DO YOU KNOW THE DANGERS OF RAWHIDE CHEWS

Rawhide treats are commonly available in pet shops and supermarkets.  They are affordable and due to the fact that many trusted suppliers stock them owners associate them as being safe for their dogs.
I was one of them! I used to buy rawhide shoes and sticks for my dachshund puppy all the time - Soon learned my lesson!

First a little about these products:

Rawhide chews and bones are made from the inner layers of cow or horse hides.  They are cleaned and cut into various shapes and sometimes flavoured to make them more appealing.
Many owners are encouraged to give these products to their dogs to strengthen and clean their teeth through chewing.
They also are considered to be a low fat, low calorie ,cost effective and long lasting treat.

The facts about rawhide chew products:

There are many horror stories about the use of toxic chemicals including arsenic and chrome as preservatives.  No doubt that this does have some truth to it but in my research I have not been able to find any concrete proof .
What I did find however was evidence of bacterial contamination.  Many rawhide chews, including ones supplied by trusted UK retailers are made in Thailand and China.  Tests were done on these imported products by UK health authorities and a high percentage were found to be contaminated with Salmonella.  In short the cleaning processes that the products had been subjected to were not enough the kill the bug.
As you may already know this is an extremely dangerous bug and pets certainly can become very ill once infected.  Additionally, Salmonellosis is zoonotic, meaning it can be transmitted from animals to humans.
A serious concern for owners who also have children.  Always check where the product you are going to buy was made.

Another danger of rawhide chews is that of choking.  I know this from experience.  As mentioned at the outset , I was also led to believe that these products were safe and good for my dog.  I was horrified, however when my dachshund nearly choked to death on a piece of a rawhide shoe.  She had been chewing it for a little while and she had got it to the stage where it was tough yet moist.  As she was chewing it it went back her throat and was unable to bring it back up.  My father literally had to put his fingers down her throat and pull it out.  Needless to say - we never gave her rawhide again.  To this day it is banned from our house!

Many owners have experienced similar problems with their dog choking on rawhide.  The risk is especially high with puppies and greedy dogs.

Hopefully this article will be enough to convince you to look for alternatives.
Better safe than sorry!