Are Cow Tails a Safe Alternative to Raw Hide Chews for Dogs?

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I have strong chewers and I'm always on the lookout for tough chews that are long lasting. Introducing cow tails! This is something that I would give a shot because they are tough chews, but are they safe?

In this post, I share what I learned about cow tails and explain why I'm not comfortable giving these to my dogs. What about you?

I used to feed our dogs rawhide chews – they’re cheap, easy, and last a long time. I knew of the dangers, but our dogs had never had a problem, so I continued buying them despite the warnings.

Until rawhide chews nearly sent us to the emergency vet.

Rodrigo’s Near Emergency Visit and Raw Hide Chews

Rodrigo is the dog that was sent to me to teach me patience and unconditional love and provide endless content for Keep the Tail Wagging.

One day, about 8 or 9 years ago, I got home to happy, excited dogs ready for their walk. Rodrigo repeatedly did a play bow stretch. He was restless, couldn’t sit still, and kept bowing. I didn't know what was happening, so I went to Professor Google for a hint.

I read that repeated bowing could be a sign of a perforated bowel. Something was stuck in there, and he was trying to loosen it and get comfortable. I panicked and called our vet. She told me to watch him for a little longer (about an hour) and then bring him in if there were no improvements because Rodrigo was acting otherwise normally and didn’t seem to be in pain. So I took him and Sydney for a walk, and when he took his poop, it was runny and red.

I panicked – again. I gathered what I could of the poop and saw a large, sharp, white shard that was ¾” long. While talking to the vet, I noticed that Rodrigo was fine – no restlessness or bowing. He was running and playing with his sister like any other day. Again, they told me to watch him. The next morning, he took a solid poop. He was fine.

I never bought another rawhide chew again.

Read about 20+ alternatives to rawhide chews and kick your rawhide addiction.

But are all chews safe?

What are Cow Tails?

Cow tails that I've seen online are the color of rawhide chews, long and thin like a raw bone. I read that the interior contains meat and small pieces of bone. I've not tried it with my dogs, so I wonder if they're safe.

One of my readers commented that she would try cow tails with her 26-pound pup, and I asked her to report back on how her dog did with them because I had never heard of them and I’m always looking for something new. Here is Karen’s response:

Hi Kimberly –

Regarding your request for feedback below, we did try the cow tails and I would not recommend them to anyone. Despite the deceptive chewable exterior, the interior is made of very hard bone. Within the first 2 minutes (and my dog is small) a 2 inch piece of very hard bone interior came loose and my dog almost swallowed it. Thank goodness I was supervising him. This hard interior could also easily break a tooth….I took my husband’s hammer and tried to break it….it would not break. It didn’t even crack. I ended up returning them at my expense. I promised to get back to you on them as you requested below and I hope this information saves dog owners the cost and worry of internal blockage surgery or broken teeth.

Thank you and have a great day-

Karen

Are Cow Tails Safe for Dogs?

This testimonial about cow tails made me a bit nervous, and I never tried them with my dogs. I did try pork tails, which the dogs loved, but never cow tails. I went further and read reviews on cow tails sold on Chewy.com and found that 68% of customers who purchased Barkworthies cow tails were happy with the product. The one-star reviews all mentioned that the cow tails were harder than expected, didn't digest well, and had a strong odor.

I posted a question on Chewy.com to learn about how the cow tails are processed. Chewy forwarded my question to Barkworthies, but never received a response. — ***I posted a question on Chewy.com to learn about how the cow tails are processed. This was the response.***

When I originally wrote this blog post, I was focused on the cow tails; now, several years later, I am curious about one more thing – how are these processed? If I hadn't read the label on the package, I wouldn't have known that these are cow tails. A cow tail has hair on it, so what did the brand do to remove the hair and bleach it? I read that they are irradiated to make them safer (less bacteria), but I don't see anything more about processing – so I asked. I'll update this post when I learn more.

So, the answer to the question about the safety of cow tails is “it depends on your dog.” If I were to try cow tails, I would give them to Zoey without worry. She's a gentle chewer, and they're the right size for her mouth. I think she'd enjoy them. Plus, she'll let me take them from her if it doesn't work out.

My boys are pretty aggressive chewers, and I wouldn't feel comfortable adding cowtails to their menu.

A Healthy Alternative to Cow Tails

If you're looking at cow tails and you're not 100% sure if they'll be a good fit for your dog, there is a long list of alternatives to choose from that your dog will enjoy. Because cow tails seem to fall into the medium to tough chews category, I've limited my list to chews in the same category.

Real Dog Box Subscription – Chews Only
Monster Himalayan Chew
Monster Braided Bully Stick

If you're ready for raw bones, there are plenty that t I feel comfortable giving to my dogs:

beef knuckle bones
duck frames
lamb necks
lamb shank
quail (meaty)
rabbit legs (very meaty)
pork ribs

I always supervise my dogs when I give them bones or chews.

