Is Rawhide Twist Sticks Safe To Feed Your Dog?

Question

Our local dog kennel said they would not feed these to our dog (working cocker) because they do not digest in their tummy. Can any one help me with this please? Do you feed your dog these chew sticks as a treat? Help! Thanks!

Answer 1

Rawhides are not digestable and cause many surgery requiring blockages every year. They also do very little in the way of dental health as they leave a plaque causing film on the dogs teeth.

Not worth risks if you ask me, especially with no benefits.

Instead in addition to their rmb's my dogs get bully sticks and all natural pig ears now and then. The pig ears they get aren't the hard as a rock ones you usually see. Which also are not good for dogs. I get my pig ears from the butcher.

Miss Lady: Most commercial dog foods are FULL c**p that isn't good for your dog. Why do they sell things that aren't good for dogs? Because misinformed people buy them, MONEY is the reason they sell it.

Answer 2

Raw hides are good chewy toys for your dogs, but you should never feed them to them as an treat they do not digest and eventually youll get it back and probably whole. So be responsible with your dog and listen to the people and the kennel they know what theyre talking about they work with dogs everyday.

Answer 3

I wouldn't, because we fed one to my lab-mix once and she got severely ill. She got better, but it was very, very scary. She couldn't stand and she kept throwing up.  If they say don't give it to them, I would avoid those treats.

Answer 4

Well I don't know why they would sell them especially for dogs if they weren't good for them, but everyone else is saying they are bad...!

Read this:

http://www.grandtimes.com/dogs.html

It's at THE BOTTOM! You don't have to read the first bits but they are quite funny!

Answer 5

Rawhide is not digestible and if bitten off and swallowed in large chunks it can cause intestinal obstructions.  While some dogs never have problems with them they should never be given to dogs that are hard chewers or that like to bite chunks off of them.  

Answer 6

They are not good for your dog, especially a smaller dog. You need to give the dog the kind that break up when they chew them or nyla-bones.

Answer 7

Hi I used to give them to my dogs but stopped as my labcross use to get tried of chewing them and swollow then whole nearly, and then about 5 mins later start choking and bring them back up, I had to stick my hand in and get it out before he choked to death.

Im not sure weather they dont dissove in the stomach we did as the vet and he said straight away the dont digest but the stomach acid will eventually desolve them in time,

I just stopped giving them them as it was too pain full to watch my dog choke and bring it back.

There good for the teeth, but if you want to you can cut them up and give them them a bit at a time, also dental sticks are good too, there really chewy but the get chewed up and eaten.  

Answer 8

I've never seen a dog that developed an obstruction from rawhide chews, but I guess it is possible in theory.

The main issue is that they are high in calories and tend to encourage weight gain. Also the ones sold loose in pet shops have been found to carry salmonella in some cases.