# Has anyone heard of rawhide bones causing cancer?



## sapphyre (Dec 10, 2008)

Hi all, my dog died of cancer a while ago. It started as a sore on his inner lip, and turned out to be oral malignant melanoma. I'm a believer that cancer comes from exposure to harmful toxins in the environment, and that your risk of getting cancer from exposure is genetically determined. Anyway, I would give my dog rawhide bones. He loved them to death (ummm..) and they kept his teeth white and breath fresh. So, I always wondered whether his obtained cancer there, in his upper lip, from repeated contact with rawhide bones. These are bleached, but I don't know what else is done to them..what other chemicals or treatments they are given. If I had the awareness then that I have now, I would have done my homework beforehand. 

Has anyone ever heard of such a thing? I never want to make this same mistake again. Thanks.


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## farmmom (Jan 4, 2009)

I haven't heard of them causing cancer, but I have assisted in the surgical removal of a few that got stuck in the stomach and/or upper intestinal tract. They get really glue-like and can stick - even if they are thoroughly chewed.


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## sapphyre (Dec 10, 2008)

Yeah, that's the scary part, when they get chewed down to a nub. Gotta be there in time to snatch it away or your dog will try to swallow it, eeek!


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## Willowynd (Mar 27, 2005)

Think about that glue they make...how it coats the stomach and can prevent absorption of nutrients. They are famous of blockages and digestive upsets. You will never find a raw hide in my home. I would toss the ones given to me at the shows. Cancer causing though? Hmmm possible if they are treated with chemicals.


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## melina (May 10, 2002)

I've known of two dogs who died of melanoma of the mouth. Neither ever had rawhide chewies. However, like Farmmom, I assisted in too many surgeries to remove them from the digestive tract of serious chewers. A piece of rawhide will never enter my house.


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## Xandras_Zoo (Jul 21, 2004)

They can make a study saying anything will cause cancer. I read study that said that microchips cause cancer.

I've heard of them getting stuck in intestinal tracts too, but have never had a problem with one of our dogs.


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## sapphyre (Dec 10, 2008)

I surely hope that rawhide bones wasn't the reason he got cancer. I even wondered if there was something in the dog food. I was feeding Nutro. I guess I am just looking for answers, because my BF wants to get a dog in the next year or so, and I don't want to make the same mistakes.

This is good to know about the rawhide coating the digestive tracts like a gooey glue. Is that really a glue, or is that just the partially digested connective tissues? Not that it makes much difference if it's blocking them up. Are the natural chews any better? Or home-made?


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## GoldenMom (Jan 2, 2005)

sapphyre said:


> I surely hope that rawhide bones wasn't the reason he got cancer. I even wondered if there was something in the dog food. I was feeding Nutro. I guess I am just looking for answers, because my BF wants to get a dog in the next year or so, and I don't want to make the same mistakes.


The sad fact of life is that sometimes bad things happen for no particular reason. If you try to protect your next dog from all things that could possibly cause cancer (I'm not talking about things *known* to cause it), the dog is not going to really be able to be a dog. Spending all your time obsessing about all the things that might happen and keeping the dog away from those things will actually diminish your relationship with the dog in the long run.

I firmly believe it's more about the quality of time you get to spend with a pet, NOT the quantity! You know going to this that you are going to outlive the pet. Yes your dog might impale himself on a branch while retrieving or get kicked while herding. But if you ask a retriever or a herder if they would rather sit on the couch rather than take that risk, 99% of them would rather take that risk! 

Now don't get me wrong, I do feed raw food to my pets. And cancer is one of the reasons I do it. Not because I think kibble or chewies *cause* cancer, but because I know that many cancers grow more slowly when the patient is fed a low carb diet. Do I expect that my dogs will never get cancer because I feed this way. Not on your life. And to be perfectly honest, my preferred reason of death for my guys is hemangiosarcoma. It's pretty much painless and quick. And entirely possible since it is a type of cancer very prevelant in goldens. I just hope to keep it (and other cancers) at bay until my dogs have lived a good long life. 

But I also won't keep them from doing the things they love just to keep them from the danger of dying prematurely. I'm not saying I let my dogs run loose or chase livestock or sleep on the road. But my dogs are retrievers. They get no greater pleasure than hunting and retrieving. Bad things can and do happen during this type of activity. It's not really common, but dogs can and do die occassionally. And watching the pure joy I see, it's worth it.


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## Cygnet (Sep 13, 2004)

GoldenMom, it's nice to hear other people express these sorts of sentiments.

