Are raw-hide bones dangerous for dogs in anyway?

Question

We did a pet survey for my Girl Scout troop and to my surprise, several of the girls in my troop said that they don't give their dogs rawhide chews because they were dangerous or bad for them. None of them knew why though. So now I'm very curious, esp. because I do give them to my dog occasionally.

Answer 1

There are two main reasons why they are dangerous, they are treated usually with bleach and chemicals to preserve them. Over time this can poison the dog! They are rolled and dried and large pieces can be swallowed and become trapped in the stomach or intestines of the dog. I learnt this the hard way, when I had a Labrador puppy who would chew anything! A piece of rawhide blocked the exit from her stomach and it was only emergency surgery that saved her life. On emptying her stomach the vet found several small stones, a half chewed crisp packet a piece of plastic and 3 twigs too. I've never given a dog it since or left them unsupervised in the garden as pups! I didn't know about the chemicals then or I wouldn't have used them! She was lucky it had stayed in her stomach, if it had become stuck in the intestines she would have been slower to show symptoms! One near fatality from a long list of dogs I've owned or known may not seem too bad and yes there must be hundreds who 'get away with it' but when it's YOUR dog it happens to you don't care about that, your one dog is more important than all the rest!
Now my dogs get natural raw bones and strong nylon or rubber bones & toys!

Answer 2

Raw-hide bones (like any toy) can be dangerous, but in most cases will be perfectly safe. The danger is if it pulls off large pieces and swallows them whole (really, that is a problem with any toy; it is just more likely to happen with rawhide).

The bone-shaped rawhides are particularly bad because the knots at the end can be pulled off and swallowed. The rolled rawhides are thus better. Normal chewing on rawhide, however, is safe.

If you are worried about intestinal blockage from normal chewing, just give your dog a Greenie (they help the teeth anywho). A Greenie is indigestible, which is why it gets pushed out of the dog's system so fast that it produces very distinct, near-diarrhea-like poo. That will help clear what might turn into a blockage. Rawhide IS digestible, which is the entire problem; it is digestible so it doesn't get pushed out but it is dense enough that it just sits in a dog's intestine for a long time (thus causing potential for blockage).

If you notice your dog is eating less or pooing less (in terms of frequency or volume), then take away the rawhide until the dog returns to normal (if it doesn't return to normal you may want to see a vet).

As a side note, rawhide and all things that dogs like to chew are wonderful for the health of their teeth.

Answer 3

Rawhide Bones Danger

Answer 4

Yes they can cause problems (like any other chewing toy if you're not careful). Rawhide can splinter and those splinters, once in the digestive system, can end up causing your dog a lot of discomfort or even a trip to the vet. The thing that stands out about rawhide is that it often splinters into sharp edges, and that can do a lot of damage to your pet if it's swallowed. Rawhide is not food, it's a chew toy and you have to make sure the dog doesn't swallow large chunks of it. There's actually a lot of information about this topic, just google it and read up.

Answer 5

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Are raw-hide bones dangerous for dogs in anyway?
We did a pet survey for my Girl Scout troop and to my surprise, several of the girls in my troop said that they don't give their dogs rawhide chews because they were dangerous or bad for them. None of them knew why though. So now I'm very curious, esp. because I do give them to my dog...

Answer 6

In my opinion, raw-hides are one of the worst "bones" you could ever give your dog. The one object we surgically remove from dogs intestines the most each year are raw-hides. Not only do they cause obstructions to the gut, but they are dipped in chemicals (eh!) for preservation and for flavoring. The can cause all sorts of GI issues and are simply horrible for oral health. I would never feed my dogs any raw-hides. So, to answer your question...yes... raw-hides can be dangerous.

A safer and much heathier option are Natural Bones or NylaBones.

Answer 7

Yes they are dangerous.
They are processed and not all of the germs necessarily get removed... no telling what the dog may pick up by eating them.

Usually what goes in a dog will come out but not always... why chance it with perhaps clogging up the dogs system?

Hope you can take a little of what everyone said and settle your own mind on that Girl Scout Troup Survey

HAPPY SCOUTING SWEETIE
ex-Brownie Leader - Luved it too

Answer 8

You're here because your dog or puppy’s not doing what you want, right?

If your answer is YES, then you'll love what you'll find here...

No matter what problems you're having, This solution will give you the right info, tools and confidence to correct ANY dog behaviour – and get your puppy off to the best start. It's the most complete training possible.

This amazing method works with all breeds, ages, shapes and sizes and covers everything you'll ever need to know.

The techniques are so simple even the kids can get involved - just the way it should be!

Discover right Now - http://expertdogtrainer.info

Thousands Of Happy Dog Owners Have Transformed Their Relationship With Their Dog - And You Can Do It Too...

Answer 9

A well-trained dog makes everyone happy, including his owner. Take a little time training him, and you'll never regret it; you'll always have an obedient dog by your side. Find more https://tinyurl.im/CiZ08

By their nature, dogs are pack animals with a well-defined social order. Through basic training, you need to consistently make sure your puppy understands that you are the leader, not him. So in teaching him the basic rules, you take on the role of pack leader.

To fit into the family circle, your dog must be taught to recognize his name and such commands as come, heel, lie down and sit.

Answer 10

Rawhide is dangerous. A dogs body cannot digest it. The other problem with rawhide is that s lot of it is manufactured outside of the country and in other countries, they may not have regulations on how it's made. Dogs have gotten sick from rawhide not only because of blockages but also from bacteria. If you want to give your dog rawhide still, the safer alternative is pig skin....not pig ears....pig skin. It is digestible and good to satisfy their chewing needs. There are also alternatives to rawhide made out of natural materials that are easily digestible. Check with your local pet store.