Why are rawhides still sold in stores if they're not good for my dog?

I do not recommend giving rawhides to dogs at all. In my opinion, they are not safe at all due the risk of GI obstruction. If your dog got a GI obstruction from one, surgery would have to be done to remove it. I know colleagues who have had to perform surgery on dogs who've gotten obstructions from rawhides, and many of them do not recommend them for this reason. I would not recommend giving them to your dog.

This is indeed a true fact. Some raw hides have more of a tendency to cause intestinal blockages. A quick google search can help identify which ones to stay away from as you have already done. I would recommend the ones from your vet which are usually easily digestible. I really like the Virbac or CET dental chews personally and have never seen an issue with blockages from these. I hope this helps! Take care.

Hi there! Glad you're asking questions about what is good for Joey. This topic has actually been under much debate for quite a while amongst veterinarians and not everyone will tell you the same thing. Personally, I always discourage my clients from feeding them because of the poor digestibility and the tendency of the rawhide material to swell once ingested. Potentially this could lead to gi upset or potentially something like an obstruction or perforation (worst case scenario). Some dogs are fine when they eat them-also true. But in my opinion why risk it when there are other safe alternatives? Hope this helps! Glad to see you're a good pup parent!

There are some toxins which can be produced by molds on foods and although rawhide would not be the most common source (breads, cheese and compost are most frequent sources) access to any moldy food should be reduced as far as possible. Exposure to slugs/slime should also be avoided in areas affected by lungworm angiostrongylus vasorum

My favorite rawhide chews are sold through a company called Raw Feeding Miami (www.rawfeedingmiami.com). They have large, very durable rawhide rolls that are all-natural and made without any chemicals or artificial processing. They're quite thick and last a long time, even for big dogs - I would highly recommend giving them a try if you're looking for a good rawhide for Buddy :)

Personally I have seen many dogs get sick from chewing on these. They can contain bacteria and some dogs chew them up too much and can get a stomach upset and diarrhea. I would give only dog biscuits or treats made in America in addition to his regular food. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Cooper.

Hello! All great questions and comments - and you're right, there's a lot of conflicting information out there regarding food. Some of the information you're going to find is based on personal preference or a value bias. Corn is a good source of digestible carbs, fatty acids, and protein - but these things are better digested in dogs than in cats (who are obligate carnivores), and some people prefer to minimize grains, so those people might state corn is "bad".... in my opinion, the focus on grains is based more on trends in human nutrition than evidence-based pet nutrition. Statements regarding what pet foods are "good" vs "bad" will also come from personal preference...your vet can probably explain what made them state that Purina is better than Merrick, and another vet might have their own input on the matter. I do personally like both Purina and Hills because I find their products consistent, reliable, and I like that those companies put a lot of their profits back into nutrition research to work on creating good foods - but that doesn't mean they're the only good foods out there. Raw food is another hot topic. I have worked extensively with dog mushers, and raw meat is a very common component to their food - and I'm fine with that. However, I also have a degree in Public Health, and know that raw foods increase the likelihood of foodborne illness such as salmonella both in the pets themselves, and in the humans who are in contact with them. So, again, there are going to be different sides to the conversation. It's confusing when there's conflicting information! Try to sort through what's based on research and evidence, and what is based on the personal opinions and biases of the speaker. Good luck! Hope this helps.