Raw Hide
Raw Hide is bad for your Westie
   If there is one product
I'm contacted about more than anything else it has
to be this killer.
Small pieces can get stuck in your Westie's throat, and if
they manage to swallow it, they cannot digest them.
Rawhide comes from the beef industry and is
made from the inner layer of the animal's hide. The hide is cleaned by
tumbling in huge drums in most cases with hydrogen peroxide.
Apart from the risk of getting stuck in the dogs throat, or undigested in
the tummy, they may also be contaminated with insect eggs and salmonella. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in North America recently issued a
public health warning following reports of human illness following the handling
of these dog chew products, they even warn they should not be handled by
children
When the rawhide gets wet from the stomach juices,
it swells to twice its normal size causing serious stomach blockage. Soft
and slick rawhide can also become a choking hazard.
Feedback
Sadly many Westie guardians have contacted me about raw hide, some giving
sad stories of Westie's chocking, while others needing operations to remove
chunks from their throat or tummy. In the dog's view, anything that's small enough to swallow and get past
the windpipe is good.
Dog chews,
Nylabone,
Kongs, Raw Hide
Chocolate, Bones,
Carrots |
