Health

Why We Don’t Feed Rawhide

There’s a new treat on the block and it’s here to replace rawhide, Smart Bones are a healthy alternative to rawhide made from vegetables and stuffed with all kinds of yummy including peanut butter. 

Why isn’t rawhide good for dogs?

The most popular ingredient for dog chews, so why don’t people know that it could potentially be the most dangerous. Rawhide does not have any meat or vegetable content and is a by product of the leather industry. When the animal hide is spilt from the animal the top layer is tanned and made into leather products whilst the inner portion goes to the dogs. 

But how does it get shaped and coloured?

Firstly the cattle hides are shipped to the tannery and treated with a chemical bath to preserve the product. Once at the tannery they are soaked and treated with either an ash-lye solution or a toxic recipe of Sodium Sulphide lining which removes hair and fat attached tot the hides.

Next more chemicals to help puff the hide, at the right time they are then washed and whitened. Whitening involves using hydrogen peroxide and or a type of bleach, to remove the colour and the smell of rotting leather.

Next comes the colouring; this can take many forms. Whole-dog-journal printed 

“basted, smoked, and decoratively tinted products might be any colour (or odour) underneath the coating of dyes and flavours. They can even be painted with a coating of titanium oxide to make them appear white and pretty on pet store shelves.” 

dangers of rawhide
Click the image to be taken to Rodney Habib blog on the dangers of rawhide

The processing doesn’t end here, they must be soaked again and rolled into shapes that you see on the shelves. Glues can be used to enable them to stick in shape.

If all that wasn’t enough there is a fine print on labels of rawhide. “Chocking or blockages. If your dog swallows large pieces of rawhide, the rawhide can get stuck in the oesophagus or other pats of the digestive track. Sometimes, abdominal surgery is needed to remove them from the stomach or intestines. If it isn’t resolved, a blockage can lead to death.

So who makes chews that can last a long time and are safe, we use SmartBones and more recently Everest Dog Chews. With two heavy chewers they can get through any treat with ease so finding a long lasting chew can be hard work. 

Why we feed smart bones?

Chewing is a daily routine for dogs, it releases a hormones: Serotonin, Dopamine and Oxytocin  known as the feel good chemicals which not only makes them happy but calms dogs down. This is the reason that when they get stressed they chew. This essential activity keeps them happy, calm, cleans their teeth, strengthens their jaw and prevents boredom and destructive behaviour. 

SmartBones’ are made up of an outer layer of real vegetables including sweet potato, peas and carrots. This outer layer is combined with various inner layers that dogs find irresistible; peanut butter and chicken to name a few.

Being rawhide free means that SmartBones are easy to digest, they will very rarely cause a stomach upset or a loose stool. 

Japanese Akita Smart Bones

Where can I get smart bones?

SmartBones

Amazon

Pets at Home

 

We are always looking for new chews to try out or even make our selves at home that are long lasting. If you have any that you’ve tried, let us know in the comments below as we LOVE chews! More importantly we LOVE testing chews!

Stay Pawsitive!

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