Should you give your dog a rawhide alternative?

Dogs have an innate urge to chew now and then, which means their digestive systems are constantly working. Because of this, it’s vital that what they’re consuming is safe for their health, no matter how much they gnaw and nibble.

Luckily, thereare dog chews and rawhide alternatives that your pups can safely eat.

But if you’re on the fence about getting a rawhide alternative for your dogs, we present below five signs that will indicate that it’s time to make the switch.

Let’s dive right in.

Is a rawhide alternative good for dogs?

In case you didn’t know it yet, rawhide dog bones are the exact opposite of safe.

Although rawhide bones are produced from animal skin, they go through a series of chemical procedures before finally being sold at your favorite pet shop.

This is one of the reasonswhy rawhide is bad for dogs and why we recommend buying a safe alternative to rawhide instead.

Five signs you need to switch to a rawhide alternative for dogs

1) Your dog suffers from deteriorating teeth and gums.

One of the main benefits of chewing for dogs is that it enhances their teeth and gums.

Their gums get stronger as all their chewing removes the tartar and scrapes off the bacteria from their teeth.

But, as we all know by now, rawhide dog bones are processed through a lot of chemicals that give rawhide bones their pearly white complexion.

These chemicals can seep into your poor Fido’s teeth or gums and contribute to dental decay without you knowing until the last minute.

2) Your pup seems to be getting weaker more often than before.

Considering how rawhide dog bones are made, chances are high that the chemicals used to produce them can affect your Fido’s physical health.

These chemicals can upset your dog’s insides, weakening them and making them fall ill.

It might not amount to much in the short run. But, sooner or later, your precious furbaby could develop serious symptoms like severe vomiting or damaged organs.

3) Your pooch has already gotten sick from bacterial contamination or dog food poisoning.

This sign is connected to our previous point, but it focuses more on the dangers of harmful bacteria.

Diseases like salmonella infection and E. coli infection are a huge concern for rawhide dog bones since their composition makes them a good breeding ground for bacteria build-up.

In fact, there have already been a lot of cases where the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) recalledrawhide dog chew brands due to salmonella contamination and poisoning.

What’s even worse is that these bacterial infections can also be contagious and deadly to humans.

So if you don’t wantrawhide bones to make your pups sick, jumping to a rawhide alternative might be the best solution.

4) Your dog has choked on a rawhide dog bone (or chunks of it).

Traditional rawhide dog bones are usually extremely tough due to the chemicals used in producing them.

This makes it very difficult for your poor pup to digest the product.

Although rawhide dog bones soften the more your dog chews on them, your Fido may bite off chunks and swallow them whole.

Since these chunks of bones are indigestible, they can stress your furbaby’s stomach, leading to digestive problems.

Your pup may also have difficulty breathing because of the large rawhide dog bone chunks blocking their airways.

5) You don’t want to hinder your pup’s dental development.

Developing puppies still have very small and brittle teeth. Giving them traditional rawhide dog bones will only slow down their teeth’s growth.

This is also true for adult dogs with dental issues that make their teeth relatively weak.

Because of this, we recommend that you buy a rawhide alternative for your dogs instead if you want them to have healthy and strong teeth.

What is the best alternative to rawhide that won’t harm my dog?

The best rawhide alternative is anon-rawhide dog bone that is genuinely all-natural and hasn’t been processed with chemicals that can harm your pet.

For us, this means that your rawhide alternative for dogs should only consist of natural ingredients. Moreover, they should also be processed in an eco-friendly manner.

It would be best, too, if your rawhide alternative useshypoallergenic ingredients to prevent fatal allergic reactions.

In this sense, dog bones likeBetterBone are good rawhide alternatives since they won’t harm your furbaby.

BetterBone has even received itsProgramme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification, too, soyou can trust that it’s sustainable andgreat for the environment.

Feel free to browse our other articles to learn more about oursustainable pet products.