Tanned Leather

Question
My dog loves to chew on tanned leather products, shoe laces, deer hides, etc. Is there anything in the tanning process that you know of that might be harmful? Thanks.

Answer
Hi Roy,

Most leather is made by a tanning process that uses some very toxic chemicals. There are dozens of different methods, each one used to produce different colors and texture effects. The two most common methods are Chrome tanning and vegetable tanning. Of those two methods, the vegetable tanning does not use any toxic chemicals, instead of strong toxic tanning chemicals, it involves the use of tannic acid. This chemical is extracted from the barks of trees.

The problem is, you may not have any idea which method was used in the tanning process of the leather goods that your dog has been chewing. For that reason, it's probably best if you don't allow your dog to chew your shoes or other leather items.

Another danger would be the chance of your dog tearing off a piece of leather and swallowing it, leading to choking or intestinal blockage.

Pigs Ears and Rawhide could be an option, but they aren't safe chew toys if you can't be supervising your dog. If your dog is a "gulper" who generally swallows large chunks of food or other items, remove the rawhide or pig ear treat when it becomes small enough to swallow. A dog and a rawhide product should never be left alone together unsupervised. If too large a piece is swallowed, they can easily cause a blockage. Choose a bone that matches your dog's chewing rate and chewing habits. Consider size, shape, hardness, and flavor.
If you decide to give your dog either pigs ears or rawhide toys, buy ones made in the USA in accordance with the highest USDA specifications.

A good alternatives to chewing leather or rawhide would be sterilized natural bones, Roarhide bones by Nylabone (these bones are actually reformed rawhide particles that are safe to consume) Booda bones (made of consumable cornstarch, they come in lots of flavors).

I hope that helps!
Patti