Dog Treats

The Dangers of Rawhide Chews and why we DON’T sell them

 

Rawhide chews have long been part of the staple diet of pet dogs in terms of treats, but recently the safety of this product has been called into question.

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What is Rawhide?

As its name suggests, rawhide is just that – animal hide usually from cattle, but depending on where it originates from it can come from any cleft hoofed animal; pig, sheep, horse or even buffalo. Therefore, although the type of animal the rawhide comes from is possibly not the issue, how the livestock was raised may well be cause for concern, since it can affect the quality and safety of the end product, with some being much drier and thinner than others.

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Basically, rawhide chews are not the by-product of the meat industry as many people believe, but rather they are the by-product of the leather industry. The animal hide is split and the top section is used to make leather products such as shoes and handbags, while the inner section is used in its raw state for dog chews.

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What is the manufacturing process for rawhide chews?

Before hides are sent to tanneries for processing, they are initially treated with a chemical bath which is supposed to preserve the product and prevent it spoiling during transportation. At the tannery plant, the hides are then soaked in toxic sodium sulphide which removes hair and fat from the skin.

After that, it is often cleaned in a solution of hydrogen peroxide. In some countries, even arsenic or formaldehyde may be used, although this process is banned in the United States. The material is then either left in its natural state or smoked before adding artificial flavours and colourings.

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All in all rawhide chews should be avoided at all costs as clearly they pose a health hazard to our pets because of the liberal use of toxic chemicals during their manufacture. When tested in laboratories rawhide chews have been found to contain Lead, Arsenic, Chromium Salts, Mercury and other highly toxic chemicals.

On top of this, rawhide chews pose a serious choking hazard and a high probability of intestinal obstruction, since they are more or less indigestible.

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Healthy alternatives to Rawhide

At Healthy Pet Supplies, we offer many healthy alternatives to Rawhide including Antos (www.antos.co.uk) Antlers are from Red Deer and Fallow deer, much of which is from Scottish highland herds, and have simply been cleaned (with no chemicals) and cut to various sizes/weights for dogs to chew on. Sharp points have been removed to make them safe.

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We stock Furry Rabbit ears Beef tails and Lamb and Goats Ears Chicken feet and lots lots more