Treat Tuesday: Dingo Better Belly Rawhide

Dingo's Better Belly rawhides are apparently what I buy when I'm in a hurry and don't take the time to read the package. I had no idea that these were from Dingo Brand until I looked them up online. I have never purchased a Dingo rawhide product before, because the vast majority of their products are made in China. The rest are made in Vietnam or Cambodia. Knowing what I know about rawhide production, I am pretty wildly uncomfortable about feeding beefhide products produced in countries that don't also produce a bunch of beefhide.

These are made in Vietnam, probably from USA-sourced hide that must be preserved and treated because shipping makes them yucky. Like Digest-eeze rawhides, these are treated with something that makes them break down and digest much faster than regular rawhide.

Good For

• Dogs that try to swallow things whole
• Families that aren't worried about dog treats sourced from Asia
• Lasting a bit longer than a bully stick

Not Good For

• Lasting as long as a high-quality rawhide
• Owners concerned about the quality of pet treats produced in Asia
• Dogs with sensitive stomachs.

How Much We Like Them

I am mildly embarrassed to have purchased these. I thought they were a rawhide alternative like SmartBones. Oops.

Treat Tuesday: SmartBones Stuffed Twistz

SmartBones Stuffed Twistz are rawhide alternative chews with a tasty center. These things are advertised as being made from extruded vegetables, like sweet potatoes and peas. Really, they're made from corn starch and rice starch, and the actual vegetables are pretty far down the list of ingredients. That's a bit less innovative that I thought, I used to buy cornstarch bones called "cashmeres" for my cocker spaniel twenty years ago. These are also advertised as having all of the benefits of rawhide with none of the problems.

Good For: Dogs that swallow large chunks of their chews. Dogs with beef allergies. Very small dogs.

Not Good For: Lasting anywhere near as long as a real rawhide. Dogs with allergies to corn, rice, chicken, pork, sweet potatoes, barley, or peas.

How Much We Like Them: Not enough to buy more, these were basically a snack for Godzilla and Zip. Maybe five minutes of chewing. I may try to find a bigger bone at some point, but my local shops only stock large expensive bags of tiny SmartBones.

Treat Tuesday: Digest-eeze Beef Hide

Digest-eeze Beef Hides are specially-treated rawhide chews that are more digestible than regular rawhides. The Dog Geek dogs have been exploring the world of alternative rawhide chews lately, and there are a lot to choose from. I found these at Petco, carefully packaged in a resealable bag touting the wonders of the product.

Apparently, Digest-eeze chews are specially processed to make them easier to digest. Supposedly they dissolve 60% faster than regular rawhide, and are 99% digestible. This is a good thing, because these are incredibly poorly-made rawhide rolls.

A high-quality "retriever roll" rawhide chew should be made of a single sheet of neatly rolled hide. Take a look at the end, and you should see a nice spiral. Low-quality chews are made from random bits and chunks, stuffed in a tube to give the outward appearance of a roll. These are more dangerous for dogs that like to swallow things whole, as it's very easy for them to get a big piece loose.

Good For: Unenthusiastic chewers. Dogs that don't bite chunks off their chews. Dogs that don't try to swallow things whole.

Not Good For: Gulpers, aggressive chewers, most large dogs.

Bottom Line: I took a picture of a half-chewed Digest-eeze roll so you can see how it is stuffed with smaller bits. These are just little chunks of rawhide. They come apart easily and the outside skin of the roll is really the only part that presents a chewing challenge.

These are also a product of Brazil, so look elsewhere for USA-sourced digestible rawhide. My dogs enjoyed these, but I won't be buying them again.

Treat Tuesday: Earth Animal No-Hide

I've been seeing these No-Hide rawhide alternative chews by Earth Animal everywhere. I had avoided purchasing them because they all contain eggs, but I decided to let Sisci try one after seeing some daycare dogs devour them. Brisbane is allergic to eggs, and also happily eats anything edible he can find. Sisci isn't always great about finishing her goodies, so I monitored her carefully to make sure she didn't leave any leftovers for Briz.

Good For: Lasting about as long as a bully stick, but not as long as a rawhide or yak chew. Being delicious and engaging for about 20 minutes. Dogs that may gulp down the entire chew, as it is totally digestible.

Not Good For: Dogs with egg, chicken, or rice allergies. Surfaces you don't want covered in traces of white goop. Lasting as long as a quality rawhide.

How Much We Like Them: At $10, the No-Hide was just not worth the money. Bully sticks are cheaper and don't leave gunk all over my throw pillows.