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Post by rickblanc on May 26, 2004 14:36:56 GMT -5
I don't know if this has been discussed here or not. I did a search and came up empty.
So anyway, some people I've talked to say rawhide bone are hard on a dogs digestive tract and should be avoided while others say it's fine.
My pup seems ok with it. He certainly loves chewing on them. I don't let him have it all day long. Since he likes it so much I make it a special treat. For 30 minutes a day he gets some special chewing time. I make a big deal out of it and he seem to get the idea that there is a "chewing time"
So what the general opinion here.
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Post by sibemom on May 26, 2004 14:49:22 GMT -5
I HATE RAWHIDES this is just my opinion. I give raw bones, like chicken leg quarters, beef shank bones, neck bones and my dogs all favorite fresh pigs feet I know way to many dogs that got an impaction, obstruction or choked from rawhides so I stay away from them. If you are not fond of raw bones then they do have some very nice nylant bones that I also have used.
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Post by Laura on May 26, 2004 17:39:41 GMT -5
Hi Rick! I think you'll find that the general consensus on this board says a big old NO to rawhides and other "chewies" of that nature ;D. As Sibemom said, they are a serious offender when it comes to choking, paticularly when they start to come apart in large pieces. And yes, they can be hard on the digestive tract, they really have no nutritional value to them, and are made of some pretty nasty things leftover from other animals . Also, if they're made outside of the USA, they contain formaldehyde, something you definitely don't want your dog eating! Better choices for chew time are Nylabones, natural beef shin bones (Wholly Cow makes a great one), and Kongs, all safe and virtually indestructable. An added bonus to the Kong and shin bone is that they can be stuffed with goodies like peanut butter, mashed banana, frozen yogurt, etc. and can keep your dog busy for hours trying to get it all out. Happy chewing !
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Post by Aussienot on May 26, 2004 21:17:44 GMT -5
Rawhides for dogs would be the equivalent of Potato Chips for people. Irresistible but not a good thing to chew on, no redeeming value, and potentially harmful.
The risk of rawhides for dogs with that it's not digestible, and large pieces can cause choking and/or internal damage. Lots of pet owners give them to their dogs all the time without incident; but in general, I think you will find people who are pretty savvy about dogs don't use them.
I feed raw, and wouldn't want my two ingesting all the chemicals and inorganic cr*p in rawhides (and similar 'artificial animal part' treats).
There are lots of other safe and positive ways to offer the Chew Experience - as mentioned in the other posts raw knuckle, neck or marrow bones are best, Kongs and Nylabones are very good as well.
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Post by rickblanc on May 27, 2004 6:44:23 GMT -5
Thanks for the advise and I'll take it. The fresh pigs feet sound interesting. Where can I get them? and by fresh are we talking like off the bucthers table? If so how do you keep them from staining the carpet and stuff?
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Post by sibemom on May 27, 2004 6:50:17 GMT -5
Yes fresh right from the buthcer or the meat department I always feed the raw bones outside and if you can't do that then feed them on a surface that can be cleaned easily like a tile floor etc... I was feeding total raw to my dog, which I will tell you is the best, but because of meat prices going insane here and with brining in another dog today, the cost was getting a little much. I do still feed half raw and supplement with a very high qualitly kibble, but the bones are a must. The nylabone is a great item and so is the kong. You just have to make sure that the kong is large enough so that the dog could not wedge it in it's mouth. During teething times if you put a treat like peanut butter or yogurt inside of it and freeze it that really helps
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Post by Nicole on May 27, 2004 7:35:56 GMT -5
I agree with the others. Some dogs are more sensitive to rawhides than others but even if they don't have a problem there is just nothing beneficial about them. If Reign swallowed even a tiny piece of rawhide, he had projectile runs for two days. I feed raw bones and have trained both Reign and Petey to eat it on a thick towel. If the bone leaves the towel, he loses the bone. They learn very quickly!! It is amazing how fast a dog learns something when a yummy raw bone is involved. ;D Of course, at first, I did spend time to teach him to keep it on the towel basically with a "no" when it went off and placing it back on with praise when it stayed on etc. I then bleach and wash the towel. So far, It hasn't penetrated through the towel.
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Post by rickblanc on May 27, 2004 7:43:27 GMT -5
Is there any risk of breaking or chipping the raw bone and that causing problems?
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Post by Nicole on May 27, 2004 17:49:50 GMT -5
Well nothing is 100%, but raw bones do not splinter and chip, cooked bones do. Millions of people feed a diet of raw meat and bones without a problem and I personally have not had a problem. Some bones are softer than others and it is possible that the dog may chew off a piece or chew the bone so that only a small piece is left. That is where you come in. Always supervise and remove any bones or pieces that may be too small for comfort.
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Post by Willow on May 27, 2004 21:56:37 GMT -5
As Nicki said...never feed cooked bones! They do not break down and turn to powder in a dogs stomach/intestines like raw bones do.
I have been feeding raw meat and bones for about a yr. or so now and know people who have been feeding strickly raw for as many as 15yrs. without a problem. They are the best "toothbrush" for your dogs teeth too. Commercial dog food fed dogs all have peridontal disease at early ages and need the raw bones to keep their teeth/jaws healthy.
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Post by Iluvmypup on Jun 26, 2004 13:42:49 GMT -5
I agree with SibeMom...try a stuffed kong. My dog goes crazy for these things. ;D You can fill them with all kinds of things. My dog's favorites are peanut butter/oatmeal stuffed and frozen, yogurt frozen, biscuits & cheese microwaved in the kong, and left-over macaroni and cheese stuffed for a RARE treat since I can't imagine it being very healthy for him.
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Post by Willow on Jun 26, 2004 15:22:15 GMT -5
I wouldn't think microwaving a rubber Kong would be healthy, either. Rubber as well as plastic, has all sorts of nasty chemicals in them, which leach into the food, whether heated or not, but especially if heated.
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Post by sibemom on Jun 26, 2004 16:05:42 GMT -5
Actually peanut butter is very healthy for dogs, as my homepath pointed out to me, as long as it is in limited quanities. No I can not see putting it in the micro YUCK, that would be like sucking on a burning tire Kong has lost it's thrill around here even with the pup because YES I GIVE HER RAW BONES ;D Started with just your basic chicken leg, and also a nice marrow bone, with some of the marrow taken out, it is great for teething along with the frozen wash cloth of course. ;D She has had no problems with the raw bones at all.
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Post by Iluvmypup on Jun 29, 2004 9:18:10 GMT -5
Check out Kong's Recipe website: www.kongcompany.com/how2use.htmlThey have all kinds of microwavable recipes. You don't give it to the dogs when its hot, and I only put it in for about 10 seconds...just enough to melt the cheese over the biscuits. After its melted, I wait about 5-10 minutes until its hardened and cooled and then I give it to my drooling dog. ;D
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Post by EricT on Jun 29, 2004 22:19:58 GMT -5
I gave my dog a little Kong filled with peanut butter. She licked out the peanut butter in about 5 minutes and never gave the Kong a single little chew.
Then I gave her a rawhide stick and she LOVES it. She can chew on those things for hours. I do keep an eye on her and if she rips a small piece off, I take it away.
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