We’re regularly asked ‘are rawhide chews bad for dogs?’, ‘does rawhide dissolve in the stomach?’, and ‘what can I give my dog instead of rawhide?’. Unlike some overseas brands we use 100% pure rawhide, which means no harmful substances are used during the entire production process.
Natural cream in colour | Dyed to hide discolouration |
Made from subcutaneous tissue | Made from leather hide |
Zero glue used | Reports of glue used |
Hide is from free-range cattle | Unknown sources of cattle |
Produced in a clean, safe manner | Chemical preservation used |
Fully digestible | May cause upset |
Not stretched or inflated | May be stretched or inflated |
Dogs naturally like to test the world and their environment by chewing on things. It’s a way to discover new objects, entertain themselves and keep their teeth clean while doing so. Our white Rawhide Chews are tasty, fun, natural and perfectly safe for all breeds of dogs.
Suitable for dogs over 4 months old.
Due to a vast variety of flavored treats, antlers can seem a little less exciting and inviting than some of the more popular and cheaper treats that are packed full of derivatives, low quality ingredients, artificially additives, sugar potentially dangerous protein sources. These treats may suffer from a lack of quality but have a huge appeal to dogs due to the strong smell they give off.
At Farm Food we don’t compromise our ingredients. Our antler chews Antlers are ethically sourced and sustainable, we collect them in European forests, and after a thorough quality control process, they are brushed and cut to the highest standard possible. We’ve come up with a way your dog can enjoy a natural antler chew, while having all the flavour of a popular treats.
You’ll need the following items: 1 stock cube (beef or chicken), access to hot water, a bowel or jug, and a Farm Food Antler Chew.
Step one: Add some hot water into a bowl or jug that is deep enough to submerge the antler chew
Step two: Mix in half a stock cube into the water
Step three: Add the antler chew into the bowl for at least 2 hours (leave over night for best results)
Step four: take the chew out of the bowl and give it to your dog
You can check out our video here to see how we did it, and what the verdict was.
Antlers are perfectly natural treats for dogs. In nature, wolves use the bones of their prey, hard bark from trees, and antlers found when roaming through the forest. Antlers act as a fantastic way to release endorphins to provide a sense of calming that relaxes your dog.
Farm Food Antlers are the antlers of male deer. Each spring they lose their antlers after mating, which will then naturally start growing again. Farm Food Antlers are ethically sourced and sustainable, we collect them in European forests, and after a thorough quality control process, they are brushed and cut to the highest standard possible. Farm Food Antlers are purely natural products, they can still have a slight earthy smell and they all differ in colour, weight, shape, and thickness. A great addition to any dogs chewing habits.
Yes. They do not splinter like sticks or bones, and they are not sharp and jagged thanks to our brushing process. Farm Food antlers are put through a rigorously controlled process to ensure the highest safety standards are being met. You do however still need to keep an eye on your pooch when consuming the chew, just like you would with any other toy or treat. If the chew becomes smaller enough to swallow, remove it and put it in the bin.
We know where all our antlers come from and the quality each product has. They are 100% pure, sustainable, and a true product of nature. There are no additives, no artificial antioxidants, colours, or preservatives. They are rich in minerals, do not splint or shatter, we only use A class antlers that put through a thorough quality-controlled process, brushed, cut and sent out to customers.
Whatever the age breed or size of the dog, Farm Food has you covered. We have all kinds of antlers cut to the perfect size to fit the bite force for your dog. From XX-Large and jumbo antler for those large breeds of dog that really need the extra durability to small antlers for the breeds that need something tough but tame to fit their jaw size. Our antlers are long lasting and challenging, even for a dog with a powerful jaw.
Chews have been a long-time stable part of any dog’s oral hygiene. Traditionally people used to give dogs bones, sticks or offal like ears or trotters as chews. Some people give their dogs rawhide for gnawing, as they come in many convenient forms of rolls, sticks, bones, and braids, however rawhide has been under the looking glass due to the poor quality of product being imported from China and the problems it can cause dogs (Farm Food pure cream white hide uses a different process to ensure our premium chews are safe learn more here). These types of treats can get caught in a dog’s throat, and even be fatal if not properly monitored.
Antlers are the better choice to old ‘traditional’ chews that have not aged well and are considered outdated. Antlers last a long time, saving you money on chew toys for powerful chewers; and they appeal to our sense of what is “natural” for our dogs. They are also a safe, dependable, and irresistible. The pieces that scrape off the antler are fine for your dog to swallow, they are in fact an integral part of a dogs nutrition. These scrapes are easily digestible and are packed full of minerals, rich in calcium, phosphorus and, unlike many other dog treats, contain no calories.
