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The Dangers of Rawhide Dog Chew Toys
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Back to the Factory (Farm) There’s no knowing where it’s been, and where it begins is also unsettling. Rawhide is a by-product of the CAFO—or concentrated animal feeding operation, the bucolic term for today’s industrial farm. “Nasty, brutish and short” is how Ken Midkiff, author of The Meat You Eat, describes the life of the animals who give up their hides. He’s no expert on rawhide, but Midkiff says he knows far more than he cares to about CAFOs, where thousands of “sentient beings,” crammed together inside huge metal buildings, “never see the light of day until the truck comes to pick them up for slaughter.” “There’s also a major problem with various drugs,” he adds, citing a CAFO cocktail of antibiotics, arsenicals and hormones used to boost production.“While the claim is made that these don’t remain in the meat of hogs or beef, that claim has not been tested by any federal agency.” Pattie Boden, owner of The Animal Connection in Charlottesville, Va., where organic toy enthusiasts shop, doesn’t carry rawhide. Instead, she stocks free-range chews, bully sticks, and organic raw bones, from shins to lamb necks. Her purchasing-protocol (and philosophy) is one owners might apply in their own search for healthful treats. “I’m not going to be the most financially successful pet store,” Boden says, “but I feel confident in the products I select, and I can sleep at night.” |
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This article first appeared in The Bark, Issue 49, Jul/Aug 2008
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So what's a good bone to feed our dogs?! I normally feed bully sticks, is that considered raw hide?
bully sticks are not raw hide, believe it or not a bully stick, or
pizzle stick is nothing but dried bull .. "neither regions"
aka the reproductive organ of a male bull. They are just fine
for consumption, while the gross out factor is high,, thats
why they named them bully stick, they are perfectly safe
Wouldnt the same be true about bully sticks as rawhide though? At least as far as hormones and products that the bull eats would be in the tissue as well. I don't know how they are processed though and however it's done cant be as bad as the way they process rawhides?.
You may think that bully sticks are processed the same way as rawhide, but they are not. Research and find the best manufacturers, but like antlers, and other naturally occuring animal parts, bully sticks are for the most part natural and naturally occurring. There is no other "processing" except for drying and cutting that is done with the product once harvested. I really like this website that offers 100% Made in America bully sticks made from grass-fed cattle: http://www.bestbullysticks.com/home/bbs/page_12156/what_are_Bully_Sticks.... But my best suggestion is to do your own research/homework. I did, and my two chihuahuas and two labradoodles are very happy. Good luck!
I am a fan of freezing yogurt in a kong. It keeps my dog busy for a good 45 minutes and I know it's safe.
What is a kong?
Bully sticks are not rawhide and are safe to give to your pet.
to economize I find myself ordering a couple of beef ribs once, maybe twice a week, from the local Tony Romas (rib eatery)sans BBQ sauce. costs me about 5 dollars per rib VS. the ten dollar 12 inch bully stick. My labs will go through a bully stick in about 20 minutes. The meat on the rib last about 10 seconds but the gnawing on the bone will last close to 45 min.
For our german Shepard we avoid any toys from china -- if they would use lead in childrens toy?? Instead we give him a empty gallon ice cream container . As he puchers the plastic it cleans his teeth. Five years old and his teeth are shinning white.
Elk/deer antlers are by far the best things I've found for my dogs to chew on.
My Maltese Bodhi almost died from eating chicken chips from China in 2005. Hours of throwing up and impacted gut were the result. His throat is still scarred from the vomiting and impacts his breathing when exercising or excited.
I now read labels and buy nothing made in China.
Two of my Labradors would have died if I had not been home when they became paralyzed from the toxins caused by campylobacter jejuni, a bacteria they got from rawhide bones that had been basted with chicken broth by the Mexican producer. The rawhide bones were in packaging that had "American" printed across the face of the bag. Both dogs received quick medical attention from our veterinarians and survived. I will not purchase anything for my dogs that is from any foreign country and I make a meatloaf for their daily ration.
Wow, I am feverishly searching for healthy treats for my girls now!!!!
Thanks for this great site.
We buy rawhide, only 'Made In USA'. The only place we can find it here now is at Target. They get one a week on Sundays, and they are the smaller size. And they are supervised. Happy to say, we've not had any problems. We will not buy any consumable treat for our dogs that comes from any other country.
Make sure you call the company and ask where their ingredients are "sourced." They may be "manufactured" in the USA but their ingredients may be "sourced" from other countries. I do that with every treat I buy for my dog.
I make homemade chicken jerky!You can use any meat - so it's great for allergic dogs - and you can break it up for smaller dogs! I also buy roasted pigs ears and lamb ears but only the ones made in New Zealand where we live. Chinese stuff is OUT!!!
At this point in time we only buy products for our dogs to chew on from Merrick as it's all harvested in the US.
Our boys especially love the pig snouts. And the other plus is that it breaks down easily so that 2 of our 3 dogs do not choke on it like they tended to do when inhaling big rawhide pieces (they never learned to chew properly apparently as pups...one was a stray pup we adopted at approx. 11 weeks of age and the other was an adoption from the family who originally raised him).
We are so fortunate here in Maine to have a wonderful pet store that carries healthy Maine-made treats. Like any healthy treats they cost a bit more but you can be assured that they contain nothing that will harm your pets. The TriPom Chicken Jerky is made from the same chicken that we would buy for ourselves at the supermarket or co-op. I am a loyal customer and not otherwise affiliated in any way to this store. Just trying to support a local business that has only the best in mind when it comes to my dogs and cats. They even sell naturally shed Maine Moose Antlers!
http://www.loyalbiscuit.com/_blog/Blog/post/new-maine-made-treats/
http://www.loyalbiscuit.com/
My beloved westie just passed away in the night, in a crate, at the vets, post surgery to remove the end of a raw hide that had lodged and expanded in his stomach. The raw hide came out - it has expanded to over 75% of his stomach. He didn't survive the night .
It has broken my heart.