Rawhide is a pet sitters and dog walkers pet peeve. When a pet sitter sees that a client gives rawhide to their dog it opens up an opportunity to educate on what treats are best for the family pet.
It’s understandable to see why pet owners but rawhide-it’s cheap, comes in many sizes and shapes, and keeps a pet dog busy for hours. However, rawhide expands in a dogs stomach once it’s been swallowed. They can cause damage to the stomach lining and intestines, making a pet dog sick. In some cases the rawhide can block the intestines and emergency surgery is needed.
But wait, there’s more! Rawhide is a byproduct of the leather industry. It is the inner most layer of cow hide in most cases, some contain dog skin if imported from Thailand. The use of toxic chemicals such as lye, acid, bleach, and toxic glues are used to create rawhide. All things that do not belong in our dogs diets!
Instead of buying another toxic piece of leather byproduct that turns into a gummy mess and expands in the digestive system here are some safe and healthier choices for treats that keep a dog busy. Pigs ears, cow hooves, antlers, stuffing a kong with peanut butter or treats, and buying a cow leg bone from your local butcher will keep your pet dogs safe and happy. You can also stuff the leg bone of a cow after the marrow is gone with layers of peanut butter and homemade sweet potato chews. For manufactured treats, we recommend Zukes. Zukes are all natural, and the company does a great job of giving back to the community.
It’s time to stop supporting an industry whose bottom line is profit and not a dogs health.
