My husband always gave his dog rawhide bones growing up and he thinks Cooper would love it. I'm weary on them.. any thoughts?
@Diane0712 - What are your doubts exactly? Are you worried about the supposed link between rawhide and aggression, over splintering, or something else?
I do give my dogs rawhide but they are 9 and 6 years old. Be careful of any rawhide that has been imported from China as there have been cases of these causing liver damage and death in some dogs. I threw mine out as they were from China and bought some made in the UK. There is a thread on the forum that explains exactly what is happening. x
Nothing to do with aggression. Just that it could make him sick. Bacteria, choking... obviously I would watch him with it and give size appropriate.
Bailey loves his rawhide, he's had them, under supervision, since he was about 4 months old. Before then he had rice bones (which he still loves but destroys in minutes now!). He's got one that was platted and one that was bone shaped (the patted one has lasted the longest). He probably has two sessions a day on one or the other of them and they seem to "satisfy a need"!
@Diane0712 - Okay, thank you for clearing that up. In the states a lot of people believe rawhide leads to aggression, or rather increases the likelihood of resource guarding. I was going to say that there's no link between the two and dogs who are possessive over resources are just as likely to display this behavior concerning any 'high-value' treat or toy. I second what @charlie has said about rawhide (or any toys/food/treats) made in China and I only buy bones/chews sourced in the US. I'd advise you to go with your gut. If you are worried about rawhide there are several alternatives available on the market. I'm unsure where you are located but in the US we have 'bully sticks', shed antlers (get the round kind for heavy chewers), femur/knuckle bones, hooves, etc. Of course, you can always go with a Kong if you want to avoid bones all together. Additionally there is a company called Himalayan Dog Co. that has several products you might want to investigate. Teller loves their stuffed antlers and I plan on purchasing a 'Ruff Roots' for him as well. I personally don't give my boy (aged 2) rawhide because there are better things on the market for his level of chewing.
There was a very graphic video on Facebook put on by a veterinary practice, which showed a lump of rawhide blocking the outlet of the stomach and them removing it. A warning not to use rawhide.
Just a rawhide. He's 8 months now, he's been getting rawhide since he was little. I think he's about 6 months in the picture. We started off on the tiny ones which used to last him hours. They last about 2 minutes now. So we get the massive ones, but they last him about a week. He gets them on a night as his "settle" chew
Molly's fine with rawhide, but it gave my last Lab stomach upsets, so he couldn't have them. Try one and see is my advice.
Mollie has rawhide but I don't give it her for long and remove it when she starts getting bits off it. My pups slowly learn to eat rawhide and chew it slowly, all have been fine on it. Once they are about five months old they can eat them safely. I give them one when we are in cafes, pubs, restaurants etc to help them settle. Tatze has one cigar sized rawhide a day after her evening meal.
I'm not a fan as my dogs would get the bits nice and wet and soft, then bury them in the backyard, forget about them for a couple months and then resurrect them as Frankenzombiewormybites. A couple of times with that and I instated a rawhide ban!
Duggan loved them, but his digestive system did not. The speed at which he could get through one is astounding. We banned them him.
I don't like rawhide, there may be a small risk, but that is too much for me. They have giant anco roots, the hold them between their paws and gnaw. Big fish chews, whole or half salmon skins, lots and lots of kongs. Occasional big raw meaty bones (under supervision). Just love Caspers estatic expression when he has one of those, priceless! Millies Wolfheart do a range of excellent chews too, our favourite right now is the venison crunchies low fat, high protein. I hide them in cardboard toilet rolls or boxes then send the dogs out to hunt for them
@Beanwood Im just looking now at the Millies Wolfheart Chews I hope this isnt a silly question --- Do you happen to know which are the least stinkiest?!? Only because the majority of our house is carpeted and it doesn't half linger around if we give him one So the smell has to be minmal im afriad.
Umm....probably the porky roll chews...the venison chews STINK! Maybe you could use a peice of vetbed where your dog can have a chew..or a crate?
Or maybe a rubber mat, like the ones that you put in the bottom of a bath to prevent slipping? Or a piece of vinyl flooring you could bring out for the occasion? They wouldn't absorb the smell?
