Author Topic: Rawhide  (Read 8823 times)

Offline jabear

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Rawhide
« on: April 18, 2005, 08:47:54 pm »
I have heard several different things about giving rawhide bones/chews to large dogs and problems that they might cause with digestion. I know that we have allowed Bear to eat a rawhide bone on occassion when he has been given one as a present/treat by someone else but we have never purchased it for him oursleves. So, just wondering if there is any truth to this school of thought?
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Jaime
  Mom to one handsome black Bear.

Offline mamadog

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Re: Rawhide
« Reply #1 on: April 18, 2005, 09:42:25 pm »
I have heard this from time to time too, though never from my vet. I do buy my dog rawhides and I figure it's better for him than my sneaker or the stuffing from a pillow! The poor guy is teething! When he has them he chews on nothing else. Without them he chews anything he can reach, including my coffee table! I'm a fan of them myself, and like I said, my vet has never said anything bad about them.  I get the really thick ones tied into bones or a big braided ring. It takes so long for him to finish one of those.... not the same as giving the little "pig ear" kind that they finish in 10 mins.  If you're worried about it you might want to try the Nylabone. They are supposed to be much better for dogs and take a long time to eat (days) We have gotten those before and he liked it a lot too. (they do cost more though)

Offline Sullivan

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Re: Rawhide
« Reply #2 on: April 19, 2005, 01:19:15 pm »
I'm glad you brought this up, as I've been wondering the same thing.  I've heard that rawhide can be bad for their digestive systems, especially if the dog is too young.  Seamus loves them, but sometimes they make him vomit.  We asked our vet about it, and he didn't seem to have any concerns about them at all.  We also give Seamus huge bones from either pet smart or the grocery store.  I think they are called butcher bones or something like that.  Seamus loves them.  They are pretty messy, but they last a really long time.  I've been worried that they may be chipping his teeth though. 
He also has a bit of a plaque problem.  We don't brush very regularly b/c he hates it.  I recently got some dental rawhide from the vet which he loves, but again they make him puke sometimes.
I'm at a loss.  I want to give him what is best, but is the stuff I do give him that bad?

Offline mamadog

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Re: Rawhide
« Reply #3 on: April 19, 2005, 02:46:18 pm »
Our breeder told us to NEVER give real bones. Even the kind you get from a pet supply store. Infact our buyer agreement states that his health warentee is void if we feed him real bones.  Nylabones are good for the teeth, made of natural ingredients and because it takes so long to eat them there is less of a chance of it bothering his tummy....cause he never has much of it in his tummy at once. And they make them in so many different flavors.
Again, I've never had a problem with rawhides, as long as they're big enough to take a long time to eat. And afterall, the point is to have something satisfying to chew, not to eat!  The big braided ring he  has now is about half gone, but he's had to for a couple of weeks, and we have 2 other dogs that chew it from time to time (I take it away if I catch them)  The bone shaped ones I find he chews through much faster.

Offline Carolyn

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Re: Rawhide
« Reply #4 on: April 19, 2005, 02:47:45 pm »
I also heard how rawhide can be hard to digest. I switched to uncooked bones from the butcher. My guys love them. Their a lot cheaper than rawhide and a lot better for them.
Carolyn
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Offline jabear

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Re: Rawhide
« Reply #5 on: April 19, 2005, 04:17:36 pm »
Thanks for the info. Glad to know we are doing alright by our Bear.
Hugs,
Jaime
  Mom to one handsome black Bear.

Offline Carolyn

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Re: Rawhide
« Reply #6 on: April 20, 2005, 02:25:55 pm »
Im curious why raw bones would be bad, they don't splinter & the marrow is good for them. Cooked is BAD those are the bones that splinter. Everyone has thier own ways. Thats why I like this site & stick my 2 cents in once in a while.
Carolyn
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Offline BOBI

