Rawhide bones

by Karyn Campbell
(Toronto, Ontario, Canada)

I have two 11 yr old Hungarian Vizslas and a 2 yr old Yorkshire Terrier. For Christmas this year, I bought a couple of large 24" peanut butter flavoured rawhide bones and its the first time any of them have ever had rawhide bones.

What a treat for them. The big dogs thoroughly enjoyed them and once the knobby end broke off the end of one of the bones, the Yorkie proudly claimed it as his own. It has certainly kept all 3 dogs pre-occupied and I was delighted that I had found something they were getting so much pleasure from............

HOWEVER, today, being the 3rd day of constant chewing on these bones, one of the Vizslas and the Yorkie have started vomiting large amounts of mucous containing large, soft,swollen pieces of rawhide that appear to have expanded after swallowing.

I was quite concerned when I examined what came up and even a lay person could figure out that these pieces of rawhide could cause gastrointestinal problems. I have taken the rawhide bones away and they will not be given them again.

I'm surprised that there are not warnings attached to products like that, advising of potential risks/problems.