Read More About Raw Feeding

15 Comments

Trish on May 16, 2018 at 4:31 am

I had the same experience with my lab Albie with the Himalayan chews too. Shame, as he loved it and would have had hours of enjoyment with it had he not been such a greedy pup!

Kimberly on September 18, 2017 at 8:30 am

Fantastic, Nico! Thanks for sharing. I’ve always wanted to try these, but the hardness of the store one’s kind of scare me. I wanted to try the fresher ones but there isn’t a resource near me and if I order through my co-op, I have to get them by the case.

Nico on September 15, 2017 at 9:49 pm

I’m in your Facebook group and I just googled the cow tails to see if they were safe and got to this article! My Frenchie is sitting next to me eating one right now. I’m debating taking it away. I agree that fresh cow tail would be fine. He eats ox tail from our local co-op and the bone is fairly soft. The one he is eating now is from a regular pet store. It is dried and rawhide like. I also discovered a super hard bone inside. However they are processing them it is making them like cooked bones. I don’t know what I expected to be honest. It looked like it was more just the skin from the tail. Won’t buy them again though I will continue to feed fresh when I can get it from the co-op.

Kimberly on January 10, 2017 at 8:13 am

I’m not surprised that different people have different experiences. Given that there are multiple brands selling these chews, I would expect that the quality, texture, hardness/softness would vary. This article was inspired by one dog owner’s experience. Others may have similar experiences or the exact oppositive. A dialogue about which chews people have success with is important for people who want to get away from rawhide.

I’m guessing that this is your first visit to my blog; I’m a raw feeder. I don’t give my dogs chicken necks due to allergies; however, they do enjoy duck necks regularly – I have a freezer full. They also enjoy raw meaty bones. The bones I give to my dogs are based on their chewing styles and my comfort level. Each dog is different and each dog parent is different. I’m ultimately responsible for my dog’s health and safety and will stick with the bones and chews that I’m most comfortable with for my four.

You can read more about the bones I feed to my dogs here: https://keepthetailwagging.com/can-dogs-eat-bones/

Dr Susan Schultz on January 10, 2017 at 7:23 am

I disagree about tail completely. Would you apply the same thought to chicken necks, RMBs, chicken legs, etc? Even with Himalayan chews the dog must be supervised. When the chews become small enough to swallow they must be taken from the dog. I love the chews, but have had owner’s whose dog has swallowed a 1″ hunk which lodged in the throat. The vertebra that is in the end of the tails is much smoother than a piece of chewed Himalayan Chew and can be swallowed and passed without incident – similar to the way it is passed by animals in the wild.

Kimberly on September 18, 2015 at 9:11 am

Thanks for sharing, Ashley. Wow, THREE TO FOUR HOURS is amazing.

Ashley on September 18, 2015 at 6:45 am

My dogs (20lbs terrier and a 45 BC mix) LOVE the no hide chicken chews. I feel fairly safe with them (all they contain is chicken, egg whites, and olive oil). My dogs are light to moderate chewers so they last 3-4 hrs. I highly recommend them, no chipped teeth, no worries, nice

Kimberly on July 7, 2015 at 8:16 am

Thanks for the tip, Tiffany
I found out that a local store carries them, I’ll check them out to see how they feel. Thank you.

Tiffany on July 5, 2015 at 7:16 am

I feed my Ruby calf tails…i domt think that karen bought fresh ones bc the ones i buy Ruby are extremely Chewy and are not hard inside…the thing is so chewy we can break it in half with our hands for our german shepherd pit mix whos very tiny at nine and a half weeks…

Kimberly on March 16, 2015 at 3:56 pm

I’ve never heard of that, but it makes sense. I’m careful about giving ears, because of the high fat content and I worry about the source.

Kimberly on March 16, 2015 at 3:54 pm

Beams are a big HIT in our house.

Lara Elizabeth on March 16, 2015 at 8:04 am

My favorite chews for The Ginger Sisters are beef tendons and The Honest Kitchen Beams. The beef tendons are long lasting and they soften in a way that makes me feel they are fairly safe. Every dog is different, that’s for sure! Ruby does great with Himalayan Chews but Boca swallowed and vomited up a large piece recently that made me decide they were not appropriate for her. Thanks for the warning about cow tails – I had been wondering about them!

Katie on March 16, 2015 at 7:22 am

I read somewhere (Dr. Becker maybe??) that “ears” are not great unless from an organic source because the ear is often the place of injections sites. Anyone else ever hear of anything like this?

Kimberly on March 14, 2015 at 9:45 am

I wish they were less spendy, but they last so long that I don’t complain; I just keep an eye out for specials.

Jessica Shipman | Beagles and Bargains on March 12, 2015 at 8:48 am

I absolutely love Himalayan Dog Chews and so does Luna. They aren’t super messing, but they absolutely last. That is always my challenge with Luna. She is little, but she knows how to chew! You are right, you do have to be careful of when they get small, but you can always turn them into dog popcorn!

