New Study finds some Rawhide-free treats are actually Rawhide – Truth about Pet Food
A new study published June 12, 2020 found two of ten dog chews were not ‘rawhide free’.
Published in the Journal of Histotechnology, titled “Microscopic examination of dog chews: correlation of histological findings to product labeling” – this new study of dog chews is concerning for pet owners wishing to avoid rawhide treats.
The study is not published for public view, thus we cannot share it with pet owners. The abstract can be read here (same page has information to purchase).
The study was done blind, researches only had access to products classified by letters (Product A, Product B,…). Three rawhide dog chews were examined and compared to seven dog chews labeled as “rawhide free“. The paper was published without disclosing the brand names of the treats, however it did disclose the first five ingredients of all products. Of the treats that were labeled rawhide free, we found through Google search all but one of the assumed product names.
“Based on histologic findings, Products A, B, C, D, F, H, I, and J were compatible with the labeled ingredients. Products E and G were labeled as rawhide-free products, but given the similar histologic appearance to dermis and to other products labeled as rawhide, these products appear to be mislabeled.”
Products A, C, and F were rawhide products.
Product B – believed to be NutriChomps Chicken Dog Treat.
“Product B Rawhide free” – ingredients: “Chicken, corn, pig skin, rice, glycerin“. The only product found with identical first five ingredients was NutriChomps Chicken dog treats.
The study found this product was properly labeled, determined it was a rawhide free dog treat.
Product D – believed to be Cheezie Chews Rawhide Free Dog Treat.
“Product D Rawhide free” – Ingredients: “Cheese (skim milk, lime, enzymes), chicken meal, rice flour, potato starch, gylcerin“. The only product found with identical first five ingredients was Cheezie Chews Rawhide Free Dog Treats. The Cheezie Chews website was not accessible, confirmation of ingredients was found through an independent retailer of the treats.
The study found this product was properly labeled, determined it was a rawhide free dog treat. However the study found bacteria and fungi present in the treat.
Product E – believed to be No Hide Chicken Dog Treat.
“Product E Rawhide free” – Ingredients: “Chicken, Chicken gelatin, brown rice flour, organic eggs“. The only product found with identical first five ingredients was Earth Animal Chicken No Hide. Multiple pet store websites provided confirmation of ingredient match, however the Earth Animal website provided slightly different ingredient listing. A search on the WayBack Machine provided final confirmation with an identical match of ingredients from a 2019 Earth Animal webpage.
The study stated “The identified components of the filler of Product E, including the starch granule size, were compatible with the labeled ingredients. However, the rolled segment of Product E, advertised as rawhide free, histologically appeared similar to the dermis and to the other labeled rawhide products in Group 3.” In other words under examination the study found this dog treat examined to be similar to rawhide.
The study also found bacteria in this dog chew.
The paper also provided microscopic images of examination of Product E (assumed to be No Hide per ingredients) compared to a rawhide product, and stated “Note the similarity of the arrangement of the eosinophilic bundles” of Product E with Product A, a rawhide product. In other words, under microscopic examination Product E assumed to be No Hide dog chew appeared similar to researchers as a rawhide dog chew.
The study did not find this product was properly labeled as “rawhide free“.
Product G – unknown.
“Product G Beef chew/Rawhide free” – Ingredients: “Beef“. We could not determine the brand name of this product through Internet search.
The study stated “The Product G label indicated that beef was the only ingredient. The ingredient ‘beef’ is defined as striated muscle with attached skin and connective tissue. Striated muscle was not identified in the H&E sections examined, nor were any other tissue types found.” In other words, this dog chew product did not contain beef as it was labeled, or any other animal tissue.
The study did not find this product was properly labeled as “rawhide free“.
Product H – believed to be Walmart Ol’ Roy Bright Bones.
“Product H Rawhide free” – Ingredients: “Chicken, pork gelatin, rice starch, sugar cane fiber, glycerin“. The only product found with identical first five ingredients was Walmart Ol’ Roy Bright Bones.
The study found this product was properly labeled, determined it was a rawhide free dog treat.
Product I – believed to be Pet Cravings Smart Sticks.
“Product I Rawhide free” – Ingredients: “Corn, chicken, glycerin, sorbitol, fructose“. The only product found with identical first five ingredients was Pet Cravings Smart Sticks.
The study found this product was properly labeled, determined it was a rawhide free dog treat. However the study found bacteria present in the treat.
Product J – believed to be Luv Chew.
And “Product J Rawhide free” – ingredients: “Chicken, Tapioca, potato, gelatin, carrot“. The only product found with identical first five ingredients was Luv Chew.
The study found this product was properly labeled, determined it was a rawhide free dog treat. However the study found bacteria present in the treat.
When will regulatory authorities – FDA and State Department of Agriculture – finally step up and properly investigate treats that could be grossly misleading pet owners? Treat manufacturers that are misleading consumers with claims of rawhide free should be held accountable for their label/marketing claims.
If you have been misled by one of the above treats, please contact FDA and your State Department of Agriculture asking them to read this study and properly investigate the manufacturers. You can email FDA at: AskCVM@fda.hhs.gov. You can locate your State Department of Agriculture representatives here: https://www.aafco.org/Regulatory.
Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
TruthaboutPetFood.com
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