Are Rawhide Chews Safe for Dogs?

One question that has been asked frequently is whether or not rawhide chews are safe to give to your dog. 

When giving your dog any type of chew bone it is always a good idea to monitor him while he has the treat.  Many dogs will tear off big chunks of the rawhide and swallow it, causing blockages in their intestinal tract.  Other dogs, like my pug  Hu-Mi, are gulpers and basically inhale anything put in front of them.  

Choking is another concern when giving rawhide and another reason to watch your dog while he enjoys his treat.

Rawhide dog chews are dried hypodermic interstitial tissue (second layer of the skin) from cattle raised for meat production. This hypodermic interstitial tissue is quite tough yet flexible, due to collagen fibers that link.

During processing the animal's skin is split into inner and outer layers. The tougher outer layer is used for leather shoes, garments, and upholstery, while the softer inner layer is cut and formed into different shapes for dog chews.

The first step in making rawhide chews is transportation of animal's hide to processing plants where it is split, washed with degreasers and detergents, and cleaned. The completely clean rawhide is then sterilized in hydrogen peroxide at the required temperature for the required amount of time. This also has a desired side effect of making the rawhide the yellow-white color with which you are familiar.

Every year, untold numbers of dogs suffer from a variety of digestive issues as a result of consuming rawhide. Not only that, but frequently rawhide is preserved with harmful chemicals.

Life’s Abundance has developed a line of chew treats made using pork products, which are much easier on your dog’s entire digestive system and are free from potentially harmful chemicals. Our pork treats are guaranteed to be safe and your dogs will love them!

Porky Puffs , our delicious pig snouts, are packed with high quality protein.  These chewable treats are non-greasy and contain no chemical preservatives or flavors and are easily digestible. They have no artificial colors, so you won’t have to worry about hard-to-remove stains in your carpet!

Here's a picture of one of my own dogs, Easter, enjoying Porky Puffs:

    

Porkhide Bones are a safe and healthy alternative to rawhide treats. Rawhides are cured with harsh chemicals (like ash-lye solutions and bleach).  

Our Porkhide Bones are gourmet chew treats made with 100% natural pork skin and have a lasting, mouth-watering flavor your dog will love! These yummy treats are naturally high in protein, low in fat and are highly digestible. 

The shape of the bone fits inside the mouth for maximum contact, which helps promote healthy teeth and gums. They come in sizes for small, medium and large dogs.  They are safe for dogs of all ages. Your dog will love these safe, healthy and yummy treats! 

These and all of Life’s Abundance’s delicious products are uniquely formulated by our company veterinarian, Dr. Jane Bicks, to support good health through wholesome and nutritious ingredients.

The Life's Abundance Business Opportunity

Life's Abundance has been helping people build financial freedom since 1999.  

This video will show you how building a Life's Abundance business can enable you to create a source of recurring income. Using the proven business model, many Life's Abundance field reps have been able to enjoy life on their own terms. Life's Abundance generous compensation plan is designed to reward you, whether you’re working part-time or full-time. The amount you make depends on how much time and energy you decide to devote to your home business.

Are you a pet professional?  Did you ever wonder if you could benefit from representing a pet product company whose primary focus is the long-term health and happiness of companion animals?  The answer is YES! 

Breeders, groomers, pet sitters, daycare operators, trainers and other pet care professionals owe it to themselves to learn about the extensive line of health-promoting foods, treats, supplements and care products provided by Life's Abundance.

This video will explain the seven reasons why promoting Life's Abundance products may be a very good decision for pet professionals and their clients!

Please take a moment to review all the information found on my website; http://HeresToHappierHealthierPets.com  I believe you will be impressed with our products, our compensation plan and everything else that Life's Abundance has to offer you as an individual pet owner or a pet professional.

Canine Cancer

Having your dog diagnosed with cancer is a very frightening thing. You see a happy, healthy dog in front of you.  You’ve had blood tests done just as a precaution to make sure there is nothing going on with your beloved pup that isn’t obvious. After all, she’s getting older now.  Then things start to happen that are just not normal for your dog.  So you dig a little deeper.  Maybe have an x-ray done.  And there you see a tumor inside your furbaby.  Canine cancer is more common than you might think.

Did you know that the National Canine Cancer Foundation estimates that 1 in 3 dogs will suffer from cancer?  As a matter of fact, cancer accounts for almost half of all deaths in pets over 10 years of age.

Cancer can affect just about any location or organ in the body. Signs of cancer vary with the location and type of cancer. How rapidly the cancer develops and spreads will depend on the type of cancer, the location in the body, and the individual pet.

Obviously the earlier the cancer is detected the better chance your dog has of surviving treatment, or at least living a longer more comfortable life.  There are signs to look for in your dog that may let you know something is wrong.  Dogs get many of the same types of cancer as humans.  Some of the common signs of cancer in dogs are:

• Any lump or mass that appears to be increasing in size
• Any sore that does not heal
• Change in bowel or bladder habits
• Difficulty urinating or defecating
• Unexplained bleeding or discharge from any body opening
• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss
• Difficulty breathing
• Persistent lameness or stiffness
• Offensive odor
• Difficulty eating or swallowing

You know your dog better than anyone and will recognize when something is wrong.  Be sure to alert your veterinarian to any changes that you feel are concerning. 

