We make no rawhide dog chews because dogs have a hard time digesting rawhide. It's dried animal hide left over from the leather trade. A strong chewer can tear off a large piece and swallow it whole. The American Kennel Club says a piece like that can choke a dog or block its intestines, and either one can threaten a dog's life.
Rawhide comes from the leather trade
According to the AKC's guide to rawhide chews, slaughterhouses pack fresh hides in salt brine to slow decay. The hides can wait weeks or months before they reach a tannery. There, workers treat them with lime to separate the fat, then remove the hair by chemical and physical means. The AKC adds that most rawhide chews come from China.
Our treats have been family made in Lenoir, NC, for about 30 years. We have never used rawhide in any of them. If you want to check where a chew comes from, our post on made in USA dog treats shows you how to read the bag.
The choking and blockage risk
A smaller piece of rawhide can still sit in a dog's stomach for months. The AKC says that can lead to digestive problems or discomfort.
The Merck Veterinary Manual lists rawhide among the objects that can lodge in a pet's esophagus, along with bones and dental chew treats. We make dental chews, so we read that list with our own products in mind. A dog that gulps big pieces of any chew runs some of this risk. The sizing and supervision advice below applies to ours too.
The AKC says rawhide can be a safe treat for softer chewers when someone supervises. Plenty of dogs chew harder than that, so we leave rawhide out of all our treats.
Choosing no rawhide dog chews
Size the chew to your dog. Pick one too big to swallow whole, and go bigger for large dogs and strong chewers.
Read the ingredient panel. Rawhide can go by another name on a label, such as beef hide or cowhide. Our guide to dog treat ingredients shows you how to read any label in about a minute.
Count the calories. One Beef Jerky Prime Chew has 188 kcal. The bag suggests one or two chews a week for dogs from 12 to 40 lbs, and up to three for bigger dogs. Trim your dog's meal a little on chew days.
Stay nearby. Watch your dog with any chew, whatever it's made from. Take the chew away once it's small enough to swallow whole, and set out fresh water. Call your vet if your dog gags or keeps trying to swallow after chewing. Heavy drooling and bringing food back up are reasons to call too.
The chews we make without rawhide
Prime Chews give your dog a long lasting chew with a real jerky center. Start with the Beef Jerky Prime Chew, or rotate in the Pork Jerky and Salmon Jerky Prime Chews for variety.
The Dental Jerky Prime Chew is the one for teeth and breath. Sodium hexametaphosphate in the recipe helps reduce tartar buildup, and peppermint and chlorophyll help freshen breath. Our post on dental chews for dogs covers how often to give one.
For a chew with no meat in it, Sweet Potato Bones have one ingredient, sweet potato.
Start with one bag
Pick a flavor and start with the smaller bag. Stay with your dog for the first chew so you can see how fast it goes and whether the size fits.
