As fur parents, we are always concerned about what our dogs eat and chew. We’re also pretty sure you’ve experienced the panic you feel when seeing your dog chewing something you don’t know.
And because we want to make sure they don’t get bored, we buy them treats and toys. One of the most popular dog toys in the market are leather chew toys.
What are Leather Chew Toys?
Leather chew toys, more commonly known as rawhide treats, are some of the most popular treats for dogs. This is because it is believed to be good for your dog’s teeth. These dog toys are made from cow or horse hides’ inner layers (that’s why they’re called rawhide, yes). Apart from being pressed and shaped, they are also added with chicken, liver, or beef flavorings to make them more appealing for dogs.
Do they have benefits for dogs?
It’s dogs’ natural instinct to want to chew, the need to chew may be even more for those with anxiety. So, giving your dog something to be busy about, like rawhide, can be beneficial for them. The same goes for puppies whose teeth are growing and developing. Giving them rawhide can save you the trouble of having them chew the legs of your tables, the remote control, or your favorite pair of shoes.
Furthermore, giving your dog something to chew also keeps their teeth clean and their jaws strong. Chewing on dog toys and rawhide have also been found to lessen tartar and plaque build-up.
Do they have risks?
Like all things, leather chew toys also have some risks for your pet. And as a responsible pet owner, you should definitely take note of these to avoid giving your pet too much rawhide or leaving them with the toy unsupervised.
Contamination from toxic chemicals - some manufacturers of rawhide include toxic chemicals during the process to further preserve it. Rawhide may also have Salmonella which are not only dangerous to your pet, but to you as an owner as well.
Choking - this is one of the biggest risks, especially for dogs who don’t chew but instead bite of large chunks of the rawhide and swallow them. When this happens, the rawhide can block their esophagus and cause breathing problems. It can also get stuck in their digestive track and cause pain and digestion issues.
Diarrhea and digestive problems - There may be some ingredients or substances in the rawhide that may be allergic for your dog.
Keeping Your Pets Happy with Safer Dog Toys
While rawhide as dog toys are generally safe, you’ll want to make sure to control your dog’s intake of it to keep them safe from the risks.
Fortunately for you and your fur baby, there are lots of safer options that you can try. Such is the PETKIT Fun Tree Toys available here at INSTACHEW.
This three-set natural rubber dog toys are absolutely safe for your babies and they even have different functions too.
Chewy Toy (green)
- designed with ridges that help in keeping their teeth clean
Treat Toy (brown)
- can place a treat inside for pets to have fun with
Squeaky Toy (yellow)
- makes squeaky noises when bitten into
With these fun and safe dog toys, you won’t have to worry about your dog ingesting toxic substances, choking, getting tummy aches, or chewing your precious items at home.
Head on over to INSTACHEW to get these fun dog toys!