There are so many different rawhide type bones in pet stores, what's safe and what's not?

Question

I got my Sheltie this bone that almost looks like a hollow cow spine or something and she loves it! However, she is eating it preety fast and my Mom said it could be bad for her. There are also are hooves, pig snouts (yuck!), rawhide bones filled with different flavors and so forth. I read that plain old rawhide are the only safe bones but my dogs don't like them! And what about bones from the butcher? Also, are the "new" greenies safe? I gave one to my dog for her weight category (which was really small) and she ate it within 5 minutes! She didn't "gulp" it though which I guess was part of the problem. Are they really digestable or only partially? HELP!

Answer 1

As a general rule, rawhide is not good for dogs - the pieces get slimy and as they're broken off, they present a choking hazard for your dog. In addition, keeping your dog in a constant supply of rawhide can lead to not only obesity (as too much of ANY treat will), but can also be a cause of intestinal blockages.

However, I know that dogs love them, and of course we want to treat our pups!!

If you're going to give your dog a chewy, make sure, first and foremost, that you're supervising the chewing - just in case!!

If your dog like bones, I'd recommend the natural bones. You can find them at any pet store, and a lot of them are filled with yummy treats like peanut butter, or beef. When we bought one for our dog, the trainer there told me when he'd eaten out all the good stuff to wash it out very will with soap and hot water, and then I could refill it myself, making a paste of his kibble crushed up and just enough peanut butter to hold it together. She then said to stuff it, and put the bone in the freezer and it's like a popsicle treat for him. (He LOVES it!)

My pup has VERY VERY strong jaws, and aside from the noise he makes chewing on the bone, we've had absolutely ZERO problems with splintering, etc. but again, he only gets bones when we can watch him.

The answerer that suggested the Kong was right on. It's a fantastic toy you can stuff with treats (or fill with water & freeze), or just throw for him - it's durable, and bounces erratically - tons of fun for your pup!

Answer 2

Rawhide is actually bad for dogs, as pieces can come off and cause choking. I had a 150 pound rottweiler and it was difficult to find anything that would last with him...finally I found 2 things worked well....regular bones (by the ones from the pet store, don't give him household scrap bones, as some of these also pose choking hazards). Hartz has a wonderful one that has a little bit of "meat" and flavoring still on it. The dog will work on getting that off first and then chew on the bones for a long time. The other thing that worked well and lasted long are the cow hooves sold in pet stores. My rotty could chew on them a long time, so I am sure your sheltie will get a work out form them too.....oh yeah, and neither of them turn into that stinky, sticky, nasty mess that raw hide does after being chew.

Answer 3

I've always advised my clients against ANY type of rawhide (I'm a trainer). You know how nasty and slimey and goopy it feels when your dog has been chewing on it for a while? Imagine that sitting in his gut. As others have said, rawhide isn't really digestible by dogs, and tends to goop up in their system and can cause blockages that need surgery to repair.

The Kong products are wonderful, but if you're going to stuff one with peanut butter, I'd suggest mixing it with some of your dog's daily ration of dry food, and freezing the stuffed Kong until solid. Much less messy, lasts a ton longer, and cutting the PB with the dog food makes it a bit more nutritious.

I also really like the Nylabone products, especially their "Gallileo" bone. I have a Border Collie mix who is a fairly heavy chewer, and one easily lasts us a year. I even toss his in the dishwasher every once in a while to sanitize it.

If your dog absolutely MUST have an edible chew to completely destroy, I suggest just about anything on the rawhide aisle EXCEPT rawhide. Booda also makes a nice line of edible chews made of cornstarch, but heavy chewers tend to go through these pretty quickly.

Answer 4

Some bad news. Plain rawhide can not only be dangerous by getting lodged in the throat, if your rawhide is made outside the US, they are probably using dangerous chemicals to produce the rawhide, like lye (most commonly), and there are no guidelines or any rules on how clean the product must be to be considered safe. This means you get to use your dog as a test animal every time you give him one. I would only purchase rawhide sold as a product of the USA and i would only allow it while i was watching the dog.

Rawhide bones filled with stuff are just filled with junk so skip those. Real bones sold in stores like knuckle bones AND things like tendons can cause tooth breakage. I have a shelte that broke it's tooth on a tendon.

Snouts are okay along with ears but they're full of fat and get eaten pretty quickly. I prefer lamb lung. I've seen them sold as 'lammy whammy's' and the dogs love them.

Greenies are not only fattening but are cellulose - not very digestible to dogs- and can cause digestive problems. Dogs have had to have surgery to remove stuck greenies before.

Answer 5

Compressed are the best in rawhide.
At grocery stores go the meat section buy the soup bones and bake or broil them the same temp as you meat. Most dog love these. In fact, cook several at a time. After cooling wrap each in foil put them in the freeze for your dog later. You don't have to defrost the bone before giving the bone to your dog.

Answer 6

As with any chew item make sure it fits the dog. You do not want raw hide which the ends or small pieces fall off. This can cause choaking .

One of the best chew toys for your dog are the rubber balls which can be filled with treats. As they play with the chew toy, (Which will not come apart) treats fall out.

Personally, My great grandmother has given her dogs Real bones from roasts and soups. She wouldn't give the dogs fowl or pork bones however since they tend to splinter and can cause problems not only in the throat but also in the digestive tract.

Remember dogs are by nature meat eaters. They need hard items to chew to keep their teeth healthy. If it becomes a serious problem, ask your vet what he/she would recommend for your type of dog. Hard bisquets may be the way to go. Animal plante had a great show on with regards to such questions. Try their web page.

Answer 7

Lets get it right.. bones only splinter when they are cooked. Dogs eat the bones from thier kills in the wild, and need nutrients from them still today. I wouldent give your dog rawhide bones.... most dogs dont really even seem to like them. Stick with real bones.. whether you buy them from the petstore, butcher, or cut it off of the meat yourself. Meat hanging off of bones is NOT bad for them... thats what they eat!

Anyway, hope this helps you get some bones for your doggy.

Answer 8

If the bone you are atlking about is real and just filled, then it's ok. Just make sure you watch her and watch the bone for splinters. Rawhide is not good in any form as is is hard on the dogs tummy. It rarely digests and can block the intestines. Stick with real bones and you will be fine.
Bones from the butcher are ok, just boil them for about 20 minutes before giving to your dog.

Answer 9

I have 2 labs and they LOVE to chew. I do a couple of different things with them. One is to give them crushed ice. They love it and it helps keep them hydrated as well as curb their desire to chew.

Like you, I wasn't too sure which rawhide type bones to get. After discussing it with the vet, we chose to go with dental chews. These come in different shapes, sizes, and textures. Some are hard like bone and some are like rawhide. The difference is they are veterinary approved (make sure there is a seal on the package that says it is) and the dental chews are usually treated with something that promotes healthy teeth and gums.

Answer 10

I can see you've gotten all sorts of advice, but I just wanted to say that greenies are not digestible and most dogs eat them very quickly which can cause alot of problems. My vet used to sell them, but they have now been pulled off the shelves. The same with the Nylabone "edibles"