Cutting rawhide chew chips

by Bill
(West Bloomfield, MI)

What do I use to cut the softened and chewed part of the rawhide chew chip, once my dog has started chewing.

He loves these chips, but won't return to any chip he has already chewed on.


Thanks,
Bill





Hi Bill
Most dogs and puppies love rawhide in any shape or form, and it can be a great chew toy if you choose the right type of rawhide for your dog's size and chewing ability... and you supervise him/her closely.

The main danger with it is that when it gets soft a puppy or dog can then chew chunks off and swallow them. As the rawhide will then expand more in your pup's tummy there's the potential for an intestinal blockage - which is an emergency situation.

It's actually a good thing that your dog doesn't want to play with a chew flip that has been softened in this way, it makes them safer for him. However, I can understand how wasteful that seems!

I wouldn't recommend trying to cut off the chewed-up part as that will make the chew flip smaller and therefore easier for your dog to swallow. You may just need to accept that they are a one-time play thing as far as your dog is concerned.

You may want to try a different type of rawhide chew, and I personally only use the compressed rawhide dog bones and toys as they are the strongest and least likely to be chewed up and ingested. Although you do still need to supervise your dog when he's playing with any kind of rawhide toy or chew, just to be 100% safe. Bully sticks are another similar type of chew and are safer, so you may even want to consider trying these.

If you take a look at my Rawhide Dog Chews as it has lots of tips and advice, information on the different types of rawhide toys and bully sticks.

Hope this helps, best of luck with your dog.