Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Pet Food News

Is No-Hide Dog Treat Actually Hide?

A dog has died. The treat stuck in the dog’s throat – which killed her – is sold to consumers as a “healthier alternative to Rawhide”. However…a PhD leather expert told us No-Hide dog treat “is absolutely rawhide split material.”

A dog has died. The treat stuck in the dog’s throat – which killed her – is sold to consumers as a “healthier alternative to Rawhide”. However…a PhD leather expert told us No-Hide dog treat “is absolutely rawhide split material.”

Found all over the Earth Animal website – manufacturer of No-Hide dog treat – are statements claiming the dog treat is made without hide…claims stating the treat is NOT rawhide.

Does the “No-Hide” dog treats REALLY “contain NO animal hides”?

Expert Opinion

Provided to TruthaboutPetFood.com was an analysis report from “Waldo Kallenberger, Ph.D. Leather Chemist”. Full report linked below. Excerpts from the report…

The two dog bones were received by Priority Mail Delivery on Saturday, July 8th, 2017. The samples arrived in a regular plastic (bubble type) envelope with the samples still sealed (un-opened) in commercial package (plastic bag). Each roll was right at 6 inches long and just over 1 inch in diameter. When soaked in water overnight, the material softened and could be unrolled. The resulting white sheet was 6 inches wide, 10 inches long and just over ¼ inch thick. The sheet was strong (could not be torn or broken by hand), intact (one continuous sheet), and very similar in feel, color, and shape to numerous other dog “bone” chews made from dried hide pieces that were soaked and treated at the same time.

Visual examination of the white sheet of wet material revealed that it was fibrous with natural structural features of hide material. Cross-sections of the thickness of the material confirmed under the microscope that the material had blood vessels, flesh residual and a lack of grain layer tissue (typical hide split material commonly used in dog “bone” chews). These structures were intact and natural, definitely not composite products made from paste or ground collagen.

Given the size, thickness and physical structure of the “bone” material in this “No-Hide” product, the material is absolutely rawhide split material. Such a material of this size with this size fibers and this thickness could only come from a large animal skin.

To read the full report – Click Here.

Dr. Kallenberger explains in his analysis that “cross sections” of the dog treat were “confirmed under the microscope that the material had blood vessels, flesh residual and a lack of grain layer tissue (typical hide split material commonly used in dog “bone” chews). However, the glassy appearance of the raw material (typical) made identification of the structures slightly difficult. Therefore samples were delimed, pickled and tanned with chrome to add color and definition to the physical structures.” (“Tanned with chrome” is a process used to make leather.)

Those images – with Dr. Kallenberger’s notes written on them are as follows…

With “mild chrome” to add color and definition to the physical structures…

And with “more chrome” to add color and definition to the physical structures…

DNA Analysis

Also provided to TruthaboutPetFood.com is DNA analysis performed on No-Hide Salmon Chews. The company website lists ingredients as follows: “Salmon, Vegetable Gelatin, Brown Rice Flour, Organic Eggs, Olive Oil, Banana, Bromelain (Pineapple).*Gelatin is naturally sourced and aids with digestion.”

Ingredients do NOT include a beef ingredient – yet…DNA analysis found the majority of the product analyzed as “Bos taurus” – beef.

Analysis was as follows:

Sample #: No Hide Salmon Chew
Description: Dried Dog Chew Product
Method: DNA Species Identification SAP 17236
Instrument: Ion torrent Personal Genome Machine Next Generation DNA Sequencer

Results: The sample was analyzed using a universal animal DNA test, which identified it as Bos taurus. DNA from other animal species was also detected in relatively low abundance.

(Original post included the full lab results. At the request of the lab the original document has been removed. Above are exact excerpts of the results.)

And we received a different lab DNA analysis of No-Hide Salmon Chews and No-Hide Chicken Chews. The company website lists ingredients for the No-Hide Chicken Chews as follows: “Chicken Chews: Chicken, Chicken Gelatin, Brown Rice Flour, Organic Eggs, Olive Oil, Banana, Bromelain (Pineapple).”

Again, ingredients do NOT include a beef ingredient – yet…DNA analysis confirmed both treats contained beef. Click Here to view the DNA analysis.

Two different labs confirmed beef in two varieties of No-Hide Chews that did not include beef in the ingredient listing; DNA analysis appears to confirm Dr. Kallenberger’s analysis that the treats are “rawhide split material” “from a large animal skin” – cow skin…cow hide…beef raw hide.

This is Dumplin…

Dumplin’s family read the claims on the dog treat…“healthy alternative to rawhide”, “natural alternative to rawhide”, “no hide”, “no leather”, “100% human grade ingredients”… They trusted those claims. But…

WRDW television provided an interview with Dumplin’s owner. In the image below – the treat on the right – is what was pulled from Dumplin’s airway…

Dumplin died. Needless to say, the family is devastated.

The treat removed from Dumplin’s airway is being analyzed now. When known, those results will be shared.

I spoke with Mr. Chris Moore of Earth Animal today (7/27/17). I have emailed with Dr. Bob Goldstein of Earth Animal today as well. Dr. Goldstein provided the USDA establishment number where the treats are manufactured; I called the facility and confirmed the treats are indeed made at this facility. With my conversation with Chris Moore, he seemed sincere in his belief that the treats were not rawhide. I informed him that a great deal of scientific evidence does show that the treats appear to be rawhide. He assured me Earth Animal would fully investigate.

Dumplin’s family and all consumers deserve a full investigation and some answers.

All of the above information was provided to/reported to FDA and to multiple State Department of Agriculture offices. If the analysis and DNA analysis provided is confirmed of these dog treats by authorities, the treats would be considered mislabeled and will likely be recalled. We’ll have to wait for authorities to confirm and take action.

So what do you think? Is this treat Hide or ‘No-Hide’?

Addition added 7/31/2017:

The pet owner did not leave this dog alone with the bone. The dog had been chewing on the bone for about 60 minutes in the same room as the pet owner, in full sight of the pet owner. At this time the pet owner joined a work conference call – dog was still in the room with her. Within moments of joining the conference call she noticed the dog got up and walked outside and sat in the grass. Was there only for a few minutes, and then returned to the room the owner was in. Due to windows all across the room – the dog was in constant sight of the pet owner. She laid down on the floor – the owner noticed the treat was gone. The dog then went to the couch and laid down – there for just a few minutes, then returned to the floor. When the dog left the couch the owner ended her conference call – getting off the couch was the behavior that alerted the pet owner that something wasn’t right. She opened the dog’s mouth and it was full of foam. They immediately took the dog to the emergency veterinarian which is 1 1/2 miles away. The dog jumped into the car, happy to go for a ride. The dog walked into the vet’s office and walked back to the exam room. She was sedated and the chew was removed from her throat. Her heart stopped just after this procedure – CPR was performed and was successful. Vet records state “Two view CXR performed which revealed aspiration in the cranioventral lung field.” She continued to go downhill and died that evening.

As some are judging this pet owner without knowing the accurate details – the above was necessary to add.

Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,

Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
Association for Truth in Pet Food

What’s in Your Pet’s Food?
Is your dog or cat eating risk ingredients?  Chinese imports? Petsumer Report tells the ‘rest of the story’ on over 4,000 cat foods, dog foods, and pet treats. 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee. Click Here to preview Petsumer Report. www.PetsumerReport.com

list-seal-xsmall

The 2017 List
Susan’s List of trusted pet foods.  Click Here

 

Have you read Buyer Beware?  Click Here

Cooking pet food made easy, Dinner PAWsible

Find Healthy Pet Foods in Your Area Click Here

121 Comments

121 Comments

  1. Debra

    July 27, 2017 at 3:53 pm

    Hide – and I do not give my pup anything like that!!!

    • Debi

      July 27, 2017 at 4:06 pm

      Some, most, of these stories are so sad, disappointing and horrific that I do not want to have any more dogs after the 3 that I have now, it seems that instead of getting better for our pets, things are actually going from bad to worse, where is the integrity? is there truly no honesty within these companies anymore? I do not think so.