I've gotten criticism from friends & neighbors (including one friend who stopped being a friend) because I let my dogs be dogs. They get to chew bones. They get to run around outside, all day, even when I'm not there to supervise. (Horrors! They might get hurt and I wouldn't be home!) They get to chase goats (horrors! they might get hurt!). I take them to dog parks. 

Have I had dogs get hurt? 

Yep. Came home and my heeler had a stick impaled through a back leg once. I suspect she did it jumping out of the chicken coop run and landing in the bushes. Same dog stuck her nose in the middle of a cat fight in the hard and nearly lost an eye. And a goat broke her shoulderblade. (She dodges faster now!) 

My other dog's been bit by a snake, has been in a few serious fights defending my property from feral dogs (because that's what ranch dogs are for), has licked a toad, has been stung by bees until he couldn't see, and is currently limping around with cactus spines through his foot.

Every dog I've ever owned has been allowed to *be a dog* and sometimes they get hurt.

But ... they're dogs. They LOVE being dogs. It's what they live for. They would not be happy if I kept them in a padded room, or made house pets out of them. 

People go, "Your dogs are so nice and well behaved and happy and sane!" ... and it's because they get to be dogs. They'd be crazy insane nut jobs if I didn't let them be dogs. 




GoldenMom said:


> The sad fact of life is that sometimes bad things happen for no particular reason. If you try to protect your next dog from all things that could possibly cause cancer (I'm not talking about things *known* to cause it), the dog is not going to really be able to be a dog. Spending all your time obsessing about all the things that might happen and keeping the dog away from those things will actually diminish your relationship with the dog in the long run.
> 
> I firmly believe it's more about the quality of time you get to spend with a pet, NOT the quantity! You know going to this that you are going to outlive the pet. Yes your dog might impale himself on a branch while retrieving or get kicked while herding. But if you ask a retriever or a herder if they would rather sit on the couch rather than take that risk, 99% of them would rather take that risk!
> 
> ...


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## sapphyre (Dec 10, 2008)

Thanks for the comments, and I agree with both of you. I've had my Arab horse for 20 years now, and I was the one who was galloping down the trails at break-neck speed while everyone else was walking very gingerly, afraid their precious horses might stumble. 

There's a difference, to me, between letting dogs be dogs outdoors, and giving them something that might cause cancer..or even illness, just because they enjoy it. I still think we're on the same page though, since you won't give rawhide because of stomach problems, despite how much your dog would enjoy it.


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## GoldenMom (Jan 2, 2005)

Yes there is a difference to some extent, but spending one's time worrying that this, that, or the other thing might be bad is universal. Keeping your dog in a "bubble" to protect them from physical harm is really no different than obsessing about everything that goes in their mouth. Of course no one is going to go out of their way to feed their dogs something they know is obviously harmful (like onions, for example), but if my dog eats a little bit of onion when I give her a leftover hamburger I'm not going to worry. 

So to answer your initial question (since I seemed to have neglected doing that!): it is extremely unlikely that the rawhide chews had anything to do with your dog developing cancer. Malignant melanoma is actually pretty uncommon in dogs while feeding rawhides is extremely common. If rawhides caused cancer, we'd be seeing A LOT more cases of melanoma. And really, while rawhides *can* cause blockages, etc. that is also very uncommon vs. the number of rawhides eaten. I personally don't have any issue giving my dogs the occassional rawhide. I only do it when I'm going to be around so I can take it away if needed, but I don't sit and watch the dog constantly. I go about my business and if I happen to notice the chew getting too small, then I take it away.

Often I think that when you add up the time that some people (I'm not saying you, sapphyre) worry and fuss about keeping away from everything that might kill you, if they actually come out ahead. OK, so my dog lives a year less. BUT I haven't wasted half his life worrying. I spent that time enjoying him. In the long run, I think I will have had more quality time spent with my dog than a person who is constantly nitpicking and worrying yet has their dog for a little longer.

This is heading off topic and has absolutely nothing to do with the OP, but here goes anyway. I'm on several dog nutrition/health lists. A lot of people have everything their dog(s) suffer from in their sig lines. Most of these folks have multiple dogs that "suffer" from multiple "illnesses." I'm not saying dogs don't get sick, but I swear a lot of these people almost seem to get off by having the "sickest" dog and then trying to get everyone to help them nitpick apart the diet, the treats, everything. And then there are people who refuse to except that dogs are mortal. I remember one post from a woman who had an ancient Chihuahua who was in kidney and liver failure, maybe couldn't even walk anymore and she wanted to know food to feed and what to do to save the dog. Seriously!


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## sapphyre (Dec 10, 2008)

woops, double post.


