# Is any rawhide chew safe?



## WinnieThePoodle (Sep 1, 2020)

I have been steering away from rawhide chews for Winnie (even though for 16 years my GSD/Lab ate them - luckily with no problems. No internet then to inform me of the dangers. But compared to other long lasting chews they are soooooo much cheaper and it got me wondering if there was ANY type of rawhide chew that was considered safe? or am I thinking wishfully?


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

According to AKC, if your dog isn't a heavy chewer, and you only buy made in USA rawhides, yes. Read the attached to see the risks they highlight, and you decide. Elroy is not a heavy chewer, he still doesn't get them. 








Are Rawhide Chews Dangerous for Dogs? – American Kennel Club


When it comes to choosing the right dog chews, the options are seemingly limitless. You've likely heard that rawhide chews are particularly bad for dogs, f




www.akc.org


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## reraven123 (Jul 21, 2017)

I give Zephyr Virbac enzymatic chews. They look and chew just like rawhide, but are digestible, plus they help keep the teeth clean. They come in small, medium and large, so look at what you are buying.









Amazon.com : Virbac C.E.T Enzymatic Oral Hygiene Large Dog Chews, 90-Chew, by Virbac : Pet Snack Treats : Pet Supplies


Amazon.com : Virbac C.E.T Enzymatic Oral Hygiene Large Dog Chews, 90-Chew, by Virbac : Pet Snack Treats : Pet Supplies



smile.amazon.com


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## Basil_the_Spoo (Sep 1, 2020)

Is there a Europe alternative to Costco?









Costco bully sticks (pictures) 12" $2.83/stick


I forgot who, but someone mentioned that Costco had a really good price on 12" bully sticks. Basil's grandma did some investigation and snapped some pics for us. I thought I would share because we're collectively notorious at helping you spend money, not save money. If you know someone who...




www.poodleforum.com


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## WinnieThePoodle (Sep 1, 2020)

reraven123 said:


> I give Zephyr Virbac enzymatic chews. They look and chew just like rawhide, but are digestible, plus they help keep the teeth clean. They come in small, medium and large, so look at what you are buying.


I did look at these but can't get them in the UK. I can find them on Amazon UK but they are really expensive as they are probably coming from the US. Nearly everthing I want comes from US and not available here.


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## WinnieThePoodle (Sep 1, 2020)

Basil_the_Spoo said:


> Is there a Europe alternative to Costco?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


We have Costco here and I have been to a couple of branches and they didn't have any bully sticks. I would love it if they sold these here. The only doggy treats they had were these soft ones which I did buy but only to cut them up into small reward training treats.









Irish Rover Superfood Mix in 3 Flavours, 1kg | Costco UK


Irish Rover Superfood Mix is made with superfoods naturally containing antioxidants, omega 3 and dietary fibre. These tasty treats are grain and soy free, and contain no artifical colours flavours or preservatives. Minimally Processed Made Without Wheat, Corn and Soy Contains Omega 3 1kg




www.costco.co.uk


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## reraven123 (Jul 21, 2017)

Have you looked on ebay? Shipping might be prohibitive.


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## WinnieThePoodle (Sep 1, 2020)

reraven123 said:


> Have you looked on ebay? Shipping might be prohibitive.


Ebay have some £22 for 60 chews and £54 for delivery. Eeeeek!


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## Opal (Jun 4, 2021)

WinnieThePoodle said:


> I did look at these but can't get them in the UK. I can find them on Amazon UK but they are really expensive as they are probably coming from the US. Nearly everthing I want comes from US and not available here.


The virbac ones are extra nice because of the anti plaque enzymes. But you can get the flat flexible rawhide in other brands that are good. I don't like the rolled up or knotted rawhide chews, I have seen these break the big chewing teeth on dogs numerous times. A hard rawhide is definitely not worth a root canal


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## For Want of Poodle (Feb 25, 2019)

I sometimes use the rawhide chips/strips 
I try to buy made in US/Canada ones. Annie is a chewer rather than a swallower, and I tend to hold chews for her. 

