Hartz Mountain recalls Rawhide

The FDA announced Hartz-Mountain is voluntarily recalling a small batch of chicken basted rawhide strips due to salmonella contamination.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- October 20, 2008 -- The Hartz Mountain Corporation, Secaucus, NJ is voluntarily recalling one specific lot of Hartz Chicken-Basted Rawhide Chips due to concerns that one or more bags within the lot are potentially contaminated with Salmonella. Hartz is fully cooperating with the US Food and Drug Administration in this voluntary recall.

To see the FDA post, visit here.

The New Rawhide

I just heard that they are about to be marketing a new type of rawhide - "Organic Rawhide". Not only will this rawhide be organically grown, but may contain added vitamins and minerals.

This really makes me sad. Organic, vitamin enriched, super rawhide is still not 100% DIGESTIBLE, causing digestive track blockages, and even death. Do we really have such a landfill problem we can't just throw this (&@% away?

According to the ASPCA:

While many dogs enjoy nibbling on rawhide, some tend to swallow it—and this could potentially pose a foreign body obstruction in your pet's gastrointestinal tract if large enough pieces are swallowed.

If you do decide to offer rawhide, you may want to supply your dog with only limited quantities, and take care to dispose of any pieces that get chewed down to a size that could be swallowed whole. There are now many alternatives to rawhide chews, so you might want to ask your local veterinarian and/or pet supply store to help you find a chew that you can feel comfortable giving your dog.

Here are articles from Associated Content, and the National K9 Dog Trainers Association. Even Petsmart admits rawhide chews are not good for dogs left unsupervised. Here's a test - take a piece of rawhide chew and soak it in a glass of water for 48 hours.

Be careful of anyone who recommends rawhide chews - especially if they sell them. It's hard to find anyone who will make a stand against rawhide, because there is so much money involved. It's easy to say "Rawhide is just fine" when they will be happy to sell you some Chew-eze.

I guess I will just relegate myself to not being the most profitable pet store out there, but I stand behind all of my products (I refuse to carry rawhide, organic or not) and I sleep very well at night. I think the FDA should require a "Veterinarian General's Warning" on all rawhide products. If we all stop buying them, eventually they'll stop selling them.

On a side note - Here is a great chart on dangers for your dog by Ava Schutzman.

Visiting a Three Dog Bakery

I got a chance to visit a Three Dog Bakery last week - my second store that I have seen. When you are in the dog bakery businesses, it should be a requirement to go and pay some homage to the granddaddy's of the business - after all - they invented it.

I had a few take aways after leaving their store that makes me very excited to be a part of BigWag and glad I didn't opt to buy a franchise. The first thing that I noticed was that the store did not have very much in the way of other non-competing pet businesses, dog rescues, or shelters in their store. This gave me the impression they were not a very big part of the pet community in their city. Point number one is that I am glad I can direct BigWag to be a big part of the pet community - help rescues and shelters with events, help other pet businesses by posting business cards on our bulletin board - be a part of NWA, not just exist here.

The second thing that rang home was that their every day treats are not baked in their store - they are baked in a factory somewhere. It appears that all they do in the retail stores these days are cakes and pastries. I'm proud of the fact that all of our treats are baked in our store and are as fresh as possible. It gives us flexibility to do things like our promotional Stephen Colbert Claws that we are currently doing to help raise money for the Humane Society. (This also goes back to the community thing above). We're trying to get mentioned on his TV show. =)

They sell rawhide. This surprises me, with all of the bad things rawhide can do to your pet. For such a forward thinking, pet well being company, selling rawhide seems to conflict with their core message. We sell only natural chews - bully sticks, beef twists, shanks, bones, and ears. We also carry a line of dehydrated sweet potato chews, which I think are an awesome, nutritious alternative to the meat products. My dogs love these.

And lastly - we need a refrigerated display case. I've wanted one of these since we opened - they are just so expensive. I think I need to make this a higher priority. It makes a really nice presentation of the pastry type treats, and it would allow us to pre-bake a couple of barkday cakes and decorate them right there on the spot when people come into the store wanting a cake right away. We currently ask for 24 hours notice on cakes, but this would allow people to pick one up right away.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not necessarily knocking the Three Dog Bakery company - after all, they get all the credit for dog bakeries. I'm a big fan, read their books, and bought their treats. I just happen to think there is some room for improvement, and I think we are addressing some of those now - which makes me glad I am part of a place like BigWag where we can do those kinds of things.

Another Rawhide Story

Here's a story that is circulating the internet right now. It's a tragedy for sure:


To Whom It May Concern...(Is There Any Justice For The Loss Of My Bestfriend) November 08, 2007 5:40 PM

