many problems. Have you ever bought puffed chicken feet or pigs’ snouts that are white? Once again anything that is white is that way because of a very nasty chemical bath.
If you want to give your dog a treat, make sure it is an all-natural one with no chemicals, preservatives or artificial flavours.
Do Your Research:
As always, do your research and talk to your pet shop hopefully they will be well-informed and not stock or sell you something that can cause potential harm to your pet.
Does Rawhide Break Down:
These treats cannot be digested, so it forces the dog to pass a lump of sodden chemically created gunge the exact same size that your dog had swallowed it, and it may swell up in the dog’s stomach depending on the manufacturer.
Therefore harm could come from the reaction to both the chemicals and the fact that the rawhide is undigestible, it could be lodged in the stomach for many weeks and in some cases, a major abdominal operation is required to remove these blockages.
If your pet shop sells rawhide or puffed and white chicken feet or pigs’ noses or any treats that are white and advertises them as a natural dog treat then perhaps you should look elsewhere for a store that understands what the word natural means.
One that hopefully prides itself on never selling anything with chemicals, artificial colourants or flavouring and free of any cereals or grains, in other words totally natural. Fortunately, we are one such store and we never sell or stock anything that is not natural.
Below is a small selection of our Air Dried Natural Treats Visit us at The Natural Dog Store in Hampton Hill or Online
Stan Rawlinson April 2022
Dog Behaviourist and Obedience Trainer
£9.95 – £16.50
£9.50 – £16.50
£9.50 – £16.50
£8.50 – £14.50
£13.50 – £23.50
£13.50
£2.95 – £10.95
£13.50
£9.95 – £16.50
£13.50 – £23.50
£12.50
£16.95 – £28.50
£8.50 – £13.50
£3.50 – £15.99
