How can one of the most popular chew sticks on the planet be so dangerous?
Most people believe this chew is a dried meat stick. That is not true!
A rawhide stick does not come from the beef industry and it is not made of dehydrated meat. Rather, rawhide is the by-product of the “Leather Industry”, so theoretically it is a leather chew, not a meat chew.
To make rawhide, the skin of the animal is split, and the top layer is usually made into leather, while the inner layer is left for the dogs
Then it is treated with chemicals.
It is bleached, using peroxide, (and other chemicals if bleach isn’t strong enough)
It is artificially dyed and flavoured. It can even be painted with titanium oxide so it appears white and pretty for the pet shop display.
Because it is not considered as food, manufacturers can basically add what they like to these chews. They make these chews to last forever!
When the chews have been tested: Lead, arsenic, mercury, chromium salts, formaldehyde, and other toxic chemicals have been detected in raw hides. So it’s safe to say that any sort of glues can be used as well!
And there it is! It’s now ready to be shipped to pet shops where it can be purchased for our loving animal companions.!
The danger:
Rawhide chews start out hard, but as your dog chews it becomes softer, and eventually he can unknot the knots on each end and the chew takes on the consistency of a slimy piece of chewing gum. And by that time your dog cannot stop working it -- it becomes almost addictive.
At this point, it does not clean teeth because it has turned soft , and in fact, it has become a choking and intestinal obstruction hazard.“
Many dogs need emergency surgery after eating rawhide.
And almost the worst thing....
An investigation by ‘Humane Society International’ stated in their report, “In a particularly grisly twist, the skins of brutally slaughtered dogs in Thailand are mixed with other bits of skin to produce rawhide chew toys for our pet dogs.
It is good to be informed.
When pet owners know better, they will only do better!"