Dogs have a strong desire and need to chew. Unfortunately, they are not always the best at picking the right things to chew. This is where we come in. Keep your sofa safe with Farm Food Antlers, they are hard enough to withstand the force of another deer’s antlers in the wild and can definitely clench your dog’s chewing habits. We have a range of different styles to suit your dogs’ size and jaw strength, we even have fallow antlers which come from red deer, they are a different shape, they are flatter and thinner and have a larger surface area to suit senior dogs (suitable for all ages).
The average lifespan of a Farm Food Antler can be from six months to a year. That being said, this will depend on the size and cut of the antler, the hardness of the core, and how aggressive of a chewer your dog is. Once the Antler is down to a swallowable size, it is important that you throw it away, just like with any others kind of chew.
Have you tried Antler chews for your dog? If you agree or disagree with any points, we have made in this blog let us know in the comments below.
]]>When you say the word Rawhide to most people, they will think about one of two things – The popular 1960’s TV show starring Clint Eastwood or the dog chew.
Sadly for fans of western films, we are going to discuss the dog chew in this blog.
For years, reports have been circulating around social media and websites about the harmful production methods used to make dog chews, lumping all dog chews together under the rawhide moniker. Although we consider much of this to be scaremongering and ‘Fake News’, we certainly understand the customer concerns have over rawhide, which is why we’d like to pass on information about the quality of Farm Food Rawhide.
As in all areas of pet food, you get the good, the bad, and the ugly, and before you, the consumer, hands over a fistful of dollars, you want to make sure you’re getting the best for your pet.
No leather here!
There are many different dog chews available, varying in quality, which are made from hide (commonly referred to as rawhide). Many are made from tanned hide (also known as leather hide). Since 1996, Farm Food has only sold dog chews made from subcutaneous tissue. We do not use any leather hide in the production of our dog chews.
We know that, in some countries, a range of different chemicals is used to preserve the hides before they are made into dog chews. This kind of preservation is necessary because the hides often spend quite a long time in transit before they reach the production facility. These countries are mostly in the Far East. Several chemicals are also used to remove the hair from the hides.
Farm Food does not use any of these chemicals (which, in most cases, are metal salts). We are well aware of the negative effects they can have on dogs' health. The subcutaneous tissue is delivered fresh to our production facility, which renders the use of such chemicals obsolete.
In addition, the subcutaneous tissue has already been removed from the leather hide when it reaches us, so the subcutaneous tissue never comes into contact with the kinds of chemicals used to remove hair from the hides.
Because we are extra vigilant about this, we regularly test our products for the metals that are generally found in metal salts used for preservation. This includes Arsenic, Lead, Cadmium and Mercury. Any product found to include these would be destroyed and the batch fully tested. Thankfully this is an incredibly rare occurrence.
Subcutaneous Tissue
What is subcutaneous tissue? Simply put it is the second, strong and tough layer of the skin of cattle. Ours come from free-range cattle which have been imported from Europe. The outer, indigestible layer is removed for leather production in the process. The inner layers, digestible, subcutaneous connective tissue are washed and cut into pieces to the desired size. After being manually folded in the various shapes, the white chew bones are dried in an oven for several days. One very important aspect of our products is that, because of quick processing, no harmful substances are used during the entire production process. This allows us to guarantee a clean, pure and safe product.
The same subcutaneous tissue that we use for our dog chews is made up of collagen and is also used in the food service industry to make gelatine. Gelatine has a wide range of applications, including in soft drinks, sweets (wine gums), soups and puddings, but it is also commonly used in the shell capsules around medicines. The latter, in our view, paints a good picture of the quality of the rawhide we work with. If there's one sector that regulates its ingredients well, it’s the pharmaceutical industry!
Sticky Business
There have also been reports that glue is used in the production of rawhide. We never use glue in our production process. Of course, we can't speak for other rawhide products. Subcutaneous tissue is self-adhesive, thanks to the drying process and the fact that it's made of collagen, so it retains its form once it's dried. Glue is simply not necessary.
A lot of dog chews come from Asia (primarily China, Thailand and India). The quality of dog chews produced in these countries often leaves much to be desired and the production process is difficult to monitor. That's why we stay clear of dog chews made in those countries.
You are certainly aware that quality can vary tremendously when it comes to dog chews that are available on the market today. Unfortunately, all knotted dog chews are often lumped in together as “Rawhide”, which we don't think is right.
We hope this explanation has allayed your concerns somewhat and acted as a counterbalance to the 'scaremongering' that's out there on the internet.
As you can see, it is worth spending a few dollars more on a high quality, natural rawhide dog chew than a cheap alternative. Should you have any questions, please do get in touch as we would be glad to help!
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