The Most Dangerous Dog Chew Ever Made: Rawhide!

There have been plenty of horror stories circulating all over social media over dangerous dog treats. Some are stories of dogs that have required emergency surgery after consuming a Rawhide chew. New dog owners think that this chew is a dried-up meat stick. Dogs can chew on rawhide for hours on end. It keeps them entertained and they do seem to last forever! So when dog owners buy these chews, they feel as if it is money well spent – They are so wrong!

Rawhide is one of the most popular ‘go-to’ treats that we give to our dogs. They are sold in convenience stores, 99c, Walmart, pet stores, etc…but they are very dangerous. Rawhide is the inner soft hide or skin of an animal. Depending on where the treat is being manufactured, the ingredients can include hid from cows, pigs, sheep, horses, or even water buffalos.

The Rawhides are treated with a chemical bath to help preserve the treat during transportation to prevent spoilage. They are then submerged in either an ash-lye solution or sodium sulfide liming. This strips any remaining hair and fat that is left on the Rawhide. The Rawhides are then washed and whitened using a solution of hydrogen peroxide and bleach – this also helps eliminate the smell of rotten or putrid leather YUK! They then paint the Rawhides in artificial dyes and flavors, sometimes stores prefer them to appear pure white which results in the Rawhides then being coated in titanium oxide.

Getting the Rawhide chew to last forever is in the final making process. They can use any type of glue to ensure the chews never come apart. Other toxic chemicals have been detected in Rawhide chews such as Lead, arsenic, mercury, chromium salts, and formaldehyde.

Check out the warning signs that are attached with some Rawhide chews “Choking or blockages. If your dog swallows large pieces of rawhide, the rawhide can get stuck in the esophagus or other parts of the digestive tract. Sometimes, abdominal surgery is needed to remove the rawhide from the stomach or intestines. If it isn’t resolved, a blockage can lead to death”

Dangerous Dog Treats From China

Since 2011 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received thousands of complaints of serious illness and even deaths related to Chinese-based jerky treats.  They’re still working to find the cause but have issued multiple warnings against feeding any jerky treats to your dog if the ingredients were sourced from China.

The main culprits were chicken jerky treats (also marketed as chicken tenders, strips, and chews) but others include duck and sweet potato jerky treats and related products such as jerky-wrapped rawhide. Now the easy answer to this would be to check the label to ensure the treats are made in the USA or at least don’t originate from China.

Based on this, my recommendation to you is to avoid all jerky treats sold in pet stores and make your own!  Get yourself a dehydrator and you can make all the jerky treats easily at home and you will know exactly where your ingredients come from!  I do this all the time, my dog’s favorites are chicken jerky treats and liver treats.

1. Beggin’ Strips (IMPORTED FROM CHINA)

These treats are imported from China. These treats contain two dangerous carcinogenic food dyes. The first food dye is Yellow #5 which has been connected to hyperactivity, anxiety, migraines, and cancer. This color dye has already been banned in many European countries. The second food dye is Red Dye 40, this has again been connected to hyperactivity as well as allergies and immune system cancers.

2. Pup-Peroni (IMPORTED FROM CHINA)

Pup-Peroni is filled with high amounts of sugar, soy, artificial, and caramel colors. They also contain a toxic preservative called BHA – This preservative has been listed as a high hazard for humans, so I can not imagine it is safe for our dogs!

3. Milkbones

Human Foods To Avoid Giving To Your Dog

Us dog owners love to give our dogs treats, but what’s great on our plate might be very dangerous for our dogs. Below is a list of human foods that you should never feed your dog. No matter how many times he gives you his paw.

You can try our 4 flavourful dog liver treats