Our dogs simply love to chew anything they can get their furry paws on, whether it’s their favourite toy or one of our slippers. So, if we can keep them away from completely destroying our things with a rawhide treat, then why wouldn’t we?
While rawhide chews are popular among pet owners, we have found Google searches for the treats up 87% in the last few months, because as it turns out, they aren’t as healthy for our dogs as many pet parents are led to believe.
Below, Sean McCormack, Head Vet at tails.com, has explained why rawhide should be avoided by dog owners, and provided tips on what to look for when shopping for treats and bones.
What actually is rawhide?
“There is a common misconception that rawhide is just dried meat that is made into fun shapes for your dog to chew on, but quite often this is not the case - even though they can be labelled as ‘natural’ and ‘digestible’.
“In a lot of circumstances, rawhide is the processed hide of cows and other animals, that are then preserved in chemicals and salt brine to stop them decaying, before being shaped into the treats that many dogs love.”
Why can it be dangerous to dogs?
