Rawhide dog chews are the classic dog chew that everyone thinks of when thinking of a treat for their dog. Ideal for keeping your dog occupied, they come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, from knotted bone shapes, strips, shoes, balls and even as compressed (or pressed) rawhide chews.
Rawhide chews as their name suggests are made from natural rawhide - animal skin, usually cow hide but some times a mixture of cow and pig skin is used. The hide is tanned and dried before being formed into the final shape you see - frequently a rawhide bone shape. Pressed (compressed) rawhide dog chews are made of many layers and bits of rawhide pressed together in a gelatin base, frequently compressed rawhide is available in the form of a rawhide bone.
Whilst rawhide dog chews are fun for you dog to chew - and most dogs just love chewing them - there are some important safety issues to be borne in mind when giving your dog rawhide dog chews. Rawhide expands when it is wet, which means that large pieces torn off and swallowed could expand in your dogs stomach, causing discomfort or in rare circumstances intestinal blockage. The rawhide strips available often also have sharp edges which can cut a dogs mouth. A small dog could potentially choke on a large piece of rawhide. This all probably sounds a bit alarming - but observe a few simple rules and many hours of chewing pleasure await your dog:
- Always supervise your dog when it is chewing a rawhide dog chew
- Remove any large pieces of flat chew that the dog has pulled off
- Choose an appropriate type of chew for your dog, depending on its size - what you don't want is something it could be tempted to swallow whole. For example, I'd avoid rawhide shoes for bigger dogs.
- The best sort of chew to choose are the ones based on compressed rawhide - e.g. a compressed rawhide dog bone. These are less likely to break off in the bigger chunks that could cause problems. They are also harder and last longer!
If the above worries you too much, then consider one of the modern alternatives such as a Nylabone or a Kong dog toy. Having said that, I've been a dog owner all my life and have never had any problems with rawhide dog chews - and my two dogs love them!
Have a look below for a range of rawhide chews to buy:
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 40 RAWHIDE 4 PRESSED KNUCKLE BONE RAW HIDE DOG CHEW  £17.99
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 20 RAWHIDE 8 PRESSED KNUCKLE BONE RAW HIDE DOG CHEW £27.99
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 500 x 5inch x 15mm Rawhide Pressed Stick chews dog treat FREE DELIVERY £79.95
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 BULK PACK 10 PRESSED RAWHIDE DOG BONE DOG CHEW TREATS £13.99
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 25 x 10 Inch 15mm Rawhide Pressed Roll Dog Chews Raw Hide £9.50
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 50 X 10 INCH X 15MM RAWHIDE CIGAR DOG CHEWS PRESSED RAW HIDE 2 83 £19.99
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