Rawhide is bad for your dogs. No rawhide for Genesis’ dogs.

Like all dogs, Genesis dogs love chewing toys, and there are countless to choose from: antlers, marrow bones, bully sticks, himalayan chews.

But not rawhide.

When a dog chews rawhide, it rips off large chunks that it can swallow and choke on. And because rawhide breaks down much slower than food, it can remain in the stomach for months, causing intestinal obstruction.

Furthermore, rawhide is usually treated with caustic lime and bleach, which, along with residues such as arsenic and formaldehyde, can give dogs food poisoning. Rawhide can even put humans at risk as well if it is contaminated with Salmonella or E.coli.

Although Genesis Assistance Dogs sometimes uses rawhide when training service dogs, this is never for more than a few minutes and always under close supervision. Clients of Genesis Assistance Dogs should never allow their service dog to chew rawhide under any circumstances.

Even with rawhide off the table, there are still numerous materials for your service dog to chew on, including:

• Antlers – whole or split at least 9″ or larger for Golden Retrievers. Don’t worry about age; the smallest dogs can use an antler for a long time.
• Marrow Bones – raw or frozen, preferably at least 6″ for dogs 6 months and older. 1-2″ slices are fine for puppies as long as the piece is too large to swallow.
  You can get them directly from the butcher in the grocery store, but make sure that the butcher cuts it as one long “round” piece to avoid sharp edges and splits.
• Himalayan Dog Chews – must be XL size.
• Bully Sticks- must be 9″ or longer.

For a softer chew, your options include:

• Earth Animal No-Hide Chews – must be “large” size for pups 6 months and older (“medium” is fine for older ones).
• Fieldcrest Farms Nothin’ to Hide Rawhide Alternative – must be the 10” roll.

For all of the above choices, you must remove the chew when it becomes small enough for your service dog to swallow. To extend the life of a chewing toy, you may use a bully stick holder.

If you wish to look into other chewing options, avoid “dental” chews. These are mostly starch and will do nothing to help your service dog’s teeth.

Whatever chewing toy you buy for your service dog, make sure that it has the approval of your veterinarian first. While service dogs need to chew just as much as other dogs, you should never allow yours to chew rawhide and should think carefully about what material is best for them.