Can my puppy eat rawhide

I would probably recommend a nylabone first. Rawhide is more of a treat. If you have a pup that wants to chew, nylabones work great and cut down the cost of buying bones.

There is the heated debate if raw hide is good or not. Why would stores sell something that wasn't good for them?

I do agree with Lucky on the nyla bones, they are the best for teething puppies and even older dogs. With raw hide there is always the chance of blockage especially in younger puppies.

I;m not a fan of rawhide.
It is OK in small amounts, same with pigs ears, but if your pup/dog eats the whole rawhide in one sitting it can end very badly.
They can't digest rawhide properly so when it hits the stomach it tends to form a ball which can block off their bowel.
Small pieces can't form a ball and just pass through.

Another thing to consider is if you have a coated breed with long hair on it's face or legs.
When they chew rawhide it becomes sticky and soft and their hair can get stuck to it. If the hair is stuck and they then try to swallow a piece it can get caught in their throat. We had this happen with a Shih Tzu, the hair on his face was tangled with the pigs ear and then he swallowed it... we had to grab the hair and pull it back out his throat, it was lucky the hair stayed attached or we wouldn't have got it out.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Aurora_Bell

There is the heated debate if raw hide is good or not. Why would stores sell something that wasn't good for them?

---

I wouldn't put it past them... many stores sell Hartz and Zodiac flea products..

Stores sell products to make money, not because it is in the best interest of their costumers.
Many years ago, I had a dog who got a piece stuck in his throat, trying to swallow a piece too big. It immediately started swelling (the rawhide) and began to create an enormous amount of foam. He stopped breathing and was literally choking to death before my eyes. I finally shoved my hand as far down his throat as possible and was able to grasp the edge of the raw hide with two fingers and pull it out. Truly terrifying! I have never given any dog a rawhide bone again. I do use the C.E.T. dental chews which look like and chew like rawhide, but break up easily upon digestion. Most vets sell them and so does PetMeds. I also will never leave the room while my dog has one. Not worth taking a chance.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sariss

I wouldn't put it past them... many stores sell Hartz and Zodiac flea products..

---

This is so true, but I'm not only talking about big box stores. Even the holistic stores I use sell raw hide. Some of the vet clinics even sell them out here.

I don't like them, wouldn't feed my dog them, but I don't usually feed m dogs anything processed, unless they are getting a table scrap treat.