Well on Oct. 28, 2007 I had to get my most loyal and loving BlackJack put
to sleep because she was so sick and dying...I still can't believe she's gone forever. My baby was only about 3yrs old...I will not let go what happened and I want my voice to be heard !!!!! I purchased some rawhide bones from the 24hr Walgreens on Main St. here in High Point, N.C. when I gave my dog one within an hour of chewing half of the bone my BlackJack became sick, vomiting very badly...this went on for a few days and she seemed to get better or so I thought, I noticed her gums, tongue, skin, and white of her eyes was yellow...I was like no way, my dog has jaundice so I took her to the vet. They kept her for 3 days and done blood tests, X-ray, IV's, Etc. and they ruled out blood disease, foreign objects, any kind of blockage, and said my dog was way too healthy & had very good bloodwork prior to get this sick, this fast!! They sent her home with me and wanted to try medication...but nothing worked she just got sick more each day until she could barely walk & would not eat, she was suffering and the outlook didn't look good even with surgery as weak as she was...It was like she had been poisened, even the vet that put her to sleep said that...and she had from that bone. Now I'm at war with the company and want some justice for the life of my bestfriend, she was the kind of dog that if your lucky you might run into one once in your lifetime. Now take note on the information below:
- There sold at: Walgreens
- Brand Name ( Bag O Bones )
- Company Info: Specialty Products Resources Inc.
49 Harrington Rd.
Waltham, M.A. 02452 USA
Tel: (781) 894-1411
Fax: (781) 894-1811
Website: www.specialtyrawhide.com

Please Check Out & Sign The Petition To Make Sure Another Bestfriend Is Not Lost!!! http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/a-life-lost

---------------------EOM--------------------------

At first glance, I want to rush out and sign this petition. I know rawhide is a horrible product, and more is sold at this time of year than any other. But there is so much information out there about rawhide. You can google it, read blogs about it, talk to your vet about it, talk to your boarder, your local dog bakery, trainers, fellow dog parkers; I would think there has to be information about how rawhide is so bad coming at people from every angle. If that is really the case, then why do people still buy it? Stores wouldn't stock it unless people were buying it.

There is another part of me that thinks, with all of the information available at hand, how is this person not personally accountable for this? Stores simply sell what people want. If nobody wanted it, good or bad for you, nobody would sell it. Doesn't that make us, everyone who buys rawhide products, accountable for this also? Anyone thats purchased rawhide in the last year send this person one dollar, and she'll feel better. Like that will ever happen. Now, if this was something new, a new product that's untested, a mistake, never happened to anyone before. I could see some accountability on the part of the company. But rawhide, and the horrible stories that go with it, have been around a long time. I think it's really up to us to spread this word. The companies and manufacturers aren't going to stop making it unless everyone stops buying it. Stores like Wal-mart are going to continue to sell it, because it keeps making them money. It's only small stores like our bakery that take a stand on junk like this (See Rawhide is for shoes).

I won't sell rawhide, I've never sold rawhide, and I won't even sell the pressed rawhide, which is supposed to be the lesser of the evils. If there should be a petition, lets tell the retailers we don't want this in the stores anymore. Lets get this on the news so other people know about it and can make an informed decision. Let's not just sue the retailer for punitive damages. Put your money where your mouth is - or your dog's mouth anyway. Just say no to rawhide. There are plenty of alternatives. Be an informed consumer. Read the ingredients. Stores like Wal-mart are very much a democracy. If the public votes they won't buy something, it gets yanked pretty fast and replaced with something else. They have to move product off of their shelves to make money, and under performing products are always replaced quickly, or else it effects their year end numbers. Bonuses are at stake. Vote NO on rawhide! Spread the word!

Rawhide is for Shoes

More and more people ask me what they can give their dogs for chew toys other than rawhide. I know I have had to dislodge a piece from my dogs throat more than once. That was before I found better chew toys for them. My dog's favorite chew toys now are moo tubes. These are cow trachea that have been smoked and dehydrated. What makes these so great is that they are completely natural, 100% digestible, and chocked full of Glucosamine and Chondroitin, which is great for hips and joints. These are gentler on the tummy than rawhide too. Make sure you buy FDA and USDA inspected, made in the USA moo tubes.

Here are some tips for safe chewing:

• Rawhide is the same product your leather shoes and couches are made of. It’s durable, NOT digestible.
• If consumed too rapidly rawhide can cause vomiting or diarrhea.
• Large chunks of rawhide can cause intestinal blockages, as it swells up to 4 times its dry state size.
• Rawhide produced outside the United States may contain arsenic and/or formaldehyde.
• Greenies have been surgically removed from the intestinal tracts of many dogs because they are not fully digestible. (They are currently reformulating Greenies).
• Cow hooves can cause teeth to break. They can also splinter, causing obstructions or in worst case scenarios, perforations of the intestines.
• Pig ears imported from Chile were recently recalled due to Salmonella outbreaks.
• The best chews can be consumed in one sitting because this prevents bacterial infections including salmonella.
• Always wash your hands after handling any of your dog’s chews, to prevent potential salmonella or e. coli infection.
• Always monitor your dog while he is chewing, to prevent choking.

Moo tubes are relatively new, so i don't know if they are counted in the same statistic, but Bullysticks are the only chew treat without any documented complications like rawhide or greenies.

For dogs that are allergic to beef or pork products, they do make lamb ears and bones. These are also not as messy as the pig counterparts, if you are worried about your carpet. I have not tried the ostrich bones yet. I am slightly afraid they would splinter like turkey bones.

Another chew toy that is good if you are looking for something to last for an aggressive chewer are deer antlers. These last a long time, they are digestible, do not splinter, do not make a mess on the carpet, and dogs seem to love chewing them. I am planning on testing these out, and I will post later if they live up to their reputation.