I stopped using them when we moved in with my mother and Trixie. Trixie resource guards chews.


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## Dianaleez (Dec 14, 2019)

Why don't you ask your vet on your next visit? That's how I started buying the Virbac enzymatic chews. In the US some vets even sell chews in their outer offices.


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## WinnieThePoodle (Sep 1, 2020)

Opal said:


> The virbac ones are extra nice because of the anti plaque enzymes. But you can get the flat flexible rawhide in other brands that are good. I don't like the rolled up or knotted rawhide chews, I have seen these break the big chewing teeth on dogs numerous times. A hard rawhide is definitely not worth a root canal


Are flat rawhides safer?


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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

I use tendons, trachea, and gullet sticks for chews. In the US you can find them at bestbullysticks.com, though there are alternative suppliers now that may beat BBS's price. I'm not sure where you'd find these in the UK/Europe, but I guarantee they're available.


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## WinnieThePoodle (Sep 1, 2020)

Liz said:


> I use tendons, trachea, and gullet sticks for chews. In the US you can find them at bestbullysticks.com, though there are alternative suppliers now that may beat BBS's price. I'm not sure where you'd find these in the UK/Europe, but I guarantee they're available.


Yes, I have been getting tendons and tracheas but they can work out expensive compared to rawhide sticks which are so cheap. I don't want to buy rawhides as they are not safe but I wonder if there are safer ones than others or are they all considered unsafe?


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## reraven123 (Jul 21, 2017)

WinnieThePoodle said:


> Are flat rawhides safer?


No. The problem with rawhide is that dogs tend to swallow big chunks of it and it is not digestible so it sits in their guts and causes a blockage. Virbac is digestible.

I also like to give kneecaps. They are a nice soft bone and clean the teeth really well. They're also small and one or two sessions takes care of them so I don't end up throwing big chunks away.


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## WinnieThePoodle (Sep 1, 2020)

reraven123 said:


> No. The problem with rawhide is that dogs tend to swallow big chunks of it and it is not digestible so it sits in their guts and causes a blockage. Virbac is digestible.
> 
> I also like to give kneecaps. They are a nice soft bone and clean the teeth really well. They're also small and one or two sessions takes care of them so I don't end up throwing big chunks away.


What kneecaps are they? Or can you get them from different animals?


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## reraven123 (Jul 21, 2017)

They're from cattle, don't think I've ever seen any from any other animal.


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## RobynG (Feb 21, 2021)

reraven123 said:


> They're from cattle, don't think I've ever seen any from any other animal.


What about No-Hide treats? We have been using these and so far so good. I have two who LOVE to chew.


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## Opal (Jun 4, 2021)

WinnieThePoodle said:


> Are flat rawhides safer?


Yes, they are safer for the teeth  The flat ones that are a bit bendy aren't as rock hard as the rolls! The virbac ones are just beef rawhide with dextrose and then the enzymes for plaque, but what makes them more digestible is that they are thin and not a big chunk. They shouldn't be given unsupervised so they don't choke of course.

The only dog I've seen have trouble with the flat ones was a goofy lab who grabbed a flat one sized for a toy dog and ate the whole thing in one go. He grabbed it right off the counter  All was well, he was a good boy and it was easily reachable


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## a2girl (Oct 4, 2020)

Good to hear the positive feedback on the Virbac dental chews. I was happily giving them to Hugo, having been given a few bags by my neighbor who is a sales rep for a veterinary products distributor. Hugo liked them but when I went to buy them after running out of the free supply, I was horrified (having learned about the evils of rawhide here on PF) to find that they were rawhide. I think I will go back to them now.


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## Pavie (May 4, 2021)

I give Pavie Virbac dental chews too


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

I stopped giving rawhide when my Noel chewed off a hunk, swallowed, and started choking. I couldn't pull it out of her throat and all I could think of to do was turn her upside down and try to bounce the hunk out of her throat. Luckily, I succeeded.