  2. Ian

    July 27, 2017 at 4:11 pm

    WTF is wrong with these companies?? More marketing smoke and mirrors and as a result someone’s pet (who looks just like my dog) is dead. Make the punishment fit the crime… these guys should have to eat one of their own products. Maybe that should be part of your new Pledge?? That the owner of the company videotapes themselves eating their own product and uploads it to Youtube??

    • Batzion

      July 28, 2017 at 12:47 am

      You would end up with something like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovKw6YjqSfM

    • Brit

      August 3, 2017 at 3:23 am

      The dog was given an inappeotsrlwh sized chew for it’s weight, that’s why it choked. This incident has nothing to do with the ingredients. It doesn’t excuse the lies, if in fact that’s what they are, but pet owners need to be more aware size appropriate chews. A 4 inch chew is not okay for a 100+ pound dog!

      • Jenn Holden

        December 12, 2017 at 10:10 am

        No only that but they need to take them away when they get too small. It’s an appropriate size ONLY when it hasn’t been chewed down. Dah.
        You seem to have a more reasonable reaction to this story than most. I understand how emotional it is when pets get sick or die. I also understand there’s too much marketing & gimmicks in this industry.
        Being so competitive & lucrative there’s a lot of companies trying to take down their competition or buy them out.
        This particular study doesn’t quite convince me that the product is being misleading.

        • Susan Thixton

          December 12, 2017 at 10:25 am

          Jean – perhaps you are not familiar with the facts of how this dog died. The treat was full size when it logged in the dog’s throat and it had increased in size by two inches. Documented by the ER veterinarian.

          • RGC

            December 13, 2017 at 5:46 pm

            Ms. Thixton, it was too small for the dog when given to it. I wouldn’t give my 70# dog that 4″ chew and this dog was almost twice as big. Whether the chew is what it is purported to be is not the issue. The woman should not have given that size dog a 4″ chew. I’ll see if you let this post.

          • Susan Thixton

            December 13, 2017 at 5:51 pm

            Just because you wouldn’t give a 70# dog a 4″ chew doesn’t mean another pet owner would not. The product – at the time she purchased – did not have feeding directions (suggested size treat for dog size) on the label. I think putting blame on the pet owner is unfair. Plus, if the product was gelatin as ingredients indicated, the treat should have dissolved when chewed. Every single form of gelatin dissolves in warm water. Even ballistic gelatin. But instead the treat swelled by 50%.

      • Dawn

        March 6, 2018 at 9:47 am

        I 100% agree, that treat was way too small. We use the 4 inch for our 30 pound dog and it is perfect and safe.

  3. Donna

    July 27, 2017 at 4:30 pm

    Thank you Susan for bringing this in the open. I have maltese and had recently found these, thinking they would be great as I don’t give rawhide. I began to wonder how safe they were when one, pooped out a long splinter like it was rawhide! I took them away and now I will not use any Earth Animal products! I also purchased the Earth Animal Flea & Tick Program Daily Internal Powder to add to their food. I am not about to even open, much less put on my dog’s food. They are now on my banned list too!

  4. Dianne & Pets

    July 27, 2017 at 4:32 pm

    Did Mr. Moore seem shocked and sincere about not knowing? Did he ever actually see the plant where his stuff is made? Is rawhide allowed to be processed in a human grade facility? Did he look at any certifications? Check out the supplier?

    • Susan Thixton

      July 27, 2017 at 4:36 pm

      I cannot say he seemed shocked, but he did seem sincere in his belief the treats are not rawhide. The plant where they are made – confirmed to me (verbally) the treats are not rawhide, but immediately after I asked I was told any more questions would have to be asked to Earth Animal. No – hide would not be considered ‘human grade’.

    • DoggieMama

      April 12, 2021 at 4:39 am

      No. Rawhide is not allowed to be processed in a fit for human use food plant. This whole story is very flawed. The dog would have choke on a raw meaty bone too because it obviously gulps it down whole. This is why pet owners need to watch their dog the entire time that they are chewing on a bone or any chew. If they can’t watch them, they should take the bone away and give it back when they can watch them again. Of course, I feel for the pet owner, no one is perfect, people make mistakes. Also, a dog can quickly gulp down a bone/chew even in front of the owner.
      But this claim of it being raw hide is just not correct.

  5. Graham B McBride

    July 27, 2017 at 4:46 pm

    I’m so glad this information is finally being released. I’m the buyer for a pet shop and in January my collegues and myself became suspicious of the no-hide claim. I had contacted the company and was able to actually speak to the Vice President of Operations at Earth Animal. What a frustrating conversation that was! He refused to tell me several times what the “base material” (his words) was.
    I did some research on Dr. Timothy J. Bowser from PetSci LLC who Earth Animal cites as the scientist that completed the digestibility study they reference throughout their materials. I found the patent application (US 2011/0142993 A1) that Dr. Bowser has for mechanically treated skin that has been saturated with enzymes including polyphenoxidase (banana enzyme) and bromelain (pineapple enzyme.) Since these treats are produced in a FDA approved facility, the only skins available for them to use are pigskin or chicken skin.
    After discovering additional research by S. Hooda et al. on in vitro digestibility of expanded pork skin; I’ve come to the conclusion that Earth Animal No Hide chews are made from trimmed, expanded pork skin which has been saturated with enzymes to increase digestibility. They are then flavored with a slurry of chicken, beef or salmon, eggs and gelatin and finally rolled and dehydrated. After thoroughly vetting the research I do believe they are more digestible than rawhide, however I feel the products are deceiving in that they do not list the ingredient of their “base material.”

    I am disgusted to learn that this product has killed at least one dog. We stopped selling their products after my research and informed our customers of the deception. I wish that this information had gotten out sooner.

    • Concerned PetParent

      July 27, 2017 at 10:00 pm

      Pig Skin has holes going completely thru the from the epidermis thru the entire corium, much like Human Skin. Dr. Kallenberger would have instantly recognized if this were pig skin without the need for even a second look. Thus, I have to disagree with your conclusion whole-heartedly.

      Someone should ask the beef jerky company producing these at what temperature and duration are they “baking” the chews. The De-naturization/gelatinzation that starts when collagen is heated could possibly explain the better “digestibility” compared to un heated rawhides. Both are still Rawhide, however…

      And then there’s that darn DNA…. It clearly shows the majority of the chew is Beef/Cow… No Porcine detected…

    • Diane

      November 25, 2017 at 10:50 am

      So glad you are a pet store owner, Graham. IT is nice to know how much care you put into picking out your products. I’d buy from you anytime. Thank you for providing this information. I think we will refrain from purchasing the Earth Animal products in the future.

  6. Paula

    July 27, 2017 at 5:00 pm

    RIP sweet Dumplin, this is so sad. I actually just bought another package of these today; I’ve been giving them to my girl for several months! She loves them, and I’ve been thinking that they were a healthy chew. I absolutely do watch her when I give her one, and when the bone gets down to a size that looks like it could be choked on, I take it away. Susan, thank you for providing this information, and for all the work you do to help keep our pets safe!

  7. Paula

    July 27, 2017 at 5:18 pm

    Based on the stated ingredients, why would this be a long-lasting chew? Clearly it would not. Why would it need bromelain? To break down what? Looked suspicious and not healthy to me. Even their own website says it is only 56% digestible. Also it clearly is not made in a plant owned by the company. That means it is critical to research the co-packer. Thanks for posting this.

    • Paula

      July 27, 2017 at 5:19 pm

      I am a different person from the other Paula. I have never fed this crap to my dogs. 🙂

      • alberta holloway

        November 23, 2017 at 9:42 am

        I can appreciate your reply BUT can you tell me what you do give your pups for “chewing”…..our dachshund as many dogs, wants to chew…

  8. foodguy

    July 27, 2017 at 5:23 pm

    Nothing new. When brought into a store I worked at, I was extremely skeptical and contacted the company multiple times. The material was said to be compressed rice flour but considering the strength of the material I knee it was not.

