RAWHIDE CHEW SAFETY OVERVIEW

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Actively supervise your dog when he’s chewing a chew. To reduce the risk of choking or bowel obstructions, take it away from him if it starts shredding pieces that you wouldn’t want him to swallow whole, or when he gets close to the end.

Look for chews that are made from a single, thick sheet of rawhide.

Don’t buy chews that smell putrid, or that have no odor at all.

Avoid rawhide products that are unnaturally white; extreme whiteness indicates extensive chemical treatment.

1. Don’t buy any dried jerky treats! Let’s keep in mind that these cases all involve questionable ingredients – not a vital staple in a dog’s diet as a matter of fact, most are harmful for your dogs health.

There is no limit to the number of safe, healthy alternatives to jerky treats; look for them in your refrigerator! Give your dog tiny pieces of last night’s roasted chicken, bits of sausage plucked out of the leftover pasta dish, tiny cubes of whatever cheese might be on hand, or a spoonful of yogurt.

However, if you simply cannot imagine not giving your dog dried jerky treats, read on.

2. Buy only those treats that unequivocally state that they are made, and all ingredients are naturally sourced and have no additives.

3. Stop feeding any treat if your dog vomits, loses his appetite, or has diarrhea within hours or days of eating them. Increased drinking and/or urination and decreased activity are other common signs of trouble caused by these treats. Retain the remainder of any treats you have – or at least the package.

4. Report any problem your dog has following consumption of a jerky treat. The online reporting process is simple; go to safetyreporting.hhs.gov. Alternatively, ask your veterinarian to help you file a report.

5. Make your own jerky treats.

One advantage of making your own jerky is that you can stop the process when the jerky gets to the texture (chewiness) that you desire. Most commercial jerky products are excessively dry and hard; this is done to reduce the opportunity for bacterial growth. However, one area of investigation into illnesses caused by these treats focuses on the potential for physical injury caused to the digestive tract by extremely hard, sharp edges of jerky treats.

As long as you refrigerate and feed the treats within a few days of making them, or store them in an airtight container in your freezer before feeding, your homemade jerky treats will be a big improvement on the commercial products: chewier, more delicious, and far safer.

You can easily see that these chews are made of tiny chunks of rawhide that have been glued together and dyed. It should be obvious that these will be easily chewed and consumed – that’s NOT what we want when we give our dogs a chew. Don’t buy products like this.