Choosing the best chews for your precious furbaby is not as easy as it sounds.

And with the limitless choices, you might want to settle on rawhide bones for puppies rather than continue to search for healthy options.

However, we advise stopping that train of thought since rawhide bones for puppies can actually make them sick.

Here’s how.

What are rawhide bones for puppies?

Rawhide dog bones are treats made out of the skins of animals.

In manufacturing leather, only the outer layer of the animal’s skin is processed to make leather, while the inner layer is used for the rawhide dog bones that you’re planning to buy.

The inner skin layer is dried and then put through a series of chemical procedures that remove the remaining hair and fats from the skin. These chemical processes are also the reason why your rawhide dog bones look creamy or white.

It is then sliced into smaller pieces, molded into desired shapes, covered with coloring and flavoring agents, and finally sold at your favorite pet store.

Can puppies have rawhide bones?

No, they can’t. We don’t even recommend buying rawhide bones for puppies.

Although rawhide dog bones give your pup something to chew on aside from your shoes or the legs of your dining table, they can threaten your puppies’ health.

To be specific, your pup can potentially choke on rawhide bones for puppies if they chew a big chunk of the treat and swallow it as a prize.

It’s because their mouths, in general, are still pretty undeveloped, and chewing rawhide bones that are larger and harder than their mouths are going to cause permanent damage.

Their digestive tracts are also quite narrow, making it harder for them to consume dog bone chunks.

And depending on how large the chunk is and where it’s stuck, you’ll need to have it removed by a professional.

Another common risk is digestive irritation that can be caused by contamination.

Remember, a traditional rawhide bone for puppies is made by processing the inner skin layer of an animal with chemicals, which remain in the treat.

You can even get contaminated if you come in contact with these chemical traces.

This makes rawhide bones bad for puppies and humans alike.

How long does it take to digest rawhide bones for puppies?

Digesting rawhide bones mainly depend on the dried animal skin that serves as the rawhide’s original form.

Generally speaking, however, most rawhide bones for puppies are indigestible since they’re made from hard and dried animal skins.

This makes it hard for the poor pups’ digestive enzymes to break down the material.

This also makes rawhide bones not safe for puppies.

Can I give rawhide bones to my puppies every day?

There are a lot of factors you have to consider about rawhide dog bones, such as your pup’s age, size, and chewing style.

But overall, you cannot give rawhide bones to your puppies every day (even at all).

Even if there are claims that rawhide dog bones let your furbabies clean their teeth and keep them occupied while you enjoy quality time for yourself, the health risks of rawhide bones for puppies far outweigh all that.

Instead, it would be best to give your young Fido natural dog bones that are appropriate and healthy for them.

How can I prevent the risks of rawhide bones for puppies?

The best thing you can do is to consult your regular vet and ask if there are better alternatives to rawhide bones for puppies that they can recommend.

BetterBone is an excellent example of a rawhide-free bone for puppies, especially since it’s made of all-natural and sustainable materials, unlike rawhide bones for puppies.

Rawhide-free jerkies and bully sticks are also some alternatives you can try.

Once you’ve talked with your veterinarian, you can then begin to monitor your precious furbaby for any signs of discomfort while they’re chewing on your chosen dog bone.

One of the things you need to make sure while you keep an eye on your Fido is that your pup is not swallowing off large chunks that are way bigger than they can afford to chew.

Summarizing rawhide bones for puppies

Buying rawhide bones for puppies poses too many risks that you might not want to take.

It would be best to change to rawhide dog bone alternatives that are much safer and easier for your pup to digest.

After all, as they say, prevention is always better than cure.