rawhide

I have limited rawhide experience since our vet warned us about issues with them (choking, impactions, disease if not from US,etc). Our lab had one or two as a special treat and highly supervised. It never upset his stomach, although he had a cast iron stomach.

Riley gets a 12 in bully stick about every week. It usually takes him that long to finish one. I take the old one away when it is about 2in and give him the new one. He's not a heavy chewer though. And he has a deer antler to chew on.

He also gets a stuffed frozen kong to keep him busy. My favorite puzzle for him is to take a rinsed out 2L soda bottle and put small treats or kibble in it. It'll be loud as he bats it around, but it takes him 30-45 min to get his dinner (1/3c) out of the bottle. The shape makes it challenging. I sometimes crinkle it a little to make it harder.
 
Ann said:
I gave up rawhide about a month ago when one of mine got a small piece stuck in her throat and couldn't get it up or down. It was awful. Just when I thought we'd be taking her to the emergency vet (naturally it was 10 p.m. on Sunday night) I decided to give her some pumpkin which is thick to help get it down. While I was opening the can she barked and dislodged it! (Occasionally, barking is good!) I've tried everything from bully sticks to bones but they wolf everything else so fast that they swallow pieces that are way too big.

Now my three get a Kong each night that I put yogurt, pumpkin or baby food in and freeze. I've tried everything from bully sticks to bones and the kongs or rubber puzzle toys are by far safer for mine. They wolf everything else so fast that they swallow pieces that are way too big.
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We had the same problem here with Brie wolfing down rawhide too fast and swallowing pieces that were too big so we just avoid it. My uncle offered up some antler but I have never seen it yet so I may just buy a couple for Mikos and Brie.
 
nbrard said:
We had the same problem here with Brie wolfing down rawhide too fast and swallowing pieces that were too big so we just avoid it. My uncle offered up some antler but I have never seen it yet so I may just buy a couple for Mikos and Brie.
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My two have antlers, and it's nice because they last forever. Typically I throw them away (or we lose them) before they are close to being finished them. That being said, my dogs find them to be very low value, and only chew on them a couple times a week.
 
corbinam said:
My two have antlers, and it's nice because they last forever. Typically I throw them away (or we lose them) before they are close to being finished them. That being said, my dogs find them to be very low value, and only chew on them a couple times a week.
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That's interesting that it is a low value treat. What size (length) do you get?
 
I sometimes allow my guys to chew on rawhide, but make sure you check to ensure it's from US raised and processed hides. The stuff from foreign countries can make your dog(s) ill. I've never had problems with my dogs getting an upset tummy, but I monitor their chewing and take the bones away if I see their digesting too much at one time.
 
the raw said "made from USA beef" and in fine print "processed in Mexico". not sure... might look for 100% made in the USA or something...
 
I won't give mine rawhide after my aunt's choked on a small piece. Instead, we give our baby food (lol, ok, not on purpose!) and cow hooves.

If you know someone that has horses near you, ask them to save some of the clippings when they get them trimmed. My dogs loved them. :)
 
I give the Costco rolled rawhides. I dump an entire bag on one of the beds, and that will last the five dogs six months. I take them up when they get nasty, and buy a new bag. My dogs don't sit and chew for long periods, so I don't have to worry about the little pieces.
 
clantyre - nice. lol! i liked the rolled rawhide b/c it seems like it's harder for them to pull pieces off of it anyway. (as opposed to the rawhide "chips" that are thin and get gross a lot faster).

i'll look into the antlers...

i was afraid he might chip his teeth on the hooves? is that possible?
 
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