I was so happy when my boys loved the yak chews, until a fractured tooth for each stopped those.

From the website of the vet dental specialists we didn't have to go to:
Microsoft Word - Inappropriate Chews.doc (kcpetdental.com)

We Do Not Recommend:
• Hard Rawhides
• Pig Ears
• Cow Hooves
• Ice Cubes
• Real Bones
• Hard Nylon 

Microsoft Word - Appropriate Chews for Dogs.doc (kcpetdental.com)
Not all are chews below
• Hill's Prescription Diet® t/d® Canine
• Science Diet Oral Care Diet for dogs
• Canine Healthident®, Bright Bites and Checkup Chews for Dogs- all sizes
• Canine Greenies® & Greenies ® Veterinary Formula Canine Dental Chews- all sizes, regular,
lite and senior
• Purina Busy heartyhide Beefhide Strips for Dogs
• Eukanuba Adult Maintenance Diet for Dogs
• Iams Chunk Dental Defense Diet for Dogs
• Purina Veterinary Diets DH Dental Health brand Formula
• Purina Veterinary Diets DH Dental Health brand Small Bites Canine Formula
• Purina Veterinary Diets Dental Chews brand Canine Treats
• Tartar Shield Soft Rawhide Chews for Dogs
• Virbac CET ® Veggie Dent® Chews for Dogs, all sizes
• Milkbone® Brushing Chews for Dogs
• Dog: : ESSENTIAL™ healthy mouth ™ anti-plaque water additive
• Dog: : ESSENTITAL ™ healthy mouth™ anti- plaque gel

Other products we recommend:
• Kongs® filled with peanut butter or smaller treats.
• Virbac Animal Health CET® HEXtra chews
• Virbac Animal Health CET® Oral Hygiene Chews for dogs
• Premier™ Busy Buddy®
• Premier™ Tug-o-Jug®

Details at the links

So far, I've found nothing that lasts much more than an hour. I'm still resisting the bully sticks but I'm sure I'll cave eventually.


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## WinnieThePoodle (Sep 1, 2020)

Rose n Poos said:


> So far, I've found nothing that lasts much more than an hour. I'm still resisting the bully sticks but I'm sure I'll cave eventually.


An hour would be fantastic. I can't get more than 15 minutes maximum. I could give her longer tendons which would keep her busy longer but then it gives her soft stools.


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## Opal (Jun 4, 2021)

Rose n Poos said:


> I stopped giving rawhide when my Noel chewed off a hunk, swallowed, and started choking. I couldn't pull it out of her throat and all I could think of to do was turn her upside down and try to bounce the hunk out of her throat. Luckily, I succeeded.
> 
> I was so happy when my boys loved the yak chews, until a fractured tooth for each stopped those.
> 
> ...


I'm glad you mentioned the yak chews, I hadn't heard of those until recently and I was wondering about the texture (and honestly the smell too), so I will avoid those.

The purina brand I've used before but the name does vary by country it seems. In Canada at least they are marketed under Alpo Chew-eez... perhaps this would be available in the UK? It's the same ingredients as the Proplan Veterinary Dental Chewz (same company )


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## WinnieThePoodle (Sep 1, 2020)

Opal said:


> I'm glad you mentioned the yak chews, I hadn't heard of those until recently and I was wondering about the texture (and honestly the smell too), so I will avoid those.
> 
> The purina brand I've used before but the name does vary by country it seems. In Canada at least they are marketed under Alpo Chew-eez... perhaps this would be available in the UK? It's the same ingredients as the Proplan Veterinary Dental Chewz (same company )


The Alpo Chew- eez seems ideal and the sort of thing I was looking for. The only thing similar I can find here is HiLife dental chews which look the same. They have good reviews but the only thing putting me off them is the bad reviews about them coming from China. I hear so much bad news about dog treats made in China.


