{"id":33549,"date":"2023-12-08T20:56:23","date_gmt":"2023-12-08T20:56:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/todaysveterinarypractice.com\/?p=33549"},"modified":"2023-12-08T20:56:23","modified_gmt":"2023-12-08T20:56:23","slug":"the-benefits-and-risks-of-chew-treats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarypractice.com\/nutrition\/the-benefits-and-risks-of-chew-treats\/","title":{"rendered":"The Benefits and Risks of Chew Treats"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Abstract<\/strong><\/p>\n

Clients often ask veterinarians whether chew treats are good for their dog, and the answer is neither yes nor no. Chew treats can be beneficial as well as harmful. Benefits include behavioral and environmental enrichment and improved dental health. Risks include oral\/dental trauma, airway or gastrointestinal obstruction, additional calories, ingredient intolerance, and pathogen introduction. Veterinarians should weigh the risks and benefits for each individual patient and advise clients to purchase chew treats for dogs from reputable companies only.<\/p>\n

Take-Home Points<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  • There are 3 types of chew treats: animal-derived products that have undergone minimal processing, animal-derived products that have undergone extensive processing, and non\u2013animal-derived products.<\/li>\n
  • Rawhide chews may contain chemicals and other ingredients used in processing.<\/li>\n
  • Benefits of offering treats may include environmental\/behavioral enrichment and improved oral\/dental health.<\/li>\n
  • Risks of offering treats include oral\/dental trauma, airway or gastrointestinal obstruction, additional calories, ingredient intolerance, and pathogen introduction.<\/li>\n
  • Veterinarians should base chew selection on the individual patient (e.g., size, diet, chewing behavior, ingredient intolerance), reputable manufacturer, and Veterinary Oral Health Council approval.<\/li>\n
  • Raw chews may pose infection risk for immunocompromised patients and for humans in the same household.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    <\/div><\/div><\/p>\n

    Veterinarians are frequently asked about chew treats for dogs. Clients want to provide chewing items for numerous reasons, such as to address oral\/dental health, satisfy normal chewing behavior, and provide enrichment and entertainment, which may help alleviate anxiety, stress, or other behavioral issues. Some canine chew treats even have manufacturer claims that they enhance nutrition and health. Veterinary practitioners need to know if those chew treats are safe and if they really provide positive health benefits. This article reviews the potential benefits and risks of offering chew treats to dogs.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Types of Chews<\/h2>\n

    It is difficult to evaluate chews because they are poorly defined in the literature. For this article, the authors suggest the following classification for canine chew treats:<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    • Animal-derived products that have undergone minimal processing\n
        \n
      • Bones (e.g., marrow, long bone, other bones)<\/li>\n
      • Other body parts (e.g., ears, trachea, lung, hooves, antlers, horns, bully sticks, tendons, masseter muscles, skin, hides)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
      • Animal-derived products that have undergone extensive processing\n
          \n
        • Rawhides<\/li>\n
        • Compressed rawhides<\/li>\n
        • Chews made from meat, bone meals, blood meals, etc.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
        • Non\u2013animal-derived products\n
            \n
          • Consumable, plant-based ingredients<\/li>\n
          • Nonconsumables (e.g., plastic, rubber)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            Animal-Derived Products That Have Undergone Minimal Processing<\/h3>\n

            Minimally processed animal-derived canine chews include bones and other body parts from animals of various species. They can be sold loose, \u201cin pieces\u201d with or without any packaging. Raw chews are susceptible to contamination because they are not subjected to processing procedures (e.g., heating, sterilization) to eliminate potential pathogens. They also may lack a \u201cuse by\u201d date and often fail to indicate storage time, which may increase the risk for spoilage or contamination with pathogenic microorganisms (e.g., bacteria, mold).<\/span><\/p>\n

            Animal-Derived Products That Have Undergone Extensive Processing<\/h3>\n

            Extensively processed animal-derived canine chew products are made from animal-origin materials that are not intended for human consumption and are classified as animal by-products, which include meat and bone meals, fish meals, blood meals, blood products, animal fats, and other dog foods. Animal by-products as well as non\u2013animal-derived products can be further processed for use in chew production. Processing usually includes 1 or more treatments, transformations, or processing steps to form the final product.<\/span><\/p>\n

            Among products classified as extensively processed animal-derived chews are rawhides (<\/span>BOX 1<\/b><\/span>). Rawhide chews are made from the chemically processed inner hide layer, most commonly from cows but also other animal species (e.g., pigs, sheep, even water buffalo). The digestibility of rawhide chews is often unknown or suspected to be poor, and rawhide chews are not considered a \u201cfood.\u201d To produce a rawhide chew, the hide may be processed in brine (salt), degreasers, detergents, sodium bicarbonate, hydrogen peroxide, lime, or other chemicals needed to remove hair or fat, kill pathogens, and improve the appearance. Cheaper ingredients or scrap rawhide may be used to add weight to the product. Artificial colors and flavors are often added to make the final product more palatable, and additives (e.g., glues to hold shape) may be used. Ingesting rawhides exposes the dog to these processing chemicals and other ingredients. Processing and storage standards may differ by country of origin (i.e., United States, China, Mexico, or South America). Rawhide products have been recalled due to the use of unapproved compounds (e.g., quaternary ammonium chloride in rawhide chews from other countries).<\/span><\/p>\n

            BOX 1 Resources for Information on Rawhide Chews<\/div>
            \n
              \n
            • Purina<\/strong> \u2014 Rawhide for Dogs bit.ly\/3R7MxqK<\/a><\/li>\n
            • WebMD<\/strong> \u2014 Rawhide: Good or Bad for Your Dog? bit.ly\/3uoB2lL<\/a><\/li>\n
            • U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)<\/strong> \u2014 No Bones About It: Bones Are Unsafe for Your Dog bit.ly\/47NwST7<\/a><\/li>\n
            • Petfood Industry<\/strong> \u2014 Rawhide Recall Expanded to Private Label Dog Chews bit.ly\/49GnzWR<\/a><\/li>\n
            • Petfood Industry<\/strong> \u2014 FDA: Don\u2019t Give Bones to Dogs bit.ly\/47joudX<\/a><\/li>\n
            • Petfood Industry<\/strong> \u2014 FDA Warns That Bone Treats Related to 90 Dogs\u2019 Illnesses bit.ly\/3sJ7COL<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

              Other Extensively Processed Chews Including Non\u2013Animal-Derived Products<\/h3>\n

              Other than rawhides, other extensively processed canine chews may be made from non\u2013animal-derived ingredients (typically plant-based foods) and may be consumable or nonconsumable. These may be marketed as \u201crawhide free,\u201d but selecting a quality product is difficult because these chews are poorly regulated. A recent study used routine morphologic-based histologic staining techniques to compare chew products to labeling claims.1<\/sup> Of the 10 products tested, 2 contained skin layers (consistent with rawhides) and were therefore deemed inconsistent with their labeling. The study also reported that 4 products contained bacterial and fungal organisms.1<\/sup> <\/span><\/p>\n

              Another study that analyzed the nutrient composition of treats, including various rawhides, chewable sticks, and dental care sticks, found variable nutritional content in terms of dry matter, crude protein, ash, hydroxyproline content, simple sugars, and starch.2<\/sup> Study results suggest that treat labeling should include more information about the ingredients used and that the varying nutrient and caloric density of treats should be considered when deciding if appropriate for a particular dog.<\/span><\/p>\n

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              Share this Today’s Veterinary Nurse<\/em> article on treat nutrition with your team members<\/p>\n

              Treat Nutrition: The Why, How, and What of Proper Treating<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n