    The store in question sold thousands of pieces over months to pet parents desparate to believe it was a long lasting hide free treat, and despite the questions I had and made known, made no effort to find out the truth.

  9. Erica

    July 27, 2017 at 7:14 pm

    Thank you Susan for posting this!! I was recommended these from a friend who is very weary about what they feed their pets and at first glance thought it looked like to be a good product. a few weeks ago I did the same water test and seen how the hide swelled up and was extremely hard to tear. I was suspicious then that they had hide of some sort in them and tossed both. These are being recommended by several people right now at the rescue I work at whom prohibits raw hides . I will be putting out the link for this article . Thank you!!

  10. Regina

    July 27, 2017 at 7:30 pm

    Seeing that dog’s face was a punch in the gut! This is heartbreaking. But, I’m glad that it made it onto the news. I would keep after the station with all follow-up information. Sometimes stations share content, affiliates get pre-recorded bits all the time, so it is possible this might make it to other stations, and then, maybe picked up by national news, if more people are aware, hopefully this company will be forced to face the truth.

    I know, that’s a big dream, but, Susan, if every pet parent who loses a pet to some terrible product gets news coverage, the word might spread more.

  11. Regina

    July 27, 2017 at 7:46 pm

    This whole issue of “safer than rawhide” is just a marketing scheme. Yes, there are products that are definitely not rawhide, but, for instance, there’s a brand that sells a “holistic” treat that has artificial sweetener AND coloring.

    So many people just read the front of the package, and take it at face value. It amazes me that people don’t look at what they are feeding their pets.

    The fact that these “No Hide” chews claim to be made in a “human food” processing plant, I’d love to know what human food is produced there. Just curious.

    • Susan Thixton

      July 27, 2017 at 7:47 pm

      The plant makes human jerky and other dried meat products.

      • Regina

        July 27, 2017 at 7:50 pm

        Can we find out what brands of human jerky and other dried meat products they produce? I would love to spread the word to avoid anything coming out of there!

        • Susan Thixton

          July 27, 2017 at 7:55 pm

          Pony Express Foods is the company that confirmed they manufacture the treat to me.

  12. Vicky

    July 27, 2017 at 9:27 pm

    Thank you for this information, I had been giving these to my dogs on an occasional basis thinking it was a safe and healthy choice. Obviously an expensive (in more than one way) mistake. The remainder will go into the trash. Really appreciate the heads up to all parties exposing this deceptive product/company.

  13. cupcakesandkale

    July 27, 2017 at 11:31 pm

    This is baffling as they always have advocated for products for pets that are truly human grade, made in a human food facility, and they warn customers to investigate the companies they buy from whether they are using USDA inspected and approved, to avoid factory farmed meats, and seek humanely raised meats, wild and not farmed salmon, etc. I hope this is resolved quickly either way. Trajic about that dog, though he did swallow it whole, which is always such a danger. Hope it leads to some good if we can in fact uncover the truth about a product that we trusted.

  14. Kenneth Yarborough

    July 27, 2017 at 11:47 pm

    This article is completely saturated with red herring appeal. Regardless of whether or not the company is producing the product that they promise to their customers, the content of the chew has nothing to do with the original problem raised in the article. The pet owner was clearly not watching their dog while it consumed a potentially dangerous treat; plain and simple. I can understand that accidents happen, but there is no reason to bring up the content of the chews in this article. Even if the chew was made of the ingredients promised by the company, the dog would likely have still choked because the texture of the treat is obviously made to simulate hide. Obviously, I don’t believe that companies should lie to their consumers about the content of their products, but i also don’t believe in needless mud-slinging due to the negligence of one pet owner. At its core, this article is distracting at best from the real problem at hand; proper pet ownership.

    • Susan Thixton

      July 28, 2017 at 8:28 am

      The article is about mislabeling of a product, misleading consumers. In my conversation with Earth Animal – Chris Moore – he too brought up the chew was small for the size of dog. He stated ‘we recommend’ a large size bone for a dog this size. But guess what? That recommendation is not on the product label. There is no feeding directions, no size appropriate recommendations on the label. My statement to Mr. Moore was that almost makes this situation worse – if the company knew there was a size appropriate feeding of the treat and did not disclose that to the consumer on the label. I was told they are working on changing that on labels.

      Do not blame the consumer.

      • Gina

        July 28, 2017 at 10:13 am

        But you did not put in the article about asking about the different size chews or even the fact that feeding recommendations were not included on the package. Right now there is not enough information to blame anyone, just a lot more research to do.
        Thank you again for all you do.

        • Susan Thixton

          July 28, 2017 at 10:30 am

          I did discuss the lack of feeding directions with the company – and they agreed to me that should be on the label, stated they are working on correcting that (Chris Moore). Again, I’m not blaming anyone – I am presenting information/evidence. Regulatory authorities will investigate and we’ll see how that falls.

          • Philip

            July 30, 2017 at 3:28 pm

            You are trying to link a dog choking on a dog chew to a product not being rawhide. How are they related? You are using this dog’s death to bring about an emotional response from consumers. It seems like a cheap method of promoting what could be a reasonable argument for transparency.

          • Susan Thixton

            July 30, 2017 at 3:56 pm

            Because the pet owner would not have purchased rawhide. How are they NOT related? Have you spoken with the pet owner? I have – numerous times. Including just a few moments ago (Sunday 7/30/17). She would not have purchased rawhide – she thought she wasn’t purchasing rawhide with this product. Time will tell if she did.

          • mary

            July 30, 2017 at 4:28 pm

            I really like your work and the things that you have exposed. But, regardless — this is a hard chew — it would not dissolve in the dog’s throat even if it were not rawhide. Nothing dissolves like that — I think everything these days needs less emotion and a little more responsibility. You don’t give a dog a chew and leave. You don’t give a dog a chew that they could swallow hole….

          • Susan Thixton

            July 30, 2017 at 4:30 pm

            The pet owner did not leave the dog. She was right there with the dog and took it immediately to the vet.

      • DeAnna Haase

        July 28, 2017 at 11:57 am

        I will have a huge issue if the product actually does contain hide…however I believe that we as consumers do have to use our common sense when using products. Why is it ok to expect the company to accept blame and not the consumer who purchased it in this situation? Coffee is hot…I do not need a warning label to tell me that.

        • Susan Thixton

          July 28, 2017 at 12:07 pm

          I have not asked for anyone to accept blame – only presented information to alert consumers and ask for authorities to investigate.

        • Gerald Bair

          July 31, 2017 at 4:40 pm

          According to information directly from Earth Animal, the dog did NOT die directly from choking on the bone. In fact the dog walked into the vet’s office under it’s own power and did not die until over 10 hours later. And the owner admits to not attending to the dog for almost 90 minutes. I wish you would post the whole story.

          • Ian

            July 31, 2017 at 4:59 pm

            In these situations, historically it’s not usually helpful to rely on information provided directly from the manufacturer. That’s why Susan turns to outside experts. And once again, the issue at hand is not what the pet owner did or didn’t do to contribute to the death of her beloved pet. The issue is, is the product what Earth Animal markets it as? And are their other claims of manufacturing (made under USDA inspection for example) accurate? Earth Animal surrogates, please stop trying to make this about the pet owner. It is about Earth Animal.

        • Dianne & Pets

          December 18, 2018 at 10:18 pm

          Addressing your reference: If you go through a drive through and order a coffee, would you expect a hot coffee with a properly applied lid and then conclude that it was your fault if you were handed a cup of scalding hot coffee with the lid improperly applied? There was a lot more to this case than the talking points that the company used to ridicule the victim, hoping that any juror would see it the same way. There is a documentary about this case that you might be able to find. This is relevant because the same victim blaming happens over and over again. Ie, the person who lost her dogs to pentobarbital contaminated pet food. She exposed a serious problem in spite of all the garbage thrown her way. Examples abound.

