Are Rawhide bones okay for my pup to eat?

Question

I have a 5 1/2 month old puppy - Australian Sheperd. He loves rawhide bones !! The lady that fostered him before i adopted him said it is perfectly safe for a dog to eat them. But still ... thought i might get some good answers on here ... from people who have dogs or work with dogs !! Are they safe, healthy, and good for their teeth? --- THANX

More details about him. I usually give him a medium size rawhide bone and he works on it for a few days. BUT ... I DID get him a Nyla bone and he hasn't touched it once since i bought it ... So by the answers i see that giving him a lot of rawhides probably isn't a good idea. So now my question is: WHAT WOULD BE THE BEST THING TO GIVE HIM THATS EDIBLE since he doesn't like Nyla bones ??

He did have diarrhea for a few days ... then i didnt buy them for about a weed and the diarrhea went away. Those are the only problems he's had...also he bites at his tail, next to his butt, so there could be something wrong with his anal glands. Not sure..i've had him for over a month and when i got him he was perfectly healthy so.

Answer 1

I've worked in the pet food/supply business for years and have had so much experience with bones/rawhide. Here are the things to think about:

-the general rule these days is to not feed rawhide. Rawhide does not digest well, can swell in the dogs throat and get stuck, or can even go undigested and cause obstructions in the dogs intestines....which means huge vet bills. Dogs do love rawhide but why sacrifice their health.

-Bones are excellent as a treat for dogs and can be great for cleaning their teeth. Stay AWAY from pork, chicken, fish, and go with beef as beef are the strongest. When choosing which beef bones to go with, choose a smoked bone like a Crown Knucke (the hip bone), Tarter Busters (the knee cap) or Marrow Bones (tend to be the centre part of the beef leg bone). These bones are strong, dogs love them, and are great for their teeth.

-Do not use plain raw bones as they can be potentially harmful as they may carry Salmonella and make your dog extremely sick.

So, a nice strong smoked beef bone is the way to go.

Answer 2

Just watch him like a hawk. Don't think a vet would do anything at this point anyway. Chances are his stomach acids will break it all down and he will be fine. The danger with rawhides is that they swell when they get wet, and if they are rolled at all then they can unroll and get quite wide and cause a blockage. Any change in behaviour to lethargic or poorly then get to the vets.

Answer 3

I have a neighbor who raises Standard Airdales. They give their pups branches cut off of their Fruitless Mulberry tree. They claim it doesn't splinter. ... I don't know how that might affect their future reaction to wood furniture though ...

From what I've read, if you're going to give your dog rawhide-chews, the compressed variety are supposedly safer. Yet, I've a Rotty that even has occasional trouble with those. I've had to pull a large, softened piece from her throat, so I don't give them often OR unsupervised! My other dog is a much daintier eater, & has never had trouble. She prefers smaller bites (& has a smaller throat, which may be the reason). Neither of my dogs care much for Nylabones. Haven't tried Dentibones, though. I think mature dogs are more particular, wantiing something that tastes & smells 'inviting' ... Puppies -on the other hand- are just looking for something -ANYTHING- to massage their gums with!

If I had a puppy, I think I'd get some green Fruitless Mulberry branches & give them a try. (I know budgies seem to enjoy working on green eucalyptus branches!) Also, being green, they may not associate/confuse their branch-chew-toys with actual furniture ... (:

Here are some articles I find very enjoyable, on Pets ~

PETs ... How Do You View Them? :
~ Animals--A Gift From God
~ Pets—Keep a Balanced View of Them
~ Animals—A Pleasure Forever !
http://www.watchtower.org/library/g/2004/2/22a/article_01.htm

Answer 4

I'm not too sure if they are safe or not. My wolf pup was chewing on one, and I noticed she was having extreme trouble breathing. I reached into her throad and pulled out the softened rawhide bone that she had tried to swallow. It was cutting off her airway. Maybe if you get a very large rawhide bone that will take a long time to chew up to swallowing size, and take it away before it gets small, your dog won't almost choke to death on it. I think they are very good for the dog's teeth, but a little dangerous if they try to swallow them.

Answer 5

Yes it is okay as long as you supervise and make sure he does not swallow large pieces. It is also a good idea to only give him about 2-3 per month. If you want a great chew toy(not edible) that will last forever and is ok to give your dog to chew unsupervised. get a Nylabone..make sure it is the "durable" kind and the right size for your dog..... http://www.nylabone.com/default.aspx?pageid=106&subcat=8

My dog is a heavy chewer and he loves these bones they clean thier teeth really well too.

Answer 6

I was told by my vet years ago to never give any of my dogs rawhide bones/treats. He says that they don't digest well in the dog's system, and can cause blockages, which are especially dangerous to the larger breeds.
I find that my dogs have loved chewing on Dentabones. I get them in all sizes, from small to large, for all my different dogs.

Answer 7

Its perfectly ok to give you dog rawhide bones. It will help keep the teeth and gums healthy and clean. If you want a substitute, give your dogs carrots. Carrots will also maintain your dogs mouth and provide roughage for digestion. My dogs love both rawhide bones and carrots.

Answer 8

My vet said not to give them raw hide bones. The bones are hard on the stomach and digestive track of a dog. Not a natural thing for a puppy to eat.

Answer 9

my dog gets 1-2 a month she loves them they keep her teeth clean but they can cause blockage but thats if there eating one like once a day they have to eat alot of them. Pigs ears are also good treats but again scarce, make everything that you give the dog a special treat also read the packages they can also help you to determine whats best in your mind for your dog!

Answer 10

There are 2 sides or probably more I'm sure. Vets say that it's not very good as they get stuck, have breathing problems, have stomach upsets. Vets also say that they are good for cleaning there teeth and nutritional.?? But I do guess it depends on the size of your dog & age. Have you seen any bad effects??? IF not you might be doing fine. !!!!!