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Did you know that rawhide chews are mostly indigestible? Did you know that rawhide chews can be dangerous to our dogs? In this post, I share more than 20 alternatives for pet parents looking to satisfy their dog's chew drive safely.
Benefits of Rawhide Chews
Our dogs love to chew, and rawhide chews have been great for their teeth, for boredom, and to alleviate anxiety. Rawhide chews keep our dogs' jaws strong, their teeth clean, and their breath fresh. I was disappointed when I accepted that rawhide chews were dangerous for my dogs. Rawhide chews were my saving grace when the weather sucked, when I needed to get some work done, or when I just wanted a peaceful evening.
What are Rawhide Chews?
The ones we've purchased are made of beef hide. They're spun in circles and dried, and if you look closely, they're held together with an adhesive (should our dogs be consuming this?). Some rawhide chews are flavored, but Rodrigo doesn't do well with the flavored ones, so we always just purchased the plain ones.
Dangers of Rawhide Chews
Rawhide chews come with a real risk of blockage. Our dogs sometimes swallow entire chunks at a time, and since they're largely indigestible, these can get stuck in a dog's throat (I've pulled many out) and intestinal tract. Rodrigo enjoyed rawhide chews until he had to pass a few sharp pieces. They passed right before he was due for a trip to the emergency vet, and it was a painful process for him and terrifying for me.
Rawhide chews come with a risk of contamination due to the chemicals used to create them (remember the glue I mentioned?).
Rawhide chews can cause digestive upset. As I shared, Rodrigo can't handle the flavored ones; other dogs have shown that they're allergic to the ingredients used to create them.
Rawhide chews can cause painful injuries. Along with the blockage mentioned above, veterinarians are seeing other painful injuries, including broken teeth, broken jaws, and rawhide pieces stuck in the intestines.
As a vet, my main concerns with rawhide chews are in their digestibility, their chemical processing and their ability to fragment.
Although dogs can usually digest rawhide, when a large chunk of rawhide is swallowed, it may not get digested by the stomach and intestines in time. Instead, it gets pulled through the guts as a chunk, inevitably getting stuck when the intestines start to narrow. This can cause extreme vomiting and may need emergency surgery to correct.
Secondly, when a dog chews on rawhide it can shatter and fragment. These sharp fragments can damage the mouth, stomach and intestines.
In addition, most rawhide chews are ultra-processed with hundreds of chemicals- I would not want to feed them to my dog on this alone.
Dr. Joanna Woodnutt- Freelance Veterinary Writer
Why are Rawhide Chews Sold in Stores
I rarely shop in the big chain pet stores because it's less expensive to shop online or through my local raw food co-op. But when I venture into a chain pet store, I always wonder why they still sell rawhide chews if they're so dangerous.
Dr. Sara Ochoa, DVM, shared that rawhides are sold in stores because pet parents are still buying these chews.
Most people do not fully research things before they buy them for their dogs. They think that just because they are sold in stores that they must be okay for their dog. I strongly discourage owners about giving their pets rawhides. I do know some dogs who have been chewing on rawhide for years with no problems at all, but I do see all the problems that they can cause and recommend people use different things for their dogs to chew on.
Dr. Sara Ochoa, DVM
Alternatives to Rawhide Chews
I had an amazing discussion in a LinkedIn group, and I was skeptical about some of the recommendations, but then I tried them out and was happily surprised.
1) Bully Sticks & Chews
Some people believe that bully sticks are no better than rawhide chews, but I disagree. Our dogs love these, and I buy them in bulk. They smell awful, even the ” low-odor” bully sticks.
Bully sticks can be expensive. We have discovered a great source of quality bully sticks; PawStruck.com. Yep, they still smell, but the smell is worth it for the price and the joy it gives our dogs (and the quiet time for the humans). My favorites are the Monster bully sticks:
PawStruck.com…
- Monster Braided Bully Sticks
- Traditional (Straight) Bully Sticks
- Braided Bully Sticks
- Bully Stick Rings
- Bully Stick Springs
- Bully Sticks Pretzels
- Bully Sticks Barbells
- Beef Gullet
- Beef Tendon
- Pork Ears
- Lamb Ears
- Cow Ears
- Duck Feet
- Turkey Feet
- Beef Trachea
Barkworthies…
- Lamb Tail, Barkworthies
- Kangaroo Tail, Barkworthies
2) Fruits & Vegetables
We have two apple trees. I buy organic fruits and vegetables from a local market and most years, I grow vegetables in a small garden. While the following fruits and veggies aren't chews, they are healthy snacks. I started giving my dogs fruits and vegetables as treats because I'd toss them a bite when I was cooking. They loved them. Of course, fruits and vegetables don't have the long chewing time of a bully stick, but they're healthy and safe, and if you freeze them in the summer, they can be a great treat on a hot day.
