Rawhide vs Rawhide Free Chews
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Rawhide is the inner layer of an animal's hide, cleaned and pressed into a chew, while rawhide free chews use something else entirely, from dried meat to pressed starch. The difference that matters is the raw material, and the label is where you find it.
How rawhide is made
Rawhide starts with a hide from cattle or another animal, and a label should say which. The outer layer is removed, and what is left is the inner layer: cleaned, cut into sheets or strips, then shaped and dried. Shaping is where the forms come from. A strip rolled tight and dried is a roll. A strip tied at each end is a knot. Sheets pressed flat and cut small become chips.
The labels carry the rest of the story. Some name only the hide. Others list a coating, a flavoring or a glaze, and FDA's pet food labeling guidance, which has ingredients listed in descending order of weight, is the way to read where each one sits. A rawhide chew with a one word list is a different purchase from one with six.
That is also why two rawhide chews on a shelf can behave differently. A roll pressed from thin sheets and a roll built up from thicker layers are the same material at different weights, and weight is the number to compare.
What rawhide free chews are made of instead
Rawhide free is a statement about what is missing, so on its own it tells you nothing about what is there. The ingredient list does the telling. Labels on these chews name pressed starch, dried meat, sweet potato and collagen, alone or in combination. Read the first three ingredients, since they make up most of the chew by weight.
Each material behaves differently. Pressed starch is formed into a shape and softens as it gets wet. Dried meat chews are strips or pressed pieces of meat, dried hard, and the listing names the animal. Sweet potato chews are dried slices that turn leathery and bend. A collagen chew can start from hide or from tendon, so read what the listing says it is made from: rawhide free describes the label's claim, and the ingredient list describes the chew.
The trade off is wear. A hide chew tends to stay firm for a long time, which is why people reach for it. Many alternatives soften as the dog works them, so they go faster.
| Rawhide | Rawhide free | |
|---|---|---|
| Made from | The inner layer of a hide | Pressed starch, dried meat, sweet potato, collagen, or a mix |
| Usual forms | Rolls, knots, chips, sheets | The same shapes |
| How it wears | Tends to stay firm and last | Often softens as the dog works it |
| Where to look on the label | The animal and any coating | The first three ingredients |
Rolls, knots and chips
Form changes how a dog uses the chew more than the material does. A roll is a long cylinder that a dog holds with both paws and works from one end. A knot has bulbous ends that are easy to grip. A chip is small and flat, and it is gone in minutes.
Rawhide free makers use the same shapes, so the picture on the bag may look alike. Check the list, not the shape.
Size is easier to judge on a roll than on a chip. Lay a roll beside the muzzle and check that it is clearly longer than the muzzle is deep. A chip small enough to fit whole inside the mouth is a reward, not a chew.
Reading the processing on the label
Processing is the part a label is least likely to spell out, and it is where the two groups differ most. For a hide chew, look for the animal, the country if it is stated, and any treatment the label names. For a rawhide free chew, look for how it was formed: pressed, baked or air dried. If the listing is silent, ask the maker for the steps.
Both groups fall under one plain line in the raw feeding notice on this site: any chew can become a choking hazard, so choose a size and texture that suits your dog and watch while it chews, as the raw feeding notice says.
On any chew, read these five things before you buy:
- The animal the chew comes from, if it is a hide or a meat chew.
- The first three ingredients.
- Any coating, glaze or flavoring.
- The size, in inches and ounces.
- The maker's directions for feeding and for the last piece.
Matching a chew to a dog
Decide by the dog, not by the category. A dog that works at one edge for an hour suits a hide roll, and a dog that wants a quick finish suits a chip or a softer chew. Whichever you choose, pick one that stays in one piece while the dog works it, and swap it for a fresh one when it has shrunk to a mouthful.
Use the dog's own habits as a guide. Watch how it handles the next treat you hand over: does it carry it off, crunch it at once, or settle in? A dog that settles in suits a roll or a stick. A dog that crunches at once needs something smaller and softer that does not ask for much work.
Air Dried Duck Feet from Sniff and Shift are a rawhide free house chew, air dried in small batches in Malvern, and a foot instead of a roll.
Compare the two groups in the rawhide chews and rawhide free chews collections, and for a dog that gets through chews quickly, the guide to dog chews for aggressive chewers covers sizing up.
Common questions
What does rawhide free mean on a dog chew?
It means the chew is not made from hide. It does not say what the chew is made from, so the ingredient list does that work. Look for dried meat, pressed starch, sweet potato or collagen, as the label states.
Is a rawhide free chew softer than rawhide?
Often it is, because many alternatives soften as a dog works them. A hide chew tends to stay firm longer. The maker's directions and the dog's habits matter more than the category.
How can I tell what a rawhide chew was treated with?
Read the ingredient list for any coating or flavoring, and check the listing for the animal and the processing steps. If the page does not say, ask the maker. A short list is easier to read than a long one.
Do rawhide free chews come in rolls and knots too?
Yes, makers use the same shapes for both groups. The shape tells you how the dog holds it, not what it is made of. The ingredients are what tell the two groups apart.