Cancer treatment can be very costly.  Many people are now purchasing Pet Health Insurance to help with the cost of treatment.  There are also several websites that offer help if you are having trouble affording veterinary care.  

Whether you decide to treat the cancer aggressively or, especially in the case of much older dogs, keep her as comfortable and happy as you can until her time with you is up, it is up to you to decide what is right for your dog. 

In Memory of Swee’Pea

I had to say good-bye to my Baby Girl this past week.  I’ve done this before.  I’ve actually had to send two other dogs, Chewy and Tara, to the Rainbow Bridge over the past year.  Swee’Pea was by far the most difficult.

Swee’Pea, a beautiful American Eskimo, became part of our family right around Thanksgiving in 2000.  She was 1 ½ years old. My son’s roommate’s mother was her previous owner and sent her with him when he moved in with my son. Being two young men who both worked and liked to play, they knew they couldn’t take care of her so my son asked me if I would take her.  

I walked over to his house and the second I met Swee’Pea I fell in love with her and she with me.  From that day on she was my little girl.

Just a few days after she came to live with my husband and me, she was lying on the floor next to me and I saw her tummy moving.  She was pregnant!  It wasn’t two weeks later that she gave birth to five puppies who looked to be crossed with pit bull.  Swee’Pea wasn’t the best momma dog I’ve ever know, probably because she loved attention and being spoiled and her babies were infringing on that.  Once they were old enough, I found homes for them and had Swee’Pea spayed.  

Swee’Pea was a very smart dog and wanted nothing more than to please me.  She would do anything for a cookie!  I taught her to sit, sit up pretty and lay down when it was time for her treat.  It didn’t take long for her to realize the faster she did that the quicker she’d get her cookie and she would do all three tricks in a matter of seconds.  

She was great with all the other dogs we brought into our home and even loved our cat.  She didn’t like small children, though, and would try to find a place to hide whenever some were around.  I really don’t know why….

She was my white shadow.  No matter where I was in the house, Swee’Pea was right there with me.  I would close the bathroom door when I took a shower in the morning and would see her two little front feet under it.  She always wanted to be close.

In early 2011 we learned that she had hypothyroidism, an elevated liver enzyme count and was borderline diabetic.  I switched her immediately to diet food and treats and her veterinarian prescribed meds for her thyroid and liver.  Three months later we did another blood test and there was a great improvement.  What a relief!  Another blood test three months after that and her numbers were almost normal.  She also began to lose weight dropping 17 lbs from February 2011 to February 2012.

Though all of those problems were solved, we discovered just a short month ago that she had a large tumor in her abdomen that was most likely cancer.  The tumor was attached to her spleen.  Her vet said that he could remove it but (isn’t there always a “but”?) with her age, she was 12 ½, and other health problems there was a fair chance that she wouldn’t survive the operation.  The thought of my loyal baby girl dying alone on the operating table was not something I wanted for her.  I made a commitment to her that she would not be alone when her time came and I intended to keep that promise.  The vet agreed when I told him I wanted to keep her as comfortable as possible and spoil her even more than she already was until it was her time.

I really thought I had at least several more months with her.  When we first got the diagnosis, you would never have known anything was wrong with her. She still had the clearest, brightest big brown eyes and was the same happy, silly dog I had known and loved for 11 years.  

On Tuesday, March 27^th I noticed that Swee’Pea was a bit “off”.  She didn’t exactly seem to feel bad, just uncomfortable.  That had happened a time or two and she always bounced right back.  On Wednesday, March 28^th, she was very slow getting up to go outside in the morning and when she was eating her breakfast, she laid down and I had to take her food and put it on the floor in front of her so she could finish.  I thought her arthritis was acting up and it was more comfortable for her to lie down.

That day my husband and I had dropped two of our other dogs off at the vet for shots and baths.  We picked them up around 2:00.  When we got home, Swee’Pea was lying on the floor in front of my bedroom door.  I heard some whining and went to see what was wrong.  I tried to coax her to get up but instead she cried.  Then her cries turned into loud cries of pain.  I put my hands under her to lift her and found she had urinated on herself.  I had my husband carry her into the living room and put her on the carpet thinking maybe the traction would help her stand but she couldn’t get up.  Her cries became more regular and the only thing that settled her down was me lying on the floor next to her. 

I couldn’t bear to see her like this.  I tried to think of ways to make her better but I knew by looking into those big brown eyes that she was ready to leave us.  The sparkle was gone and all that was there was a pleading for help.  

That afternoon I held her as her vet administered her release from pain.  I told her how much I loved her and what a good girl she had always been.  I told her not to be afraid because her friends, Chewy and Tara, were waiting for her at the Rainbow Bridge and they would take care of her until I was able to be with her once more.