Beatriz posted this in another thread and so I didn't continue to ruin a fun thread I started a new one.This is not meant to offend anyone,but to educate those that want to know.


PLEASE do NOT give your birds rawhide. It's dried up animal skin, completely undigestible (animals in the wild do not eat the skin of the animal they killed for a reason and, in birds, it can cause crop impaction and intestinal occlusion) and there have been reports of arsenic and salmonella contamination because it's an industry that it's completely unregulated so there are not standards, no checks, no controls, no tests, no nothing! They are not even good for dogs much less birds! We put them on the list of dangerous items we give out to people who adopt dogs from us. But don't take my word for it, do research and you'll see.
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beatriz@newyorkbirds.net


She is right and for many years it was said it was okay to give them to your birds as long as they were made in the USA,well that has changed in recent times.Go to any dog board and ask how many feed them to your dogs.I belong to a big dog board and no one feeds them because of the dangers associated with them.I asked my Vet about it for my Saints and he said NO!!!!! I feel if it isn't safe for a 160lb dog it sure can't be safe for a bird.Your house, your rules though.

Thank you for starting a new thread about this Michelle.

In the past before I knew the dangers I had purchased a few toys that had rawhide pieces or little rawhide bones on them. I never gave them much thought and just assumed because they were on a bird toy they were safe for them.

Thank goodness my birds are not chewers, so I never had to worry that they might have digested a piece. I would assume a bird that chews could easily chew them apart.

This is a real eye opener for me.

We would buy them once in a while for our dogs but eventually stopped when they threw up 1/2 of the product on the living room rug. I haven't owned a dog in about 30 years so my ignorance is an old thing.

It still amazes me that they put things in 'toys' - no matter the species - that can be harmful.

I hope this makes everyone think - even if it is a toy the pet loves and has never been a problem for them.

no rawhide here. But I do use vegetable tanned leather. Good or bad?

Vegetable tanned leather is fine,as long as with everything else it isn't injested.One of my Saints steals pieces all the time and the Vet said not to worry about that. Besides the chemicals in the raw hide it's also the consistency once wet that causes problems,it's like big chunks of sticky glue.

Thanks for the info Michelle. I'll definitely consider it when purchasing my next batch of toys. I'm also thankful the rawhide was not chewed and eaten. It's more bendable than anything and my bird likes to hold it and lick it.

I've seen the bird toys with rawhide on them as well. We used to give the dogs rawhide but don't anymore. I've read how much they can expand - someone told me once to let one sit in water and see how much they expand. I haven't tried it myself though. I belong to a dog board and while there is a risk some people do still give them to their dogs. With any toy really (for any animal) we have to be observant and conscientious.

Wow I had no idea! Scarlett has a toy in her cage with rawhide pieces. I'll go take it out. Seriously I see rawhide all the time on bird toys so I assumed it was safe.

Thanks for the warning! I had no idea! I give my dogs bones every day and sometimes I will give my Ruby one! Makes sense though when one thinks about it! No more for us!