I have tired real bones and my dogs end up chewing them apart and then having problems with pooing the next day.

My Vet also says he rather them have raw hide then any other bones.

Now I understand the people that have lost dogs because of raw hides trust me I understand. But why didn't they teach the dogs to chew not gulp? Just wondering thanks.

Dogs have choked on them or gotten blockages from them, which has led many people to vow to never offer them to their dogs.

I haven't ever had a problem with them. My dog is naturally a chewer, not a gulper, though. Rawhide is a very poor choice for gulpers.

Personally, I think they are OK for many dogs if you use some common sense:

pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com

-Always supervise the dog with it
-Offer 2-3 times more water than you normally would, as the dog will need it.
-Select a size and type of chew that fits both your dog's size and chewing habits (for instance, I would never use chips or braided ones, as my dog get large pieces off them). It needs to be larger than your dog could swallow whole at the very least.
-You have to be able to take it away from the dog and throw it away once it's close to being small enough to be swallowed. If you aren't confident that your dog will surrender it at this point, you're going to have problems as he'll gulp it down when you approach.
-When the dog has gotten it all soft and gooey, take it away and don't re-offer until it's dried out and rehardened.

mb

My vet hates them and tells his clients never to use them. And there's no way to teach a dog to chew and not gulp. It's not just the choking hazard- they also have difficulty digesting them (my vet has told me he removes multiple masses of rawhide from dogs' stomachs every year), they are often chemically bleached and inadequately washed, and they are breeding grounds for bacteria and mold when chewed on in multiple sessions- especially around any twists or knots which dry very slowly. My vet recommends raw bones, bully sticks, flossies, deer antlers, Nylabones, and a number of other items instead. With the bones, of course you don't want to let a dog that's unused to them eat a massive knuckle bone in one sitting. But used with good sense, they can be great chews.

Unfortunately there's no way to teach a dog to "chew not gulp". Rawhides are not bad for dogs in small amounts. What is bad for dogs is when they are left alone with a rawhide to swallow large chunks at a time, which ultimately swell in the GI tract and can cause obstructions. As long as the right kind and shape of rawhide bone is purchased -- one that is appropriate for the kind of chewer the dog is -- and the dog is supervised while chewing the bone, there is no problem.

I have given rawhides to all my dogs for decades, and never had a dog choke or have digestive problems because of them. pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com

Other people have had problems, so they do not like them.

Based on their experience, I do make sure that my dogs rawhides are large enough that they cannot wad them up and swallow them whole, that they are not bleached or made outside the USA, that they do not peel off in large pieces, and that they do not have knots, which can choke a dog.

I am baffled by the often stated idea that dogs cannot digest rawhide. Rawhide is cow skin, and I have never heard of a carnivore that cannot digest the animals hide.

I have had the same problem with real bones that you have had with one of my dogs...I think they constipate him. He does better with beef rib bones....they are more difficult to chew up.

lots o dogs

Rawhide made outside of the United States IS bad for dogs-often treated with toxic chemicals and improperly handled, so they can carry salmonella-as much a threat to you as to your dog.

Rawhide chews should be size appropriate (big chews for big dogs), and should only be given while you're monitoring the dog (dogs can choke on them, and they can cause blockages if large pieces are swallowed). They should be manufactured in the USA.

pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com

Dogs don't chew...they gulp. It's natural for them to eat that way-they chew only to get pieces small enough to gulp.

Rawhide may give dogs and puppies the ability to chew an acceptable "toy," while benefiting from the mechanical action of chewing, which applies pressure on the gums and teeth and scrapes the teeth while chewing. It is important for a dog not to be able to chew off and swallow large pieces as this may cause vomiting and/or diarrhea. It could possible choke if it tries to swallow big chunks.