My Life in a Mitten

I found this great article on Rawhide bones for dogs on the CupOFdog blog.

We used to give our dogs rawhide, but since going raw they only get marrow bones or dried trachea to chew on.

Here’s a little snippet of the article:

Rawhide, that chewy treat available in almost all pet stores (and some grocery stores, I have noticed) is a hotly debated dog treat, one of the most common treats in the pet industry. Is it safe? What are the issues? Let’s explore.

How Rawhide is Made
Rawhide is the dried out raw hide of an animal. Rawhide chews are usually made from bulls, pigs, cows and sometimes horses. The hides are obtained from slaughterhouses, as they are a by-product, un-edible for humans. The hide is scraped of all meat, hair and fat. Originally, Native Americans used rawhide as a material in cabin and boat construction becauseSkinning a Pig of its extreme durability.

Here’s the link to the whole article: http://www.cupofdog.com/2008/08/05/rawhide-danger-in-disguise/ I think the article is worth a read.

Rawhide can be dangerous. Be careful and if you chose to give it to your pooch(es) please don’t do so unsupervised.

Here’s a link to some alternatives to rawhide for chewing: http://www.k9rawdiet.com/Treats-for-Chewing-c-5.html

This was posted on a forum online. Here’s the link: http://forums.dogfoodproject.com/

After “Lassie Natural Way Dog Food” and Disney-endorsed “Old Yeller“, here’s the next product that attempts to ride on nothing but a famous name:

Rachael Ray Nutrish Dog Food

Rachael comments:

Look, we all want the best for our furry family members. And that’s exactly why I worked with experts in pet nutrition to create Rachael Ray Nutrish. My Isaboo loves food and treats made with simple, natural ingredients. So, what are you waiting for? Take a look around. See just how good these foods are and learn a little more about my pet charity, Rachael’s Rescue.

Let’s have a look at the ingredient list of these “simple, natural” foods:

Rachael Ray Nutrish Beef and Brown Rice
Beef, Chicken Meal, Brewers Rice, Corn Meal, Soybean Meal, Animal Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Corn Gluten Meal, Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Dried Beet Pulp, Natural Flavor, Dicalcium Phosphate, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Dehydrated Alfalfa, Dried Peas, Dried Tomatoes, Dried Carrots, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Olive Oil, Iron Oxide, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Dried Parsley, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source of Vitamin C), Mixed Tocopherols, Niacin, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K activity), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Sulfate, Folic Acid

This “beef” formula actually contains more chicken than beef, more corn and soy than rice, a larger proportion of grain and soy ingredients than meat ingredients, generic animal fat, corn gluten meal as a cheap protein booster, and more salt than dried peas, tomatoes or carrots.

Rachael Ray Nutrish Chicken and Veggies
Chicken, Chicken Meal, Brewers Rice, Corn Meal, Soybean Meal, Animal Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Corn Gluten Meal, Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Dried Beet Pulp, Natural Flavor, Dicalcium Phosphate, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Dehydrated Alfalfa, Dried Peas, Dried Tomatoes, Dried Carrots, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Olive Oil, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Iron Oxide, Dried Parsley, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source of Vitamin C), Mixed Tocopherols, Niacin, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K activity), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Sulfate, Folic Acid

Again, the major part of this food consists of grain and soy, we also see the generic animal fat, corn gluten meal as a cheap protein booster, and more salt than the touted “veggies”.

These “delish” creations are brought to you by Ainsworth Pet Nutrition, part of Dad’s Pet Care, a major sponsor of the “Dogster” community, which also makes a number of other, poor quality lines of pet food.

As a reminder, here’s a list of ingredients to avoid – these are not present in quality products!