Rawhide Chews

[Nekhbet]

yup most pet stores/pet supplies will sell black dog products. They sell a heap of different dried goods including roo, emu, lamb, beef, pigs ears and different dry training treats already made. Most of it is the stuff they sell just by itself in the rack (like the smoked bones, roo chews, emu chews etc) or in clear packets with a black rotty as the logo. They also make those bone shaped biscuits you buy individually

I wouldnt worry too much. Processing chemicals do NOT have to be listed on the packet so technically a company could wash it in formaldehyde and DDT for all you know, and pack it off. I get the Masterpet dog rawhide knot bones, no one's died yet

Edited October 23, 2008 by Nekhbet

[moggy]

I feed Sophie, longcoat Chi, a rawhide stick every second day. She loves them and sits and chews them for ages. I have just read this post. What is the danger? Is it choking? She seems to digest them as her stools are normal. Are they bad nutritionally? I did a search on DOL but didn't come up with anything conclusive.

More information please?

[harper]

I'll second the Bully Sticks. My dogs love them and they seem to last longer than a pigs ear.

[bingo]

From what I read, and I must say briefly, and also a while ago any chew thats white has most likely been through some form of bleeching process but thats not the only trouble a lot of chews such as rawhide, pigs ears, trotters, roos tail etc. are also bad for the fact that often large pieces of them are chewn off by the dog and gulped down whole as a result it can lead to injuries or obstructions of the esophagus, and digestive track. You'll also find this is the case with most cooked, and some raw bones other than large bones like beef shin marrow bones.

With my dogs I try to avoid these problems by only feeding them the particle type chews, and never any cooked or small raw bones. Beside the love'em brand I wouldn't say particle type chews are free of additives. I imagine they would have preservitives, food colourings, and some type of binding agent. But at least you know they are less likely to have been bleeched, and less likely to get stuck in their throat or bowels. I also imagine most of these types of products come from the same or similar areas overseas but wouldn't reccomend to buy those cheap $2 shop ones. Instead go for a reputable brand like "Love em liver chews" which I'd guess are the highest quality ones available, "Kramar chew n clean munchy strips chicken, and beef" or "lucky dog crunchy sticks". I have fussy mini poodles so I tend for the love em liver chews or chicken, and beef chew n cleans by Kramar. However unlike raw hide knot bones, pigs ears etc. you will have to give them a little more often. I give mine one chew n clean each a day and every now and then a love em liver chew which I snap in half for them to share. A larger dog may need something more like 2-3 chew n cleans a day or a love em liver chew every second day so it may cost a bit more but I think it's small price to pay for piece of mind esspecially considering the price of vet bills nowdays. Most are available in all supermarkets but the kramar one's are easiest to find at woolwoths or big w.

[moggy]

I give Sophie Purina "Lucky Dog" Chewy Sticks. They are not white, more a biscuit colour so hope they are okay. The box is the same as the one in the previous post but instead of "crunchy" it says "chewy".

[chuckie500]

I'm also careful to avoid any product manufactured in china given the problems with melamine. i know i'm abit paranoid.