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The Dangers of Rawhide Dog Chews
Retailers are offering Christmas rawhide dog chews in all the holiday colors. Why you should avoid the temptation of such a gift for your dog.
1. Rawhides are made with numerous toxic chemicals
2. The flavorings & glues may contain carcinogens
3. Rawhides are not digestible.
4. Dogs can choke on rawhide
5. Teeth fractures are common
6. Grim connections to the dog meat trade
The Dangers Of Rawhide - Most all rawhide chews for dogs come from China and Taiwan. The chews are made from cattle or horse hides, but dog hides have even been used. The production starts with the hides being soaked in a toxic sodium sulphide mixture to remove the hair and fat. Other chemicals are used to easily split the hide into layers which is then washed with hydrogen peroxide to give the white "pure" look and remove the rancid smell. Tests show most rawhide chews contain traces of arsenic, mercury, chromium, and formaldehyde.
Besides toxic contamination, rawhide bones and other edible rawhide chews can cause digestive irritation issues in dogs. They also pose a choking and blockage risk for dogs. If your dog swallows large pieces of rawhide, the rawhide can get stuck in the esophagus or other parts of the digestive tract and often requires surgical removal.
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