Dogs need to chew on something to help keep their teeth clean and strong. After all, they are “meat-eating” animals.
The issue is that some dogs chew on things that are bad for their teeth, and some dogs like chasing rawhide-type things.
“Are rawhide bones bad for dogs to eat?”It is a question that has been asked many times, and the answer is no, it isn’t bad for dogs to chew on.
Dogs love to chew on rawhide bones, and they can be a healthy part of your dog’s diet. Before you reward your dog with a chew toy, make sure you’re not putting his or her health at risk.
What is a rawhide bone, and how do they work?
Rawhide can be defined as the dried hide of an American bison shaped into alternative materials such as wieners, stiffening agents (BHA), toy filling, and more.
Cow tongue made from fresh cow’s saliva also goes by the name “Papism,” while beef heart pork boned knuckle, which stores collagen in various ways, are just some of the other rawhide derived items.
The main benefit for dogs?
The bones help grind their teeth and give them better upkeep on their teeth, hence healthy dogs. In fact, no vet would say that beef bones are harmful to your dog but only that they may hurt if it’s not cut into flush pieces (which means made evenly sized).
If you want to get something more healthy than making chew toys out of normal sausages, you may want to look into getting beef knucklebones.
What is rawhide?
Rawhide is just not skin. It’s basically a very tough, natural fiber and provides the most useful structure in nature (bark). A lot of dogs like rawhide for numerous reasons:
Rawhide chews are great for cleaning your dog’s teeth
To reduce chewing on things that might be harmful to their gums. For example, you don’t want your doggie taking an impure piece of cheese or other foodstuffs into his or her tummy.
Rawhide bones help with dental hygiene and life-long chewing fun! Rawhide can be bought in various sizes ranging from dog teething rings to giant 4 feet long chews for big dogs like Rottweilers, American bulldogs, shepherds, and mastiffs…
We currently sell two types of rawhide: Bison and Beef Construction Workers (that’s what I call them).
Bison rawhide is excellent for giving your dog’s mouth a nice clean and natural feel. This type of chew will not hurt your pooch if he decides to chew through it.
Still, instead, it makes crystals that help with cleaning teeth plus considerably limits the ability of him or her to chew on just about anything else. The fibers are really strong, so don’t try ripping this stuff apart, or you’ll only anger him more!
Is rawhide bad for dogs?
Please note that chewed rawhide “spots” are EXTREMELY hard for your dog to digest because it contains very little jaw and neck bones. Based on past experience, many chewers overindulge in these types of items because they can not harm their digestive systems (hopefully).
So then why would anyone even consider getting one? Simply said, TARPAULIN!
Pronounced in my family as “TAR-pa-lin” or to drop the -al suffix.. but for short, it’s pronounced Tarpaulin! It is a bright red, cottony material used in WW2 as parachutes and various military supplies.
What are the risks of giving dogs rawhide bones?
Well, first, rawhide bones are extremely harmful to your dog’s teeth if he/she manages to get one into his or her gums. A puppy will not have any natural tooth enamel at four weeks of age, so it takes some time before even a full set of molars and premolar (eye teeth) erupts out their mouths.
Unfortunately for you, the owner, sometimes overindulgence in these things may cause your companion only to wear his teeth down to the gum line and can result in your dog having larger amounts of tartar on their molars.
At that point, you’re going to need a vet to eventually extract said product away from the craling area. It will most likely not be easy!
What precautions should dog owners take with rawhide bones?
Well, first ask yourself, are you sure if your dog will chew on that bone alone? For example, I have a chihuahua/cockapoo who chews everything in sight! She has been known to eat her toys, pull out the stuffing inside, or even rip apart my sock (paws!!!).
These are far from safe for dogs. You have to consider some facts about rawhide bones for dogs and their strength! Yes, these things are not just chewed apart by the dog but gnawed on with a strong teeth bite. Suppose your pet can find an opening in these materials.
In that case, it will tighten its mouth around them, dragging through muscle tissue even cracking off ribs or cartilage parts of his body!
What are some alternatives to rawhide bones?
Still, on the topic of bones within my home, I think it does not need to take any more time talking about them. But if you want an alternative, you must google around a bit. There are quite a lot available to chew toys or bone treats!
Hope this helps anyone who may be asking that question!! If there is anything else, we can do? Just leave a comment so everyone in answer your needs. Here at “Little Critter Pets,” we make your animal’s life a little less miserable and helpful. Okay, don’t get mad at me.
Reading negative reviews about rawhide bones on product review sites can be a valid source for information. When interpreting these, you should take caution as you may miss important details and factual data.
Overall, most source studies focus on pet owners who are using irresponsible methods to feed their pets (e.g., not cleaning teeth effectively) or some other practice that could prove detrimental to health.