And how about tennis balls?

I've read here that rawhide can pose a choking hazard. As far as a tennis ball, I wouldn't use one if your dog is big enough that it could potentially choke him/her.

We have 2 little dogs and they love playing with a tennis ball. It would be way too big for them to swallow though.

Hi, I gave my dogs rawhide a long time ago. One of them choked on it; I had to put my fingers down his mouth to get it out..And that was it. No more. But my friends give rawhide to their dogs all the time, and nothing has ever happened. I say watch them, just in case. Carol

I have never seen raw bones Are they at the pet store?

I hear that rawhide bones can not only be choked on but can clog there intestine and make them really sick. I bought a real bone at petsmart it cost a little more but it lasts alot longer! An its safe for your dog.

actually, rawhides are very good for your dog's teeth

but, do try to make sure that your dog only chews on it when you're there to watch him. my boxer likes to unravel it, chew it so it's nice and moist, then just swallow the whole thing...! she's only succeeded in swallowing it once, and the vet said she'd be fine, which she was. usually when i see it getting to that point, i just take it away from her and throw it away.

also, be careful where you let your dog chew it.. once they've chewed it for a while, it gets soggy, and can sometimes get on the carpet.

all in all, i think they're really nothing to worry about.. just try to be there just in case. it's a really good way to occupy your dog's time for a good hour

Our dog loves rawhide, but I have seen her struggling to digest it on a couple of occassions. After reading this post, Im not sure that I will buy her anymore.

However, she does love tennis balls but her favourite toy at the moment is her "frisbee" which she takes everywhere with her. She begs me to throw it all of the time, and brings it back for more.

My dog seems to be able to run forever!!!

My vet told me that compressed rawhide is the only thing I should give our puppy. She said that traditional rawhide & especially Greenies have a high occurence of foreign bodies & intestinal blockages. She said to absolutely avoid Greenies! You can get compressed rawhide at Petsmart & they even make it in different shapes & flavors that dogs love.

My sister is also a vet & told me that real bones are not good for dogs because they fracture can splinter, which can be very dangerous for the digestive tract. If you want something natural, she recommends these things call Bully Sticks.... they're dried cows' *THINGS*. Kind of gross, but they're safe & natural & apparently dogs love them! I thought you could get them at Petsmart, but I don't think you can- you can go to their website @ Bully Sticks.com.

Hope that helps!

I used to get rawhide for my dogs. It always ended up giving them the diarhea. So I either buy Nylabone products or real bones for my dogs. They last much longer & has never made them sick.

I've heard that some types of rawhide chews contain some formaldehyde so I steer clear of them.

Originally Posted by CyBill

I've heard that some types of rawhide chews contain some formaldehyde so I steer clear of them.

oooh that's not good. Anyone know which kinds?

My dog almost choked to death. If I hadn't managed to pull it out she would have. About 4 inches of soggy mess came out. I never give my dogs rawhide now. As long as they can't choke on or swallow tennis balls I don't see any harm in them.

That would be too scary to wriness a dog almost choke to death from a rawhide chew. Good thing you managed to pull it out, Carlar.

As for the brands of chew that contain formaldehyde, I've only heard that many brands do. I've also heard that to stay away from any chews that aren't manufactured in the US.

I've heard many people rave about giving uncooked bones for the teeth as Pitbulls suggested. Many people swear by it as long as they are uncooked.

Originally Posted by GermanShepherdLover

I hear that rawhide bones can not only be choked on but can clog there intestine and make them really sick. I bought a real bone at petsmart it cost a little more but it lasts alot longer! An its safe for your dog.

Actually, natural bones pose a threat to the dog, depending on the strength of the jaw. I got one for one of my dogs thinking it was something that he could chew on, and something that would last. It turns out, he shredded that bone up as well. After awhile, I took the bone away from him because the noise of the grinding made me fear what could happen to his teath. The vet concurred, as she said massive grinding like that (my dog has a really strong jaw) can cause teeth chipping, and the bone does not digest well.

[beks]

I gave my Dog a rawhide and my boyfriend noticed blood on the rawhide, turns out it had cut up my pups mouth, not really bad.. but enough, we threw it out and now he chews on Denta-bones...and its rope toy..

Rawhide should only be given to dogs while there is a person to supervise them with it. Yes, it can block their intestines and require emergency surgery and/or make them choke. Compressed rawhide is safer, but also only let dogs have it under supervision, and when it gets small enough that your dog may try to swallow it-throw it away and get a new one.

Be careful where you purchase rawhide from. In the USA, you want to buy only USA made rawhide since it cannot legally be preserved with a toxic substance.

Cooked and smoked bones are much more likely to splinter than raw uncooked bones. You can usually buy raw bones (such as a femur/leg bone) from butcher shops or independently-owned grocery stores' meat departments.

Tennis balls made for people to use do NOT have be dyed with non-toxic coloring. Also, if your dog chews on "real" tennis balls long enough it can act like steel wool and wear away the enamel on your dog's teeth. It's best to buy tennis-style balls made especially for dogs.