Heads Up on Rawhide Bones

Lucy, Ace Reporter here with a different kind of News Beat. We came across an article about rawhide, which is something we never get. I decided it’s newsworthy in that it can help you make an informed decision about putting these supposed treats in your mouth — or, if you’re the Mom or Dad, about giving them to your dog. Warning: This report contains toxic information that is not for the squeamish.

WHY RAWHIDE IS TOXIC If you knew how rawhide was made, you’d never give your dog another one of these treats … ever! Here are the six toxic steps in rawhide production: 1. COLLECTION In slaughterhouses, the hides are placed in a brine that slows down (but doesn’t stop) the hides from rotting. 2. PROCESSING The brined hides are shipped to tanneries, where the fat and hair are removed. This is done with chemicals like ash-lye or sodium sulphide liming, which is really toxic.  3. SPLITTING Next, the hides are treated with more chemicals that puff up the hide, making it easier to split it into layers. The outer layer is used to make leather goods, while the inner layer is used for gelatin, glue … and rawhide. 4. BLEACHING The next step is to wash the inner layer in a solution of bleach or hydrogen peroxide. This helps remove the dead, rotten smell from the decaying hide. 5. COLORING The white hide strips are decorated to make them attractive to dogs. They’re often basted in different flavors and dyed with petroleum-based food dyes like FD&C Red 40. 6. PRESERVING It would be a shame to let these rotten pieces of hide rot even more…so they’re preserved with chemicals like chromium salts and even formaldehyde, the most carcinogenic chemical that exists.  So, you ask, what can you chew if you can’t chew rawhide. Click this safe link to find out.

HOW TO CHOOSE SAFE BONES

This is Lucy, Ace Reporter, signing off!