      • mary

        July 28, 2017 at 6:35 pm

        I have very mixed views of this entire thing. I sell these and our clients love them. I have watched my own dogs chew them and they never have any problem with them. I wonder how they have hide in them — and its disturbing if they do — but I have also never seen one swell up like the one in the photo. Most dogs don’t swallow them whole like a corn cob……clearly this dog shouldn’t have had any chews and even if there wasn’t any hide in it — swallowing it whole would have undoubtedly resulted in the same sad result. Earth Animal makes wonderful all natural products and I hope that they will get to the bottom of this.

  15. Elizabeth

    July 28, 2017 at 12:55 am

    This is sick! We spend way to much on these because they are the only chew we’ve found made in a USDA inspected facility. How do I get mine tested? My Dane, Rolf, has a beef allergy and we give him the salmon one.

  16. Dog Mom

    July 28, 2017 at 2:18 am

    A good portion of the problem here is that the chew in question, whether rawhide or not, was too small for that dog. But if this chew is truly rawhide, it will be quite shocking that they were able to get away with that.

    • thepodlifeblog

      July 28, 2017 at 10:59 am

      Not only too small, but anything swallowed whole is potentially very dangerous and possibly fatal. Regardless of what the actual ingredients are any chew like this should be given while the dog is being supervised otherwise the dog might be at risk for choking while the owner is away. Still very very sad…

  17. Sierra

    July 28, 2017 at 3:53 am

    About time earth animal is exposed!!!!!

  18. Gina

    July 28, 2017 at 9:51 am

    I am not affiliated with EA, but work in a small pet shop. It seems to me there are several separate issues here: the first is what size was the chew? A dog that size should not have been given the 4 inch chew, which he could then swallow whole and choke, which is apparently what happened. The second is the ingredients in the chew (not that this issue is less important!)—I think in fairness this article should have mentioned that Dr. Kallenberger may be a DVM, but he is also a member of the American Leather Chemist’s Association and has written many articles (and even books) on tanning and leather. That leads to the important question as to who is funding his research? We know that plays a part. Before posting an article that you know will lead to backlash, in all fairness other questions must be asked. Earth Animal has a good reputation to date—so before calling them crap and castigating them, lets make sure. And no animal should be left unattended with an edible chew (or really any chew). I am a regular visitor to this site and appreciate all the valuable information.

    • Susan Thixton

      July 28, 2017 at 10:19 am

      I’m not calling anyone “crap” – I’m presenting scientific evidence/analysis, consumers are fully capable of making up their own minds. And – as I always do, I turned over everything I was provided to regulatory authorities. (By the way, when anyone provides me with information – I will only consider publishing it if the same information can be turned over to authorities.) Regulatory are the ones responsible for a full unbiased investigation. We will wait for their investigation.

      • Gina

        July 28, 2017 at 10:53 am

        I am sorry, I was actually referring to other posters calling the chews “crap”—not you 🙂 However those are pretty low standards for calling out a reputable company. Kallenberger is clearly not a DVM, but a chemist working in the leather industry. Without some kind of background/context on his role, who is funding and why, to me this is a sad case of dog choking on treat inappropriate to his size—you wouldn’t give a small child a big peppermint sucker because it would be a choking hazard. Some things are common sense, and again, dogs and children should not be left alone with chews/suckkers.

        • Susan Thixton

          July 28, 2017 at 11:01 am

          A DVM wouldn’t be who I would turn to for analysis in this case. If I was wanting to know if a product is hide (pre-leather) – I would turn to someone that knows leather. To me, he was the perfect choice for this analysis. And of course backed up by DNA analysis. For me – I cannot put blame on the consumer.

          • Gina

            July 28, 2017 at 11:10 am

            But he works for the leather industry, not in an FDA lab. Wouldn’t you be interested in who sent in the product (Why they sent it and who paid for the analysis?), which states was in an unopened commercial bag, but doesn’t say if it was the original manufacturer packaging. This is all clearly suspect and people should remain open minded.

          • Susan Thixton

            July 28, 2017 at 11:54 am

            Which is why I sent results to FDA. I know who sent the product in and I know why – there were actually multiple people that brought this to my attention. One individual contacted me as far back as a year ago – concerned about this product lying to consumers (though it was just discussion at that point – no evidence). When multiple people – who don’t know each other – bring something to me…that was alarming to me. And no – I will not betray my sources. I did not disclose my sources to FDA either – it wouldn’t matter to FDA, they will do their own investigation. And I did not disclose to any of these individuals the name of the other parties. If I want to bring these alerts to consumers – I must not betray the sources that bring these issues to my attention – our attention. Which is partly why my cell phone is a old style flip phone – because industry put spyware on my (former) smart phone. It’s why I have multiple security protection on this website and on my email. ‘They’ know I have LOTS of secrets that I keep. ‘They’ also know that I turn everything over to authorities – everything. Unfortunately – with absolute certainty – authorities don’t always do as they should. But that’s a different story (honestly it is) and that will all come out one day too. All I can do is try to alert consumers to a potential problem and trust…hope that regulatory does the right thing.

    • RGC

      August 3, 2017 at 12:27 am

      I agree with Gina. This dog died because it was given an improperly sized treat – no matter the composition of it. As a pet supply retailer, I advise people all the time to purchase an appropriate size for their dog. We proactively ask them what size their dog is in order to advise them properly. Most people buying too small a size know they are doing it and do it anyway because it’s cheaper. People buying online are even more likely to buy the smaller cheaper treat, we have observed. The 4″ chew this dog was given was nowhere close to the size it should have had. If the composition is not as claimed that is a serious matter but not the reason this dog died. I’m terribly sorry for the owner but it was her mistake.

      • Peter

        August 3, 2017 at 7:53 am

        The issue really is not about the dog’s death. It is about that after its death, questions have been raised as to the composition of the product itself, and if it is not what it is advertised and sold as.

  19. Gerald Bair

    July 28, 2017 at 9:56 am

    While it’s totally sad that a beloved family member died and that a “seemingly” reputable company could potentially be lying about it’s products, did anyone notice the picture of the treat?? It’s entirely too small for the dog to begin with and the dog appears to have tried to swallow the entire treat. ANYTHING blocking the dog’s entire airway like that is going to kill it. Rawhide, not rawhide, rubber, plastic, fabric it’s all a potential choking hazard. I wouldn’t be so quick to just blame the treat.

    • Susan Thixton

      July 28, 2017 at 10:09 am

      I cannot blame the consumer. Not one little bit. There are no feeding directions, no size appropriate recommendations on the product label. The product was labeled as no hide – if regulatory investigation proves it is hide, to me – all responsibility lies with the company. I represent consumers – not any company. I will defend consumers adamantly, especially when evidence like this is presented to me.

      • mary

        July 28, 2017 at 6:40 pm

        There are no feeding instructions on nylabones either but my vet says that they are the number one reason that dogs have broken teeth — if a person does’t know what size chew to give their dog, nor not to give their dog a chew and then leave the house then I am sorry they shouldn’t own a dog.

        • Susan Thixton

          July 28, 2017 at 7:02 pm

          So shouldn’t there be feeding instructions on them too? Hard for me to believe anyone would blame this pet owner. Very concerning attitude. And by the way, the pet owner was right there at home with her dog while she chewed this product. She was immediately taken to the vet. You can still believe in this product if you choose, but please don’t judge the pet owner – someone you don’t know.

          • marybethdoyle1@gmail.com

            July 31, 2017 at 4:25 pm

            But I understand that the dog was not taken to the vet for 90 minutes, that the owner was on the phone — that the product was dislodged from the throat and that the dog died 10 hours later. At any rate, this entire thing is sad and again, any chew can be swallowed whole — and I hope that for all concerned all the information comes to light and all facts are revealed and everyone is satisfied.