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## PsychoBunny (Jun 12, 2021)

Dianaleez said:


> Why don't you ask your vet on your next visit? That's how I started buying the Virbac enzymatic chews. In the US some vets even sell chews in their outer offices.


I also found them at Costco in the pharmacy


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## For Want of Poodle (Feb 25, 2019)

Have you tried lambs ears/cows ears? Annie loves those.

Can you buy Whimzees in the UK? They are quite a bit cheaper than bully sticks. Some dogs love them, some don't care, but they are a cheap thing to try.

(I am also way too cheap to buy bully sticks).

If I feed rawhide, I feed the strips, and hold the end so Annie chews it rather than swallows it.


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## WinnieThePoodle (Sep 1, 2020)

For Want of Poodle said:


> Have you tried lambs ears/cows ears? Annie loves those.
> 
> Can you buy Whimzees in the UK? They are quite a bit cheaper than bully sticks. Some dogs love them, some don't care, but they are a cheap thing to try.
> 
> ...


I do buy Whimzees but they don't last more than a few minutes. Lamb and cow ears last a bit longer but not much and are not so cheap. It's frustrating that rawhide is so cheap but not advised.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

FWIW, the yak chews are nothing but a very, very, very hard cheese. Texture is smooth and I never noticed any aroma unless maybe I had my nose right up to it.

But since those are going to be forever right out, I started looking on the web to see if there are ways to soften them a bit. Except for puffing the ends as they're almost completely chewed, not really.

To avoid damage to teeth, you should be able to place a dent in whatever the chew is with your fingernail.

What I have found is some DIY recipes that would probably allow the chews to be softer, and some DIY alternatives to yak.

DIY Sweet Potatoes or Yams
All Natural Homemade Dog Chews - SO EASY!!! (happymoneysaver.com)

DIY Yak
The Best Himalayan Dog Chew Recipe | PawLeaks

Apparently from Dr Karen Becker's FB








DIY Himalayan Dog Chews | Mix 3 simple ingredients together to create the tastiest, most durable edible bone your dog will ever chew.🐶🧀🦴 Happy Mother's Day! | By Dr. Karen Becker | Facebook


314K views, 1.7K likes, 328 loves, 505 comments, 2.3K shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Dr. Karen Becker: Mix 3 simple ingredients together to create the tastiest, most durable edible bone your dog...




fb.watch





(can't get a direct link to the video, only thru FB)


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

Adding this yak recipe separately as it has additional info

Homemade Yak Chew For Dogs Recipe - Canine Compilation


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

I love the Virbac chews, size medium is fine and cheaper for a standard. Boulder Dog has the best kneecaps from bison, a special treat. Big fan of Made in the USA lamb ears, easily digested, and no worries about choking, which happened once with a cylindrical natural chew.


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## Bailey_Whiskey (Jan 18, 2021)

I struggled with finding chews for Whiskey as well. Being a big dog, I wasn’t used to him powering through chews that last a lot longer with small dogs, thus requiring more. Plus my previous dog had free reign to his rawhide bones…
So now Whiskey gets an assortment of the following:
Forcans dental chews- mostly for my littler dogs but keeps him busy enough for a package at the door
Whimzee- L sized stuffed into a kong lasts about 20 min, M alligators about 5 min, S alligators from my little dogs for when his digestion just isn’t working out for him but lasts all of 2 min
Bully sticks- 12 inch+thick lasts 2 45min sessions if I’m lucky, ends stuffed into a kong last forever, especially if pliers are needed to free them
Yak chews- very rarely because he is a cruncher but he really loves them. Need to get a cover/holder for it
Pig skin/pig tendon/beef tendon chews made locally- lasts 5-20min depending on size
Synthetic chews like nylabone/wood antlers- he is only occupied for 5 min each time
Virbac Enzymatic Chews- lasted 20 min but I put them away after I realized they were rawhide but after reading this thread I may be bringing them back into rotation


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