What are some of the treats that you feed your dog? Dried animal liver? Dried animal jerky? Or maybe a healthy alternative like peanut butter or cheese.
While all of these are great for your dog, there’s a treat that’s commonly on supermarket shelves that you DEFINITELY do not want to feed to your dog: RAWHIDES.
While rawhides are widely available as a cheap and long lasting dog treat chew, they can also be potentially deadly for your dog.
Rawhide treats are made from the inner layer of hides from mainly cows and horses. These are pressed together into different shapes and sizes, and sold as a chewable form of dog treat.
However, veterinarians are warning pet owners about the potentially deadly consequences of rewarding your dog with rawhides this Christmas. It comes after a viral social media post which described the potential consequences of consuming the treats.
Charlie had to undergo an operation to remove a blockage in his stomach caused by eating rawhide pet treats. Photo obtained from Facebook/ De-Anne Gilbert
The post from Charlie’s owners was captioned with the message, “please do not give rawhide treats to your dogs”. Charlie was left hospitalised after ingesting some rawhides, and required surgery to remove them.
It cost Charlie’s owners $1600 for the operation.
So why are they dangerous and should we avoid them?
Some cheap dog treats can actually obstruct the airways. Rawhides, and other forms of long-lasting chew treats, are designed to keep your dog entertained for a long time.
However, these are only great if they are good quality products. This is because low quality options are often filled with chemicals. These chemicals can break down very easily inside the dog’s stomach, which can lead to devastating consequences.
Dog treats that are more suitable for your dogs:
If you’re looking for dog treats for your dog, here are some better alternatives than rawhides:
As a dog treat, you should consider treats which are designed for your dog’s size and breed. You should also look for treats that haven’t been treated with chemicals as well.
If you’re unsure of what to give to your dog as a treat, some healthy alternatives include apples, cheese, and cubes of meat.
