Rawhide Dog Treats Recalled in US

There has been a recall of Rawhide Dog Treats in the US by United Pet Group.

Whilst Rawhide has a role to play within the pet treat industry, it is important to understand that by it's very nature it is a highly processed product.

It is treated quite heavily within the manufacture process, so one needs to be highly aware, and confident, of their supply if you are going to feed it to your pups.

Although Rawhide is getting a "raw" deal at the moment, it is important to understand some of it's positive before discarding the idea of using it totally.

These include:

They are an effective boredom busting treat because they last a long long time.
They are NOT bone. So if your puppy swallows it, you don't have to worry about bone fragments doing any internal damage.
This isn't to say the rawhide won't cause internal issues if to much is eaten......but you won't lose sleep worrying about bone.
Because they are not made out of Bone, they are easier to chew. As such, less likely hood of a dog hurting it's teeth.
This is especially true for older dog with brittle teeth.
They are not meat based so they will not rot and smell in the back yard when burried.
They won't attract vermin becasue they are not meat based.

These are just some of the positives for Rawhide for you to keep aware of before an opinion is made one way or another.

As mentioned earlier, there is a large re-call going on in the United States by Rawhide made outside of USA.

Essentially the recall is becasue a certain chemical has been used in the manufacture process which is not an approved chemical for human and animal consumption. Thus, there is a poptential health risk.

And it's not just limited to bone looking rawhide either. It's related to all sorts of shaped rawhide...... Read more here.

Although this is not in Australia, and hence it does not affect any Rawhide Products within Austrlia, yet........ it is a timely reminder that there are always risks when buying products imported from other countries with less stringent laws in place.

The point I am trying to make is two fold.

1. Don't just race your mind to the absolute negative with Rawhide..... BUT

2. Be aware of the risks of imported products, and don't be afraid to ask where they are from in order to give you confidence.

I am not suggesting that products made within our country don't have problems, however when they do, it is easier to remedy, and it happens less becasue of our laws.

That's why the team at Active Pet Products do their best to source the majority of our products from Australia. Becasue we have confidence in our Australian suppliers.

So just take a moment to consider where your products come from next time you are buying Pet Treats.

With regards to Rawhide, if you have decided that Rawhide isn't the answer for you, your customers, and your pets, consider some cool alternatives.