Porkhide vs. Rawhide
In the last year or so we’ve seen quite the surge in sales on porkhide/porkskin products. We still find that a number of folks don’t quite know the difference between rawhide and porkhide. Let’s break it down a little.
Rawhide
The traditional dog chew. If there was ever a staple item in the pet industry it’s this one. It’s been around for ages, comes in all flavors, shapes and sizes and fits the bill for a number of aggressive chewers.
The hide itself comes from either cow or buffalo. It’s a tough product that will typically last a decent amount of time with even the most avid of chewers. The biggest downside that rawhide poses is that it isn’t the most digestible product out there. In fact, many vets now discourage giving dogs rawhide as some dogs tend to tear off larger chunks that can prove to be choking hazards. Rawhide can also swell to some degree once it has been ingested. We always recommend supervising whatever your dog happens to be chewing on, regardless of how harmless it may seem. But with all of that being said, we still think rawhide is a great natural option for a number of dogs as long as you’re aware of what your pooch is doing with it. The whole bone doesn’t need to be ingested in one sitting. Portion it out, give them a few minutes here and there and it will make the product last longer and keep your dog occupied and looking forward to those times.
Porkhide
The newcomer to the game. Porkhide can be good for dogs with beef allergies and digestive issues as it is fairly mild. It can be richer for some dogs than rawhide is, so take that into consideration and moderate as needed. Porkhide is more digestible than rawhide and typically breaks down upon ingestion much faster. That being said, it’s still good to keep an eye on your dog while they are chewing as those larger chunks can still pose a problem in some circumstances.
Fortunately there are now a number of options available in the market that weren’t there a year ago. Pressed, rolled, wrapped with various other meats, flattened and flavored are just a few of the available variations these days.
So with all of that, porkhide and rawhide can both be great options for keeping your canine happy, healthy and occupied but porkhide certainly seems to be edging for the lead in the ever-changing pet industry. Stop in today and see the latest and greatest in both of these options!