      • Pet Biz Guy

        July 29, 2017 at 4:27 pm

        Just curious…if it turns out not to be rawhide, will you print a retraction?

        • Susan Thixton

          July 29, 2017 at 5:10 pm

          Exactly what could I retract? DNA results from 2 separate labs on 2 separate products? Expert analysis? Seriously? Just curious…if it turns out to be rawhide, will you disclose who you are?

          • Pet Biz Guy

            July 29, 2017 at 6:52 pm

            I’m not in any way associated with Earth Animal if that’s what you’re implying. You said re: these claims, “Regulatory are the ones responsible for a full unbiased investigation. We will wait for their investigation.” So – if the FDA investigates and determines that the products *don’t* contain rawhide, I was wondering if you’d print a retraction (maybe “update” would be a better word). Lots of “ifs”, but if the allegations about the product are proved false by the FDA, and if you printed a retraction/update, then I’d consider that to be fair, balanced and responsible reporting. Nothing more, nothing less. To me, when people have power, there is a responsibility that goes with it. You’ve exercised the power to turn many people against these products. If it turns out, via the regulatory investigation that you said you’re waiting for, that the allegations about those products are wrong, will you exercise your power to issue correcting information? Again, I’m just curious.

          • Susan Thixton

            July 29, 2017 at 7:16 pm

            Absolutely I will publish an FDA report of investigation. Why wouldn’t I? I have no agenda against this company – if that is what you are implying. I have no agenda against (or for) any company. All I want to do is alert consumers.

  20. foodguy

    July 28, 2017 at 2:14 pm

    They are fully denying these claims at this point, but the only evidence they put out to support it is the digestion rate percentage of rawhide vs. this chew. That clearly does not mean this product does not contain rawhide, only that the product has been manipulated into a better digestion rate.

    Should be quite interesting…..this is the same company that pulled a bait and switch on its chicken jerky products about a year back. They used to have a kiosk system advocating and advertising their use of Bell and Evans chicken in their jerky….on the packaging etc, until one day it wasn’t there. No notice from the company etc, and they sure didn’t bother checking if the kiosks were still in store touting the benefits of Bell & Evans chicken. Not to mention the constant mold issues with the products.

    • Mr. Smith

      July 30, 2017 at 8:09 pm

      Earth Animal should test , compare and post findings of their No Hide Chews , digestibility wise, with the DIGESTEEZE brand 99% digestible rawhides, or the Better Belly Brand Digestible Rawhides.

  21. Industry Vet

    July 28, 2017 at 3:51 pm

    The company is a total fraud and a joke within the pet industry. Most folks at bigger customers (which is why none of them carry it) are aware that the product is 100% rawhide, including, most importantly Dr. Bob. It is such a shame and gives the industry a bad stain. They should be put in jail, sued for fraud, and not allowed in the business anymore. So sad that a dog has had to die because of their fraud.

    • Jack Snyder

      August 16, 2018 at 12:38 pm

      It’s not 100% rawhide, and these no evidence which states so. And where I work, they sell hundreds of these weekly. Get off your high horse.

      • aimeemrtn

        August 19, 2018 at 1:12 pm

        Hi Jack, I agree the product isn’t 100% rawhide.
        The outer coating accounts for a few percent of the total weight

  22. Bellus

    July 28, 2017 at 6:06 pm

    I can’t believe this supposedly “Dr. Goldstein” can do such a thing. That is PURE MONEY GREED! I have been buying this product by the bulk (and mind you it’s super pricey) but bec i thought it’s healthy “no hide” I didn’t mind the price…

  23. Bellus

    July 28, 2017 at 6:15 pm

    Hi Susan!
    My apology I didn’t mean to be rude but I just came from Healthy Spot to buy no hide, when the sales person told me they pulled it out of the shelves bec It’s under investigation. I was shocked and angry because I buy this every other day for my 2 dogs. What about the fillers? Do you know if the mix some unhealthy ingredients? Thank you so much!

  24. Ronny

    July 28, 2017 at 9:23 pm

    It is so incredibly sad to hear that a dog dies of any product we think is safe. My deepest condolences to the family!
    I am concerned, however, that a dog the size of Dumplin should not have been given that size of a treat – it is way too small for such a large dog and if not being supervised poses a choking hazard, he just swallowed it whole. As pet parents, just like parents to two legged kids, we have to monitor what our pets are chewing on and what kind of treats we give them. I am intrigued to hear the results of the investigation, but maybe before bashing a company and ruining their reputation, the entire picture has to be clear!

  25. JMC

    July 29, 2017 at 2:54 am

    I am incredibly grateful for the work Susan does. She spends a lot of time doing this and sharing her findings with us, making our jobs caring for our pets just a little easier. How I feel about this? Earth Animal lied. Or the people making the chews for them lied. Real simple. The label does not state beef, but beef showed in a dna test. So my question is: I use their tick herbal powders (the one thats ingested). Is the label correct for that product? or is that a lie also? I can honestly say I will not buy any more earth animal products and am considering dumping out the rest of the powder I have on hand. If I read a label and based on that label’s information make the decision to buy it, I expect to get what I paid for, not something else. Its very simple: labels need to be honest.

  26. Peter

    July 29, 2017 at 8:10 am

    EA statement (https://www.earthanimal.com/no-hide-statement/)

    In response to a recently issued report suggesting that Earth Animal No-Hide™ Chew products contain rawhide, we have provided the following statement:

    As stated on our packaging and in our marketing materials, Earth Animal No Hide™ Chew products do not contain rawhide. Our products are made of 100% natural human-grade ingredients, including fresh chicken, salmon and beef. Our products are manufactured entirely in a USDA-registered human food facility where USDA inspectors are present on all days when production is taking place and where, by law, rawhide material would never be present. Independent testing conducted by Dr. Timothy J. Bowser, Ph.D., P.E., at PetMech, LLC (see full report:https://www.earthanimal.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/No-Hide-Digestibility-Report-Earth-Animal.pdf) found that No-Hides™ digest in the animal’s system on average at a rate of 80% (compared to an average of 18% for rawhide), demonstrating that the products do not contain rawhide. As a responsible company, however, we will look into this matter immediately and report back any relevant information we discover. Earth Animal is committed to offering solutions for perpetuating health & wellness and healing conditions in dogs and cats and we stand by our products and the “No-Hide” claim 100%.

  27. Ms. B Dawson

    July 30, 2017 at 2:20 pm

    This company has never had my trust. Can’t put a finger on the exact reason why – Too sincere? Too slick? Too many buzz words? – but my spidey senses always tingled whenever I encountered their reps or sales materials. Kudos to you Susan for compiling multiple complaints and concerns about this company before going public. As always, your research and restraint solidify your credibility as an even-handed advocate.

    Earth Animal – and every other chew manufacturer – has a responsibility to ascertain that the product they market is as advertised and should detail all ingredients, including base materials, added flavors or basting. If they are a stand up company they won’t default to the “we’ve been victimized, too” defense so rampant in the Industry should their product turn out to be misrepresented.

    At this point, it’s looking a little hard for them to stand behind that “100% “No-Hide” claim” in the face of DNA testing. I suspect they will eventually offer some explanation that because of the way the product is processed it is no longer considered “rawhide” under legal definitions. The screen captures are a bit hard to read, but I don’t see any “contains no beef” claims. They only talk about hide and leather, not species.

    Claiming their product has “no leather” is one of the statements that causes my red flags to pop. Are they using an emotively charged word to subtly denigrate the competition (OTHER chews are leather!) or merely using a word which is irrelevant in an effort to make their product appear superior? Either way it is disingenuous. Leather is defined as “‘Hide or skin with its original fibrous structure more or less intact, tanned to be imputrescible.” vs. rawhide’s definition: “the skin of a cow before it has been prepared or made into leather.” No rawhide chew is tanned, consequently no chew is considered leather. Ask yourself this question: If this product ISN’T hide, what the heck is made of and should my dog be eating it?

