What is rawhide?
Rawhide is a by-product of the tanning industry. It is the inner layer of an animals hide and is usually beef. The top layer of the hide is what they tan and make leather products with.
Sourcing the Rawhide
Hides are treated with chemicals to prevent them from spoiling and then they are shipped from the slaughter houses to the tanneries. Once the tannery receives the hides they treat them in either an ash-lye solution or a highly toxic recipe of sodium sulphide liming. This strips the hair and fat off of the hides. Next the hides are treated with more chemicals to get them to "puff up" so that the layers can be split.
Rawhide Process
Once the layers are separate the inner layer then goes through its process of becoming a dog chew. The hides are washed and whitened in a hydrogen peroxide or bleach bath. These chemicals whiten the hide as well as remove the smell of rotten leather. The Rawhides are then painted with different chemicals to make them appear more white or even a nice color like red during the holidays. When you see them in different shapes they got those shapes by using chemicals that act as a glue to keep them together.
Hazards of Rawhide
Dogs can't digest Rawhides, they pose a high choking risk to them when they get soft and gummy from being wet, and they can even cause blockages that require surgery to be removed or in some cases even death.
“The name ‘rawhide’ is technically incorrect. A more accurate name would be processed-hide, because the skin isn’t raw at all. But the term “rawhide” has stuck.
Rawhide chews start out hard, but as your dog works the chew 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 taffy or bubble gum. And by that time your dog cannot stop working it — it becomes almost addictive.
At this point, there’s no longer any dental benefit to the chew because it has turned soft and gooey, and, in fact, it has become a choking and intestinal obstruction hazard.”
- Dr. Karen Becker
Healthy Natural Alternatives
Bully sticks are a great alternative. They are all natural, single ingredient, oven baked, and are just like regular food so they can digest them. They also stay hard as the dog chews on them giving them the added dental benefits.
Another great alternative are Earth Animals No Hide chews. No Hides are not hides and contain no chemicals. They contain 100% human grade food ingredients nutritious, highly digestible, and completely healthy for your dog. Cats can even enjoy their stix size chews! They are made in the USA.