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## sapphyre (Dec 10, 2008)

I hear what you're saying! I does seem that on those lists, people with dogs with the most problems have "bragging rights". Weird, huh? I think it must be a human thing, probably a sign of imbalance, lol. Sounds like the same thing when people complain about their aches and pains, trying to one-up each other. They're giving these problems farrrrr too much energy, almost as if they want them. And who knows, maybe the Law of Attraction really works. 

This will sound weird to some people. My dog was diagnosed in January a few years ago, and was given 3 months to live, if I'm lucky. For months, I was in complete denial. I believed that he would beat it, because he had no outward signs (x-rays and aspirates kept coming back negative), and he was just as happy and sprite as ever. This continued on until that November, when it suddenly hit me with a panic that he's got cancer and he's gonna die if i don't do something! It consumed me and I did everything I could for him with cancer treatments etc. That's exactly when he took a turn, and he died within a month. I blamed myself for waiting so long before doing anything, and hated my denial that cost so much time and maybe his life. But now a few years later, I wonder if my positive outlook is actually what kept him with me, happy and full of life for all those months after his diagnosis, really beating all odds. If I had given the cancer that kind of negative, fearful energy right from the start, he might have died far sooner. How metaphysical is that! Talk about off-topic!


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## Cygnet (Sep 13, 2004)

Goldenmom, I know the mentality you're referring to.

I actually ran into it with a VET once -- the, "never give up, we can beat this too, and to heck with quality of life!" mentality.

Had a 17 year old aussie -- who'd been sane and sound until 16, then developed doggy alzheimers. She also had Cushings and was blind and deaf, though physically (once we treated the Cushings-related muscle weakness) was in very good physical shape. She probably could have gone on for years more.

But her mind was gone. She didn't recognize anyone. You let her out in the yard and she'd wander aimlessly around. She no longer chased rabbits and lizards, and she had lost interest in teasing the cats. She never slept. She was so far gone she only ate if you led her to the food and kept redirecting her back to it. She'd get stuck -- repeatedly -- behind furniture, or get behind a door and not be able to figure out how to get out. 

I had to CARRY her into the vet's office rather than lead her, as she didn't know how to walk on a leash anymore -- this was a dog who knew dozens of tricks when she was younger. 

She was pretty much gone. Lights were on, nobody home. The only reason I hadn't put her down was that she didn't actually seem to be suffering, and she was still continent. I might have to carry her out to go potty, but at least she'd hold it until I got home and lift her leg on the appropriate tree when I put her down. 

And then she got -- ack, I'm blanking on the term. Inner ear problem. Made her dizzy to the point where she couldn't walk. Eyes jerking back and forth.

And at that point, she simply gave up. You couldn't even get her to TRY to stand up. She wouldn't eat. She was miserable. She didn't even wag her tail when people she knew came to see her. I'm not sure she was even aware it was people she knew. 

And the vet was, "We can fix this! Old dogs get better from this! It's temporary! She'll learn to compensate! You'll just have to do physical therapy with her and TEACH her to walk again." And the vet was recommending supplements and vitamins and exercises and physical therapy out the wazoo, and suggesting I take some time off work to work with her, and ...

I had a blind and deaf 17 year old dog with dementia so severe she couldn't find her own food bowl. And I was supposed to do physical therapy with her, and teach her to walk again? 

Ya, right.

Had to get a different vet to put her down. It was very much the right time for her, but ack. Arguing with the vet was more traumatic than putting the dog down. I'd been expecting to put that dog down for a long time, and she just kept going and going, so it wasn't as if it was unexpected. 

(As an aside to what is already a fairly off topic comment, if you really, really want to confuse an already confused dog? Take one demented elderly aussie who's never, ever, seen snow before and try to get her to potty when there's powder snow up to her shoulders. Took her on vacation with me to see family and it snowed, and I think she held it for three days. By the time we got below the snow line on Sunday and I took her out and showed her a tree, I think her eyes were turning yellow. Wrong surface, no pee, end of story.)


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## Willowynd (Mar 27, 2005)

Yes, I agree....sometimes we just have to face that the dogs quality of life is gone and do the kindest thing. For instance, I am still on the deaf/blind dog list and I am amazed at the number of posts there are for old blind and deaf dogs with other serious health issues asking for someone to foster or adopt it. I am all for supporting a blind/deaf dog that is having a quality life, but when you start adding in issues that clearly make the dogs life a living hell...it is not time to foster or adopt, it is time to hold the poor dog while it goes to a better place. I still have doubts about dogs that are both deaf and blind, though have seen many people on that list give these dogs a comfortable life. So it is possible, but I still doubt the quality of life the dog is having.


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