Trish on May 16, 2018 at 4:31 am

I had the same experience with my lab Albie with the Himalayan chews too. Shame, as he loved it and would have had hours of enjoyment with it had he not been such a greedy pup!
Kimberly on September 18, 2017 at 8:30 am

Fantastic, Nico! Thanks for sharing. I’ve always wanted to try these, but the hardness of the store one’s kind of scare me. I wanted to try the fresher ones but there isn’t a resource near me and if I order through my co-op, I have to get them by the case.
Nico on September 15, 2017 at 9:49 pm

I’m in your Facebook group and I just googled the cow tails to see if they were safe and got to this article! My Frenchie is sitting next to me eating one right now. I’m debating taking it away. I agree that fresh cow tail would be fine. He eats ox tail from our local co-op and the bone is fairly soft. The one he is eating now is from a regular pet store. It is dried and rawhide like. I also discovered a super hard bone inside. However they are processing them it is making them like cooked bones. I don’t know what I expected to be honest. It looked like it was more just the skin from the tail. Won’t buy them again though I will continue to feed fresh when I can get it from the co-op.
Kimberly on January 10, 2017 at 8:13 am

I’m not surprised that different people have different experiences. Given that there are multiple brands selling these chews, I would expect that the quality, texture, hardness/softness would vary. This article was inspired by one dog owner’s experience. Others may have similar experiences or the exact oppositive. A dialogue about which chews people have success with is important for people who want to get away from rawhide.

I’m guessing that this is your first visit to my blog; I’m a raw feeder. I don’t give my dogs chicken necks due to allergies; however, they do enjoy duck necks regularly – I have a freezer full. They also enjoy raw meaty bones. The bones I give to my dogs are based on their chewing styles and my comfort level. Each dog is different and each dog parent is different. I’m ultimately responsible for my dog’s health and safety and will stick with the bones and chews that I’m most comfortable with for my four.

You can read more about the bones I feed to my dogs here: https://keepthetailwagging.com/can-dogs-eat-bones/
Dr Susan Schultz on January 10, 2017 at 7:23 am

I disagree about tail completely. Would you apply the same thought to chicken necks, RMBs, chicken legs, etc? Even with Himalayan chews the dog must be supervised. When the chews become small enough to swallow they must be taken from the dog. I love the chews, but have had owner’s whose dog has swallowed a 1″ hunk which lodged in the throat. The vertebra that is in the end of the tails is much smoother than a piece of chewed Himalayan Chew and can be swallowed and passed without incident – similar to the way it is passed by animals in the wild.
Kimberly on September 18, 2015 at 9:11 am

Thanks for sharing, Ashley. Wow, THREE TO FOUR HOURS is amazing.
Ashley on September 18, 2015 at 6:45 am

My dogs (20lbs terrier and a 45 BC mix) LOVE the no hide chicken chews. I feel fairly safe with them (all they contain is chicken, egg whites, and olive oil). My dogs are light to moderate chewers so they last 3-4 hrs. I highly recommend them, no chipped teeth, no worries, nice
Kimberly on July 7, 2015 at 8:16 am

Thanks for the tip, Tiffany
I found out that a local store carries them, I’ll check them out to see how they feel. Thank you.
Tiffany on July 5, 2015 at 7:16 am

I feed my Ruby calf tails…i domt think that karen bought fresh ones bc the ones i buy Ruby are extremely Chewy and are not hard inside…the thing is so chewy we can break it in half with our hands for our german shepherd pit mix whos very tiny at nine and a half weeks…
Kimberly on March 16, 2015 at 3:56 pm

I’ve never heard of that, but it makes sense. I’m careful about giving ears, because of the high fat content and I worry about the source.
Kimberly on March 16, 2015 at 3:54 pm

Beams are a big HIT in our house.
Lara Elizabeth on March 16, 2015 at 8:04 am

My favorite chews for The Ginger Sisters are beef tendons and The Honest Kitchen Beams. The beef tendons are long lasting and they soften in a way that makes me feel they are fairly safe. Every dog is different, that’s for sure! Ruby does great with Himalayan Chews but Boca swallowed and vomited up a large piece recently that made me decide they were not appropriate for her. Thanks for the warning about cow tails – I had been wondering about them!
Katie on March 16, 2015 at 7:22 am

I read somewhere (Dr. Becker maybe??) that “ears” are not great unless from an organic source because the ear is often the place of injections sites. Anyone else ever hear of anything like this?
Kimberly on March 14, 2015 at 9:45 am

I wish they were less spendy, but they last so long that I don’t complain; I just keep an eye out for specials.
Jessica Shipman | Beagles and Bargains on March 12, 2015 at 8:48 am

I absolutely love Himalayan Dog Chews and so does Luna. They aren’t super messing, but they absolutely last. That is always my challenge with Luna. She is little, but she knows how to chew! You are right, you do have to be careful of when they get small, but you can always turn them into dog popcorn!