    Companies are struggling to differentiate themselves as the “natural” market continues to grow – currently 25% of the US pet market, $8.2 billion in 2016. Consumers must stop and think about how manipulative marketing can be. Millions are spent researching how to get you to buy one product or another. A common ploy is to provide true information (“no leather”) that encourages you to make an erroneous conclusion (“other chews aren’t aren’t as good”). It’s the same tactic used by Pedigree years ago when they stated “our meat’s been inspected by the UDSA!”. It’s a true statement, Pedigree was NOT lying. The meat had been through USDA inspections. It FAILED for human consumption, but consumers concluded they were purchasing a human quality food because of the inspection.

    An old adage is of value here: If it sound too good to be true……

    • Mary Kenkel

      July 30, 2017 at 3:15 pm

      I dont think you should condem before you hear the whole story. I love their products because they work. They note that the USDA facility does not allow rawhide and tjat there is an i spector daily and log. I dont know but before conspiracy theories are built, I think all the i formation should be examined. I dont equate Earth Animal with Purina and dont think anyone should. Lets let the facts come out.

      • Peter

        July 31, 2017 at 7:50 am

        Sadly, on some levels, I personally do “condemn” or “equate EA with Purina…,” and while that’s anecdotal, I’ll explain why.

        In an online essay Susan Goldstein is quoted: “There is a very dark side of the pet food industry, and we’ve been battling it for a long time. We are completely opposed to factory farming and were determined to find the right source for our treats and future dog and cat food lines.”

        Several years ago (that is: during the period of increased public awareness revolving around [imported] “jerky” treats), I had a conversation with a woman who claimed that she left her employment with an EA retail outlet because she had a conflict of conscience. She described that she had been instructed to remove the “Made in [country of origin]” labels from dog chews (she described them as “rawhide”/”bones”) as they were placed in a “Made in USA” display.

        I have no evidence of this incident other than my personal (one-on-one) discussion with this person.

        • Allison

          August 6, 2017 at 1:41 pm

          confirmed… and there is only one Earth Animal retail outlet.

    • Pet Biz Guy

      July 30, 2017 at 5:35 pm

      Where did you see them stating that their product has “no leather”? I’ve seen them claim “no rawhide”, but not “no leather”. Can you point me to that claim? btw – a DNA test showing the presence of beef is not the same as revealing the presence of rawhide. For sure they need to explain the presence of beef protein in a non-beef product, but beef is not necessarily the equivalent of rawhide. They have indicated they are doing their own investigation which, I assume, means they’ll have their own testing done. That’s what should happen. If the FDA is investigating, they’ll also do their own tests – they will not rely on the tests Susan has posted. Consumers have a right to answers, but any company should also have the right to investigate allegations before the world decides they are guilty of deliberate lying and fraud.

  28. Ms. B Dawson

    July 30, 2017 at 6:04 pm

    I pointed out questionable language used on Earth Animal’s website, offered legal definitions for terminology they use in their marketing pieces and shared first hand experience with a company. This is part my evaluation before I sell products. I have learned this through experience and by talking to marketing execs about how their industry operates. The bending of words to achieve a favorable outcome is vividly exemplified by this: how many times have you read “sourced in the USA”? Guess what…that can mean the rice protein concentrate was purchased from a jobber in San Francisco who imported it from China. Companies do this in full knowledge that it is misleading.

    Manufacture in a human certified plant does exclude many ingredients routinely used in the production of pet food and treats, that is true. It should be an indication of a higher quality product. I’m sure rawhide wouldn’t be allowed in a human grade facility, but that’s different than beef SKIN. After all, pork rinds are puffed pig skin and manufactured in human snack food facilities for human consumption. Human grade gelatin is separated from beef skin for use in human food, such as yoghurt. I would surmise therefore that these chews, which have beef and beef gelatin as the first two ingredients, could very easily be made in a human facility using cow SKIN. The company rightly claims they don’t use rawhide, which has been subjected to chemical processes. Are you beginning to see why I pay attention for word games?

    There are things that are at odds in this story and that is why I remain suspicious and will suspect the company until proven otherwise. After reading the lab tests, I have a bunch of questions. Amoung them:

    1) “There is no evidence of ground or composite material.” I don’t think someone skilled at microscopic analysis would miss a ground or composite signature. Yet the ingredient list on Earth Animal’s website includes beef, beef gelatin, brown rice flour, eggs, oil. If the product isn’t ground, how have these ingredients been incorporated? Perhaps its as simple as a coating or they use a high pressure process to infiltrate the tissue. I don’t know but it doesn’t make sense to me. Flour and eggs are binding ingredients. Asking the company will get you the “proprietary information” response.

    2) Earth Animal claims superior digestibility because they don’t include hide and they cite lab results without giving a reference to back it up (56% digestible compared to 5% digestible for rawhide). I did a quick search and came up with a “Confidential Report” dated July 21, 2017 that shows the lab results from a private lab associated with Oklahoma State University (https://www.earthanimal.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/No-Hide-Digestibility-Report-Earth-Animal.pdf). The cover page looks more like Earth Animal’s letterhead than a lab report but of course they paid for the tests. It’s curious that this report is dated only 10 days ago as these products have been on the market for a while now with the associated claims. Perhaps its a follow up to prior testing or those stats were recently added to the website. The numbers don’t match though. The very positive report shows much higher digestibility.

    I have a logical mind. When I see inconsistencies, unsubstantiated claims or language used in odd ways I get suspicious. As a biologist, I look for patterns. The pet food industry has some REALLY disturbing ones. That’s not conspiracy mongering, that’s “fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.”

  29. Mr. Smith

    July 30, 2017 at 8:03 pm

    Today I bought a package of the EA Chicken Twists and a bag of another brand’s regular Rawhide Twists of the same size made in China. I Soaked and unrolled them, and then Boiled them… Not that it carries any scientific meaning, but the EA twists and the Chinese Twists were identical in my visual observations, including the smell when soaked and unrolled..

    Also soaked some of the EA Salmon Rolls,,, some were very thin, and tore fairly easily.. One, however, was over 1/4″ thick when I soaked it and i could not cut it even with scissors. It even had what looked like knife marks on the inside.

    I continued boiling the 1/4″ thick one, and the twists for 2 hours….They were rubbery but still the same shape, just slightly swelled up. They are re-drying now outside on my deck. I’ll post how they look when totally re-dried..

    I suggest anyone in doubt of the report above do the same.

    But I think this can be put to bed quite easily and quite quickly. Someone should send a bag of the no hide chews to a leather tannery and ask if they are able to turn the No Hide chew into actual Leather. EA’s statement that it’s meat protein is an essential portion of the “Dough” is the first i’ve seen them explain (partially) what the base white rolled material is. If it’s truly Meat and Gelatin and Rice Flour, then it 100% cannot be made into Leather, as only COLLAGEN can be tanned into leather…. And since the number 1 ingredient is Meat,, a large % of the white rolled chew must be the Chicken, or Salmon or Beef or Pork. I also firmly believe it would have fallen apart when I boiled it for 2 hours,, rather than retain it’s rubbery shape/ Or would have changed color/appearance.. It sure didn’t smell like chicken, gelatin and rice flour cooking….

    We all should b able to re-create this in our own homes as these ingredients are simple to obtain at the grocery store – I just have to figure out how to get it all perfectly white and to remain so tough, even if boiled……..

