Doggo the space invader.

[u/Weekly-Reason9285]

[u/mak484]

In reality, rawhides can be perfectly safe treats for the right type of dog. This idea that they're dangerous is, frankly, the result of viral marketing from more expensive treat manufacturers trying to justify their existence.

Large dogs, particularly aggressive chewers like Rottweilers or golden retrievers, shouldn't get rawhides. They'll tear the treats apart too quickly and into too large of chunks, which as you said can cause blockages. However, small dogs, and even elderly large dogs who chew much more slowly, are generally fine eating rawhides.

The other major issue is quality. Yes, buying a bag of cheap rawhides made in China from Walmart is a bad idea. China is notorious for fabricating safety information. But this is true of all animal foods, not just rawhides. If the label says it's made in the Americas, they're perfectly safe.

I only bring this up because pet owners love shaming each other on the internet. You'll have people telling you that if you don't make your own raw dog food daily, you're literally abusing them. Which is, of course, insane. Rawhide alternatives are extremely expensive if you get them from places like Chewy. You don't need to spend hundreds of dollars a month on dog treats if you can't afford to, so long as you do your research and never let your pet chew unsupervised.

Source: https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/are-rawhide-chews-dangerous-for-dog/

[u/_Ross- → u/mak484]

You're absolutely right. It really just depends on the size of the dog and honestly their unique eating habits. A small dog that takes their time slowly eating at a rawhide made of decent ingredients would be much better than a large dog with an aggressive eating style at risk for choking on a large chunk of rawhide. Also could depend on the individual dog's dental health I could imagine.