- Carrots
- Apples
- Green Beans (or broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower)
3) Raw Bones
We just started buying raw bones for our dogs. Little Riley loved her bone, and I smile whenever I remember her going at it with gusto. There are cooked bones at the pet store – avoid these – cooked bones can splinter and wreak havoc on your dog's intestinal tract. They can also break your dog's teeth (I just learned this from an unhappy dog owner).
It's important to know our dogs' chewing habits, so I always give bones under supervision so that I can remove them if they begin to splinter or one of my dogs tries to swallow a big piece.
I order their bones through a local raw food co-op, and their favorites are:
- Beef Knuckle Bones
- Buffalo Knuckle Bones
- Lamb Necks
- Duck Necks
- Duck Frames
- Rabbit Legs
- Whole Quail
- Lamb Shanks
- Pork Ribs
I don't believe that it's a good idea for me to leave bones in the yard for later because of (1) resource guarding, (2) wild animals, and (3) the bones get harder over time. I also avoid weight-bearing bones; they're harder than the raw bones I prefer, which makes me worry about one of my dogs breaking a tooth.
4) Monster Himalayan Chews
Himalayan chews are healthy, all-natural, long-lasting, and tasty chews made from Yak's milk, and our dogs go NUTS for them. I don't recommend starting with a monster chew because you want to see how your dogs do with this dairy product first. Initially, these chews gave our dogs diarrhea if I gave them one whole chew (just the regular size). So, I only allowed them to enjoy these chews for 15-20 minutes, keeping my dogs occupied while I take a call or clean the living room.
5) Real Dog Box Subscription – Chews Only
I was introduced to Real Dog Box, a monthly subscription service that offers treats/chews. I haven't been very impressed with subscription services for pet parents, but this one caught my attention because everything in the box was something I loved for my dogs.
Real Dog Box offers a treat-only option, a chews-only option, and a combo of treats and chews. We receive the chews-only box, which offers the perfect number of chews for a multi-dog home. And it's right within my budget.
What About Deer Antlers?
I‘ve read that deer and elk naturally shed their antlers every spring, and those naturally shed antlers are gathered, cleaned, cut to create a great option for strong chewers. I used to buy antlers for my dogs, but we stopped giving them antlers when they broke them down quickly. Deer antlers don't last as long for a couple of our dogs, and I was worried about broken teeth.
What About No-Hide Chews?
No-Hide Chews by Earth Animal is another chew that was raised in discussions – many people jumped onto these chews after they were marketed as a safe alternative to rawhide chews. I was excited about them, too, until people began questioning the ingredients, the sourcing, and their safety. Now no chew is 100% safe – I only give my dogs chews when I'm in the house to monitor the dogs. With multiple dogs in the house, I've worried about choking hazards as a dog rushes to finish their chew because they want another one or they're worried that it'll be taken away. That being said, are No-Hide chews safe? I'm not sure, but with so many other options on the market, I left these off the shopping list after reading a few articles by The Truth About Pet Food, a site I trust.
- Is No-Hide Dog Treat Actually Hide
- USDA says No-Hide Treats are “NOT” Made Under Inspection
- No-Hide Rebuttal Brings More Questions
- Is it No-Hide or Rawhide from China
Fans of Rawhide Chews
Plenty of people believe rawhide chews are perfectly safe for dogs, and I was one of them until my dog nearly ended up at the emergency vet. Today, I no longer believe that these chews are natural or safe. While they did an amazing job of occupying our dogs' time, the risk outweighs the benefit.
Bully sticks and the other chews I recommend don't last as long. However, I've found that a great substitute is a long walk before settling our dogs down with a natural chew and a nap. It works every time.
That’s great that you found a great source for your dogs. I’ve heard of the company, but do not shop with them because of how they’ve treated bloggers in the past. Instead, I give my money to Pawstruck or I source through a local raw food co-op.
No opinion; I’ve never heard of them.
What’s your opinion on “Pork Chomps Baked Pork Rolls”?
Best bully sticks is where we get our bully sticks. Compare these to the ones you get for price. I have not had any problems with them. And most of the time I get them on sale with the 20% off sales.
I don’t give my dogs marrow bones because I believe they are too hard. I like duck necks and lamb necks because they have a lot of meat and the bones are soft. Duck frames are just cartilage, which is soft. And beef knuckle bones are primarily cartilage too, which is soft on the teeth. For me, it was about finding what I was comfortable with because I was afraid to feed bones; now I have a freezer full of bones that are right for my dogs.
I wanted to believe how good bones are for my dog, especially to help clean the teeth. Not to mention my dog LOVES them!! Hey, everyone – be careful with bones! We were giving our pup raw, meaty beef marrow bones, supervised, once or twice a week. No problems for a year, then.. one broken tooth (pulp exposed, ouch!) and one chipped tooth. Procedure with Board Certified Veterinary Dentist to fix was no fun and very expensive. I never thought it would happen to us.. If you give these to your dog, know that the warnings are REAL. DVM dentist says rule of thumb is; “give them nothing harder than their own teeth to chew on.” I know, big bummer. ☹️