These can KILL your beloved pet!   I learned that pieces went into the stomach and lodged there blocking everything up.  My vet said they could also pass through to the intestine, where some of the pieces could lodge and get twisted up in the intestine, completely cutting through and severing the intestine.  So, if you ever see your dog chewing on rope toys and pulling the little strings off... TAKE IT AWAY!!

These can KILL your beloved pet! 

Dried pig and cow ears and hooves have many of the same dangers as rawhide. Primarily, you don't want your dog to break off and swallow small jagged pieces that could damage his insides!

These are sold in pet stores just like you see them in kiddie stores. Hello? It’s a dog, not a child. Fido doesn’t know he’s supposed to cuddle with the teddy bear – and when he’s feeling frisky, guess what? Mr. Teddy will be headless, armless and legless before you know it. Do you want to risk him swallowing any of that? Do you want him swallowing the stuffing?  The stuffing could cause blockage... or the squeaker itself!

I have learned over the years that rawhide dog chews do not break down in the stomach and/or intestines as well as pork hide chews. Rawhide is not as digestible as pork hide. Dogs will tend to chew on the rawhide until it becomes soft and can swallow a piece much larger than can easily be passed. Since rawhide is more difficult to digest, it could cause an obstruction. 

Dogs see rawhide (which come in bones, rolls, bows, braids, candy canes, etc...) as a food item. As they consume the pieces of the hide, these pieces are NOT digestible, and they end up absorbing stomach fluids and swelling in the stomach and intestine, in many cases causing a blockage that can only be removed through surgery.

Rawhides get stuck in the stomach and sometimes in the esophagus because they are so rigid.  They are one of the most common objects extracted from dogs.  A cow hoof can be chomped in half and swallowed to prevent another dog from getting it.

Another issue with rawhide is that in many instances the manufacturer treats the hide with formaldehyde, or similar treatment, as a preservative. Do you really want your dog to consume this? I don't think so.

There is never a guarantee that an accident won’t happen but, should your dog swallow a large piece of pork hide, the chances are better that the chew will be digested if it is pork hide versus rawhide. They can look exactly the same so be careful – read the label closely. Rawhide that is not made in North America can also contain chemical residues that can be harmful to your dog's health.  When the size of the rawhide gets small enough that he can put the entire piece in his mouth, it is time to throw it away in order to avoid accidental ingestion.

No, that’s not a joke. For starters, large breed dogs can swallow them – which can lead to a painful death. Why would they swallow it? You’d have to ask a dog that question. Just know that some do, and some die. Need another reason to avoid them? A German study was done that suggests the glue used in tennis balls is very damaging to a dog’s tooth enamel. Not to mention, a dog can chew through a tennis ball pretty easily. Do you want to risk them swallowing the pieces? I don’t think you do.

These specifically encourage a dog to vie for dominance. This can be a problem if your dog already has aggression issues. Don’t engage in these games with your dog, it may seem like fun to you, but every time your dog gets the toy away (whether you let him or not) he is being told he’s the more dominant. And he should never think he’s more dominant than his owner, it will only lead to problems. If you’re currently having issues like this, get rid of that toy, and you will probably get rid of some of that aggression as well.

If you see your dog vomiting or having difficulty going potty you should take it to the vet asap.  Early diagnosis can save your dogs life.