    It is VERY intriguing that the white rolled portion is the same exact color, whether its “Chicken & Chicken Gelatin” or “Salmon and Vegetable Gelatin”, or “Beef and Beef Gelatin”, or “Pork and Pork Gelatin” all apparently cross contaminated with the Beef processed at the facility making these for EA. I Also find it perplexing that, if as they say it’s blended dough that’s rolled out and specially baked,, why, then do the rolled white portion vary so much in thickness? If it were truly man-made in a meat plant as they continue to state, why then are the rolls not perfectly uniform, say like Petmatrix’s DREAMBONES? http://dreambone.com/

    As to what FOODGUY said above – Has Anyone asked EA how their No Hide Chews compare, digestibility wise, with Salix’s DIGESTEEZE brand 99% digestible rawhides made in South America? Or 8 in 1’s Better Belly Brand Digestible Rawhides made in Vietnam? http://www.salix-llc.com http://www.dingobrand.com/Products/Better-Belly.aspx

    I have a bit of sympathy for consumers, retailers and distributors who may be sticking their necks out to defend EA in this case. For they are likely going to feel really terrible when it’s all said and done, not to mention how people will view them going forward from a position of trust.

    In the end, I think we’re going to find out that Earth Animal was duped by “someone” as it’s difficult to believe they would knowingly market these “No Hides” as being rawhide free if they thought for a second it contained rawhide. Some may say, “well, if they didn’t know, they should have”.. I say look at the thousands and thousands of customers, retailers vets and distributors experienced with the No Hides in some way and none of us suspected a thing. If they did know, well no need to comment further..

    My biggest sympathy, however, if with Dumplin’s parents. I hope we can hear the results soon of the testing done on the chew that was removed from the poor girl.

    • aimeemrtn

      March 15, 2018 at 2:39 pm

      Hi Mr Smith, No need to send the product to a tannery, You can tan the product in the comfort of your own home! That is what I did. I bought Deer Hunter and Trappers tanning oil and followed the directions. I have a beautiful light brown piece of suede. I was pleased at how it came out for my first time tanning anything. Just be sure to stretch it while drying to keep it supple. I had a friend who does taxidermy take a look at it and he was surprised at what a nice piece of leather it made. I even did one piece as an egg yolk tanning. You don’t have to buy anything to do that. Watch a few you tube videos to see how to do it.

  30. Mr. Smith

    July 31, 2017 at 9:09 am

    Update on the Boiled Rubbery No Hide Chews – They are now almost rigid again from air drying for 18 hours, but have shrunk in size considerably. I found this link which may help explain why they have shrunk so much:

    ” A characteristic of hides, skins and leathers is that if they are gradually heated in water, they reach a temperature at which they are subject to sudden, irreversible shrinkage. Raw hides or skins shrink very easily at temperatures of about 65ºC, whereas chrome tanning, for example, increases the point at which shrinkage occurs to temperatures up to a maximum of around 120ºC.”

    The link is here: https://www.satra.com/bulletin/article.php?id=1422

  31. Chloe

    July 31, 2017 at 3:42 pm

    I work in pet retail and have giant breed dogs, and am floored that someone let a dog that big have a treat that small. I’ve seen this customer a thousand times. They want something to keep the dog busy while alone, and you tell them not to give a dog a chew unsupervised, and on top of that they go against your recommend treat size because they don’t want to spend the extra money.

    This dog didn’t die because a treat was made of rawhide. It died because it’s owners learned a basic lesson about large breed treat safety the hard way. You don’t give a brachiocephalic 125+lb dog a 4″ long chew EVER.

    For them to try to place that blame on the treat manufacturer is clearly a sob-story set-up for future litigation.

    And as far as your claim that there are no feeding instructions, I’m looking at a cigar-wrapped EA chew right now and it says “Remember to always supervise when giving treats to your dog. Always provide fresh water. Wag it up!” The owner stated she was on a conference call and watching the dog, but I highly doubt she really had a good eye on her.

    If she had actually been watching the dog with an appropriately sized chew this whole mess could have been avoided.

    • Ian

      July 31, 2017 at 3:59 pm

      “this whole mess could have been avoided”…. really ? The issue at hand is not whether the pet owner did or did not do something which contributed to the tragedy of losing her pet. (as a pet owner, how would you like to be attacked online after your pet died, whether you made a mistake that contributed to the death or not ?). The issue at hand is that due to the tragedy, the treat was scientifically examined and the examiner found that the treat was apparently not what it was marketed to be. That’s the starting point for the story.

      This is sadly unfolding just like the Evangers story: pet dies, pet product that caused death tested and found not to be what it was marketed as, story gets published online, pet food company and surrogates attack owner online trying to deflect blame from company, it follows a sad standard script for these cases.

      • Susan Thixton

        July 31, 2017 at 4:03 pm

        I couldn’t agree more with you Ian. So disheartening to me to see so many judge the pet owner in such a harsh manner.

    • RGC

      August 3, 2017 at 12:33 am

      Chloe, you are exactly right. No matter what this chew was made of, it was an inappropriate size for the dog. If the No Hide treats are actually rawhide, that’s a serious matter and Susan is right to bring it to the attention of the consumer. But that is not why the dog died.

  32. Ms. B Dawson

    July 31, 2017 at 4:10 pm

    As others have commented, there are two issues here.

    The primary issue is whether yet another treat manufacturer is selling a product that is as advertised. The chew’s ingredients may not have contributed to the death, other than the owner has stated that she would not have purchased the product had it been rawhide, but the tragedy drew attention to the company and their product claims.

    I too have had customers who either bought smaller sized treats or cut large ones into smaller pieces to economize because their dogs went through the chews rapidly. I always counseled them about the dangers, often to no avail. As a former retailer I completely understand how incredibly frustrating it is to see customers do something ill advised and then fault the product.

    There is only so much that can be done to keep consumers from making poor decisions, but we must make the attempt. Manufacturers must also make that attempt even knowing that many consumers don’t read the warnings or ignore them. Instructions/warnings are a good idea if for no other reason than their own liability! Things can happen in an instant, anyone experienced with animals knows this. The dog could have upended that chew in mere seconds, right in front of someone who was on the phone watching. Once lodged in the throat, it would require professional expertise to remove.

    Providing a larger chew would have perhaps prevented this tragedy, but it does not change the questions that have been asked since then concerning the ingredients.

  33. Ms. B Dawson

    July 31, 2017 at 4:56 pm

    Susan…

    Are you aware that the statement Earth Animal has up on their website contains the following:

    ..”First, unlike most investigative reporting, in which information is gathered from all sides and then presented to the pertinent parties for comment, we were not asked for information or given the chance to review or respond to the information posted on the Truth About Pet Food sites. So we saw it when you saw it.”…

    They are also offering a completely different timeline of events than the owner seems to have provided you, which other comments have cited, i.e.. 90 minute delay getting to the vet, dog died 10 hours later probably from anesthesia and stress, etc.

    How long was the drive to the vet for this owner? Are they using drive time in a way that makes it look like there was a delay in seeking treatment?

    • Susan Thixton

      July 31, 2017 at 5:08 pm

      I was aware that they were not happy with me. But I wasn’t aware they were saying these things about the pet owner. That shouldn’t be.

      More is coming on this issue – I provided FDA with more information today (cannot say what that is – FDA needs to verify). And we are expecting another analysis soon.

    • Peter

      August 1, 2017 at 7:28 am

      It’s interesting also that EA readily acknowledges the issue of “protein migration,” even in a facility that is supposedly “human food processing…”/”UDSA certified…” etc. etc. and all so very controlled and monitored. Its just an ordinary thing and consumers should just… well… accept all these ordinary things.

  34. Watching to see what happens :)

    July 31, 2017 at 9:43 pm

    These guys need to be shut down….again they don’t get to the heart of the issue which is that the #1 ingredient in all of their chews is beef, which is fraud. I also believe that they are using enzymatically treated rawhide to call it something other than rawhide but at the end of the day its the same thing. Going after the customer shows how poorly managed this company is… The FDA and USDA should shut them down….imagine if your pet was allergic to beef and the #1 ingredient in the fish chews is beef….unreal and sad

  35. Mollie Morrissette

    August 2, 2017 at 10:55 pm

    Another glaring misleading and false advertising tool the company is using is its claim that their products are sourced from “humanely raised” and/or “grass fed beef.” In order to qualify for a humane standard claim the company needed to provide Animal Welfare Approved or Certified Humane label. They did not. As far as verifying it is indeed “grass-fed beef,” the USDA no longer verifies such claims.

