After hearing a vet friend lament at the loss of one of her client dogs due to choking on a piece of rawhide I decided to take pen in hand. The owners of the 9 year old small dog mix had arrived at her clinic; desperate to save their family pet, but she was gone. She had choked to death on a piece of rawhide that had broken off from the bone she was chewing on.
I personally think rawhides are NOT safe. I don’t usually give them to my dogs. There is so much to be cautious about when contemplating giving them to your pets. But many other knowledgeable people feel they are safe. And if humans would follow certain guidelines and use some common sense, then they would be a lot safer!!
The dog personality. Is the dog a “gulper”, that is a dog who rips off chunks and swallows. If yes, then this dog should NEVER EVER have any kind of rawhide.
Is the rawhide made in the good old US of A? Consumers really have to be sharp on this one. The consumer has to study the label, and deal ONLY with reputable suppliers. The buyer should beware….suppliers often have misleading labels or catch slogans that influence the person buying the product, when in fact the rawhide being considered is from China, India or Brazil. Or somewhere else for that matter. The problem with imports is the likelihood of toxins like arsenic, mercury, lead is very high.
Cherrybrook.com at 800-524-0820 carries rawhides that are American made.
Kvvet.com at 800-423-8211 carries rawhides that are made in the USA. Other companies do too, I’m just not aware of them all.
The last thing I look at when considering a rawhide is harder to describe, but here goes.
I look for a thick, one piece that is rolled into a cylinder shaped chew toy. The thing should be rolled as many as 7 times. These rawhides are generally safe.
Dogs like to chew, that’s how they explore, get rid of tension, and even clean their teeth. There are many products available to meet these canine needs. You decide if your dog is appropriate for rawhides. If yes, one last thought: when giving dogs anything to chew, we should stay with the pet. If choking were to be a problem, we could help.
The Heimlich maneuver is a life saver for people and dogs…..learn this one. At our recent first aid clinic Dr. Sammie Thompson demonstrated the technique, and emphasized that knowing how to react to a choking scenario will make the difference between survival and death.
Hope this info is helpful. Lisa and the trifecta team. 5/12/09