Are rawhide bones good for puppies?

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elsam
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Are rawhide bones good for puppies?

Post by elsam »

My 3 month old puppy chews alot on things she shouldnt. i gave her a rawhide bone and she loves it and chews more on that now. she also has other chew toys, kong, tire and hard plastic bone so this is not the only toy for her.
I have heard that they are not good for puppies. Choking hazards.
Is this true? If so, is there anything comparable that may be safer?
thanks for help.
Fundog
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Post by Fundog »

It's really pretty much equally divided into both "camps." Some will say no, rawhides are not the best choice, while others will say they are great, and give them to their dogs all the time. But truly, nothing we give our dogs is entirely without risk. It all depends on personal experience and observation.
maximoo
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Post by maximoo »

Rawhide can also cause gastric disturbances (aka diarrhea!) So just give her a very small one & let her have it for say 10 mts then see if it has any 'effect' on her.
It can be a choking hazard if she bites off a large enough piece. It can also cause an intestinal blockage if piece is too large.
But millions of people give it to their dog with no problem.
Everything in moderation, just take the time to make sure it doesn't upset her tum tum.
dontpugme
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Post by dontpugme »

Make sure to supervise your dog when you give a rawhide. Sharp pieces can tear holes and large pieces can block. I normally don't give my dog rawhide bones.
springermomx3
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Post by springermomx3 »

My dogs have never had issues with rawhide.
However if you are concerned...give her a raw marrow bone. No chance of splintering, will help with teething, and last for a while.
Or one of the edible nylabones.. mine love those. Merrick also makes safer, healthier chews.
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Nettle
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Post by Nettle »

Rawhide chewies are treated with chemicals to stop them smelling bad and rotting. You may not want to feed your dog these chemicals.

Far safer are raw meaty bones, or deer antler with the tines sawn off.
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elsam
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Post by elsam »

I really appreciate everyone's feedback. It has all been very helpful. With your help I can raise a very happy and healthy puppy.
I am so glad this website exists. Thanks to Victoria, my hero!!!
Sarah83
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Post by Sarah83 »

Nettle wrote:Rawhide chewies are treated with chemicals to stop them smelling bad and rotting. You may not want to feed your dog these chemicals.

Far safer are raw meaty bones, or deer antler with the tines sawn off.
I figure the rawhides are probably safer than the stuff my dog would otherwise find to chew. I'd prefer to give a raw bone but getting hold of one round here is practically impossible. Getting rawhide is hard enough, the ones sold by the only local shop are smaller than Ruperts paws.
BusyBee
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Re: Are rawhide bones good for puppies?

Post by BusyBee »

I know this is an older post, but for future references I thought I'd put my 2 cents in. :D

I give my dogs bully sticks. They last longer than raw hides and are healthier for them and less disturbing to digestive systems. Most pet shops sell them now, and you can also find them online. I know amazon carries them. They come in shorter lengths (6 inches maybe) all the way to monster lengths like 3 feet long! :shock:

My younger dog (1 1/2 yr old) chews them often, the older (9 yr old) dog would rather use them as cologne. She rolls all over them. :roll: :lol:
monib1969
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Re: Are rawhide bones good for puppies?

Post by monib1969 »

I am the no rawhide camp. If you have a dog that will become a larger dog as an adult, they will inevitably rip off a piece of the rawhide and try to swallow it, and then 'gag' it up. Hopefully without choking.

Bully sticks, like mentioned above are good, they are smoked pieces of flesh. They also have tracheas, pig tails etc which are better along with the bullies if you want to go that route. I'm a raw/homemade feeder so my dogs get real knuckle bones, raw not cooked because cooked bones harden and splinter when chewed where raw bones remain pliable.

That's my 2 cents!!! :lol:
jjphoenix
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Re: Are rawhide bones good for puppies?

Post by jjphoenix »

i am in the yes rawhide camp, depending on your dog. i give mine the rawhide that is natural with no colourings, additives etc. len has powerful jaws so he gets the larger rawhide bones so he cant chew chunks off. Our recent foster would have smaller ones as she didnt chew them in the same way, i find them great for cleaning their teeth and havent had any problems with them at all, no choking pulling bits off or digestive but it does depend on your dog and how they chew, obviously if your pup starts pulling chunks off then its not going to be suitable, neither of mine do. However he does try to swallow big chunks of pigs ears so we have to be careful with them.
lennox loves raw marrow bones too, however he can only have these for up to 15 mins at a or he gets really poorly, the squits, stomach cramping etc and can throw up even if he's only had it half hour, but again this is partly due to him having powerful jaws and being able to get through bones very quickly, hence the 15 min rule.
I havent seen these bully sticks before, i'll have a look online they sound good!
money can buy a dog but only love will wags its tail - DEED NOT BREED
jjphoenix
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Re: Are rawhide bones good for puppies?

Post by jjphoenix »

are bully sticks bull pizzles? len has these, their good but only seem to last him a minute lol
money can buy a dog but only love will wags its tail - DEED NOT BREED
monib1969
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Re: Are rawhide bones good for puppies?

Post by monib1969 »

Hi JJ,

No, they are called bully sticks. Here is a palce that sells them in the US ....

http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/products/ ... 66004.aspx

if that doesn't work, it's from the Only Natural Pet store in Denver. Their web site .. onlynaturalpet.com. They have a variety of bully sticks, steer stick, pig tail, tracheas etc...
jjphoenix
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Re: Are rawhide bones good for puppies?

Post by jjphoenix »

oo these look good, anyone know where you can get them from in the uk?
money can buy a dog but only love will wags its tail - DEED NOT BREED
pommommy
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Re: Are rawhide bones good for puppies?

Post by pommommy »

I also give my babies bully sticks. They love them, but they smell terrible! I found dehydrated sweet potatoes for dogs at our local health food store. The bag said they were great alternatives to the rawhide chews and they really are. The pups love them, the ingredients listed are "sweet potatoes with skins" and that is all. However, they are, of course, smaller than the rawhide chews and do not last as long.
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