Walmart Exer Hide Beef Hide Twists

by MS
(NC)

I have been giving these particular rawhide dog chews to my dogs for a long time. My dogs are large breed Pit/Boxer mix and they love them. The twists are small enough that I don't worry about them getting lodged or blocking anything. Although, deep down I still worry, and I always supervise their chewing.

I'm also worried about the fact that these things are bleached so much. You can smell the chemicals when opening the bag. I know they have to use something to kill bacteria from the skin, but there's no telling what kind of chemicals are being used. I'm also concerned that they are making my female dog, Nalah, fat.

She's not very active, she has weird eating habits, hoarding, munching, but never eating the required calorie intake for a dog her size. So it seems strange. I am convinced that these things can't be that good for your dog.

But, what really is? Preservatives, flavorings, dyes in any consumption product for dog or any living eating thing, are they really safe? I am convinced that any product with so many additives for whatever reason can't be good for any of us. We never know when we are going to be allergic to something, or get sick from something, because of some crazy bacteria. We never know if these things are going to harm our animals. It's unfortunate that some freak accidents occur from rawhide, like punctured lungs, intestinal blockage, seizures or whatever.

Unfortunately, I don't have the lifestyle to make meals or treats for my dogs or feed them all natural products from my kitchen or farm or my own garden. I have to buy everything from a store. Just like I buy all my food, I eat for myself, from the store. All the chicken with hormones, all the beef, pork, veggies and fruits with pesticides and wax all over them. Do I put my dogs lives in danger by just feeding them rawhide's? Would I put their lives in danger by feeding them human food bought from the grocery store filled with all the many chemicals that may cause sickness in humans?

I guess I'm going to have to continue to feed them Purina One(vet recommended) and give them Exerhide's as treats. It's all I can afford for food, and it's nothing different than how we feed ourselves or our children.