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Re: Rawhide
« Reply #7 on: April 20, 2005, 03:35:47 pm »
THE REASON THEY TELL YA NOT TO GIVE RAWHIDE IS IN ESSENCE IT IS LEATHER......A ND THE REASON IT IS HARD TO DIGEST IS THAT WHEN IT GETS INTO THE DIGESTIVE TRACT, IT CAN FROM THE GASTRIC JUICES, SWELL IN SIZE, WHICH CAN CAUSE BLOCKAGES OR CAUSE CONSTIPATION. AND IT IS SOFT ENOUGH AS TO NOT REALLY BE BENEFICIAL TO A TEETHING PUPPY. THE BEST AND SAFEST THING FOR TEETHING PUPPIES AS WELL AS ADULT DOGS IS NYLABONE AND GUMABONE PRODUCTS. THEY ARE SPEFICALLY DESIGNED TO SHRED INTO SMALLER MORE PASSABLE PEICES, AND TO WORK AS A TOOTHBRUSH WOULD. THE PROBLEM IS, NOT ALL DOGS LIKE THEM, OR NOT UNTIL SOMEONE ELSE HAS ALREADY CHEWED THEM.  IN A MULTI DOG FAMILY, THEY WORK WELL AS ONE WANTS WHAT THE OTHER HAS.
WITH THE REAL BONES, DOGS THROUGH YEARS OF PROCESSED, SELECTIVE BREEDING, AND NOT HAVING THE NATURAL DIET AS A WILD DOG, THEY SIMPLY DO NOT HAVE NATURAL LAYERS OF ENAMEL ON THIER TEETH THAT A WILD DOG HAS. COOKED BONES FROM YOUR TABLE ,I WOULD SAY ARE NOT SAFE. BUT I THINK THE TREATED COOKED, STERILIZED BONES ARE FINE, THAT YOU CAN BUY IN THE STORE.
I USED TO GIVE MY DOBES THE WHOLE KNUCKLE BONE FROM PIGS THAT I GOT FROM THE BUTCHER.AS A TREAT ON OCCASSION. (THEY ARE REALLY MESSIE)
  BUT AFTER YEARS IN THE PET INDUSTRY, I HAVE LEARNED THE DEFINITE BENEFITS AND RESEARCH THAT STANDS BEHIND THE NYLABONE PRODUCTS.
LIFE'S JOURNEY IS NOT TO ARRIVE AT THE GRAVE SAFELY IN A WELL PRESERVED BODY, BUT TO SKID IN SIDEWAYS, TOTALLY WORN OUT, SHOUTING....    "HOLY CRAP, WHAT A RIDE..."

Offline Bear

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Re: Rawhide
« Reply #8 on: April 20, 2005, 07:12:03 pm »
Thats very good information Bobi. It's nice to have you guys with the experience around here. Are the Nylabones what the Greenies are?

Anybody know anything about ribs? Beef ribs to be exact. I happened to give our Bear a really big rib not  (really) knowing he would eat so much of it. It was like, I gave it to him, and then he gave back like 3 inches of the bone. Jaime and I looked at eachother like "what happened to the rest of it".  Anyway, we were pretty worried so we watched his stools closely for the next 3-4 days and it never passed. This was no small bone. Anyone know what happened to it?

Offline mixedupdog

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Re: Rawhide
« Reply #9 on: April 20, 2005, 09:24:54 pm »
I used to be a vet tech, surgery assistant in fact, and have seen perforated intestines from COOKED bones, and obstructions from rawhide.  On another board I belong to, one member, even after a lot of warnings, decided rawhide was safe as long as she supervised the dog, and took it away when it got small. The dog came very close to choking to death, she got a piece of rawhide stuck in her throat. Luckily the owner was able to grasp a corner and draw it out. She posted about her close call, as a warning to those who still were using it.
You also have to be aware that some rawhide, (mostly the cheap ones not manufactured in the US) can be processed with toxic chemicals, or harbor salmonella. It's just not worth all the risks.
Nylabones are great and long lasting (the non-edible kind) Kongs work well for some dogs (there's an Ultra size strong one for big dogs)
I have given my dogs RAW whole beef femurs (cow leg bones from the hip to hock) from the butcher, for 20 years or more, and NEVER had an issue. Never saw a problem at work either. Raw beef bones just kind of crumble. I freeze them solid and give them frozen, by the time they thaw the dog has worked off all the messy stuff.  Some dogs need to be introduced to bones slowly, the marrow is very rich and can give them diarrhea. You can either scoop some out before freezing (that would be on a bone with the ends "knuckles" cut off) or limit the time at first, putting it back in the freezer in between.

Offline BOBI

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Re: Rawhide
« Reply #10 on: April 21, 2005, 04:46:52 pm »
i believe the greenies are made by nylabone.
LIFE'S JOURNEY IS NOT TO ARRIVE AT THE GRAVE SAFELY IN A WELL PRESERVED BODY, BUT TO SKID IN SIDEWAYS, TOTALLY WORN OUT, SHOUTING....    "HOLY CRAP, WHAT A RIDE..."

Offline mastiffmommy

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Re: Rawhide
« Reply #11 on: April 21, 2005, 08:57:45 pm »
I also give Nylabones, they dont take to them as willingly as they probabl would a rawhide or real bone, but like many of you, I always heard that the risk of giving them could be, choaking or them or they swallowing it and it getting stuck.

Real bones, uncooked at least dont splinter, but does make at least my dogs have upset bellies, even if not given a long time to chew on them. So for several years I have more or less stuck to the Nylabones.

Marit
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