    From the USDA:

    Grass Fed Marketing Claim Standard

    Grass (Forage) Fed – On January 12, 2016, the Agricultural Marketing Service withdrew the Grass (Forage) Fed Claim for Ruminant Livestock and the Meat Products Derived from Such Livestock (Grass (Forage) Fed Marketing Claim Standard)”.

    • Ms. B Dawson

      August 3, 2017 at 9:49 am

      Spot on! As I posted earlier, this company uses all the buzz words they can find and that’s a red flag for me.

      I’m also rather miffed that Earth Animal claims on their website that TAPF never contacted them for comment when Susan has posted about the conversation she had with company reps and email attempts with the owner. It seems a direct attempt to discredit this site. That’s not cricket.

  36. JMC

    August 3, 2017 at 8:51 pm

    My problem with all of this is that there is so much “blaming” going on. Let me make this clear. Susan did what most of us couldnt or wouldnt do for various reasons. She sent samples to labs. Those lab results show that a product that wasnt made from beef (as per company label) was in fact made from beef! This shows there is either gross negligence or intentional misinformation. How can you trust a company after that?

  37. Ian

    August 7, 2017 at 7:37 pm

    She hired an expert who did the research and she published the results. Did you not read the original post?

  38. Devin

    September 1, 2017 at 9:24 am

    I quietly sat back for many weeks as I read this thread. It has now been proven No Hide contains NO rawhide. I stood by them the entire time and continued to sell it to my customers. Apology?

    • Susan Thixton

      September 1, 2017 at 11:21 am

      No apology will be posted for sharing science. But I did provide some additional information and included both scientific results published by Earth Animal along with some rebuttal to their science.

    • aimee

      February 7, 2018 at 1:34 pm

      Hi Devin,
      I haven’t seen any proof that “No hide contains NO rawhide” I’ve seen a digestion study in which Earth Animal provided a material that had been incubated in enzymes and had it compared to rawhide that had not been incubated in enzymes, some DNA tests on product provided by E. A. and read that Dr. Yamka watched something being made. To my knowledge he never examined an off the shelf product.

      On November 29th I talked to Tom O Hare E.A.’s vice president of operations. He told me that originally the chew roll was made with meat but the company couldn’t make a durable chew so all meat was removed from the chew about 2 years ago. The chew he said is made of rice flour, gelatin, oil, egg, and enzymes. I asked why then did EA ,in response to Dr Kallenberger’s report regarding blood vessel passages and flesh side post “we are not surprised at these observations as meat is an essential part of the “dough” portion of the No Hide” when there is no meat in the dough portion of the No Hide? He said the company should not be reporting what ingredient is in which portion of the product. I asked him how can E.A. make an entire small chew out of 1/2 teaspoon of flour as that is what would be allowed to meet their reported carbohydrate content of 2% for a pork chew? He couldn’t answer that. Nor could he answer how the company can meet their G.A. of 55% min protein for the Salmon chew when the protein Salmon is only a the small amount of outer coating?

      Devin, can you see how none of this makes sense. Even Tom was perplexed and he called me back to say that he would get the answers for me from Dr. Yamka, Dr. Goldstein and a PhD and get back to me. Over two months later and no answers and the company has stopped communicating with me.

      I sought my own answers and had new in package No Hide and a new in package rawhide sent to a lab for forensic analysis. The outer coating of the No Hide was described as a mixture of animal(muscle tissue) and filler product (plant based material?). The chew roll of the No Hide and the known rawhide chew were each described as ” appears to be composed of collagen like material”

      I will send the report to the FDA and my state feed control official. Hopefully you will remove the product from your store.

      • Ms. B Dawson

        February 7, 2018 at 5:16 pm

        You’ve touched on one of my major complaints – product knowledge that is a mile wide and an inch deep. I realize most CEO’s, Presidents/VP’s and so forth rely on their technical staff for the science, but you would think they would be conversant in % carbs and ingredients beyond what is on the label. They are only willing to talk in market speak.

        They are quick to hide behind “proprietary formula” responses. The small companies have learned very quickly from the mega-corporations who rely on well staffed legal departments to provide deflective tactics. If it works for Purina…

        How hard would it have been to put the “inventor” on the phone to answer your questions? Much could have been explained without giving away the manufacturing process or the exact ingredients.

  39. xxxxxx

    December 21, 2017 at 3:15 pm

    My dog a shih tzu loves these no hide bones. He is a rescue we have had for 2 years.. He doesn’t play with toys, finally I saw these, and he loves them.. He only really eats the outside coating on them.. Has basically one a day.. He’s had allergies and they come and go in the fall.. winter hits and they are gone.. This year they are horrible.. And this is the year we started him on these.. One of the ingredients is Bromelain side effects:

    is POSSIBLY SAFE for most people when taken in appropriate amounts. Bromelain may cause some side effects, such as diarrhea and stomach and intestinal discomfort. Bromelain may also cause allergic reactions, especially in people who have other allergies. If you have allergies, be sure to check with your healthcare provider before taking bromelain.
    Special Precautions & Warnings:
    Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Not enough is known about the use of bromelain during pregnancy and breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.

    Allergies: If you are allergic to pineapple, latex, wheat, celery, papain, carrot, fennel, cypress pollen, or grass pollen, you might have an allergic reaction to bromelain.

    Surgery: Bromelain might increase the risk of bleeding during and after surgery. Stop using bromelain at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery..
    Manage

    Allergies : Grass pollen!! wow, I believe I’ve figured it out! Plus if a person takes it and is going to be operated, keep off of it for 2 weeks before surgery! Peanut won’t be getting any more of these! He is miserable, scratching raw spots on his neck and stomach.. He is hoping it will slowly get better..
    Read what is in the stuff you are giving your pets..

  40. Dumplin's Mom

    February 7, 2018 at 4:48 pm

    And I am still enduring the grief and loss of my beautiful Dumplin’ that has scarred our family forever. We miss her more that ever……please don’t forget about her and the other precious baby that lost his life as well. It is such a nightmare and it takes so long but I know that the truth will be revealed……. I trusted that label and those claims and it swelled by 50% and produced a thick bleached colored foam that literally grew in size over time. That has been another common comment from others whose babies had close calls. Please protect your sweet pets. My life will never be the same.

  41. LKS nj

    February 18, 2018 at 1:58 pm

    I’d be very careful placing blame anywhere. Accidents happen folks, even in the most closely monitored situation. I’m on my 9th dog now and I couldn’t even begin to count the Number of times I’ve taken a choking hazard away from one of them. Dogs chew, some more voraciously than others, but they’re all chewers. This could have Happened with a small stick, a marrow bone, a toy…any number of things.
    This dog owner shouldn’t be blamed any more than the makers of the chews or the dog either.
    I’m so sorry for the loss of a furbaby!

  42. aimee

    March 10, 2018 at 3:11 pm

    The other day I put brand new batteries in my kitchen scale. I verified it was working properly by weighing standard weights. I went into several stores that sell “No Hide” and weighed the products. Every chew I weighed, except for a few of the small chews, was underweight. The bagged twists labeled as 85 grams weighed, with package, 64-66 grams making the actual contents less than 64 grams. The small size, labeled 51 grams, weighed between 38 -71 grams. The medium chew, labeled 85 grams, weighed between 61-74 grams and the largest labeled at 255 grams weighed between 107-155 grams.

    Earth Animal has some very serious quality control issues!

    What is really strange is their labeling of the largest size chew, 9 ounces (255 grams), though oddly some were labeled 4.9 ounces (255 grams) when 4.9 ounces is about 139 grams. You would think that their 11 inch chew would be equivalent to a 4 inch+ a 7 inch, 51 grms + 85 grams= 136 grams. This is a lot closer to what the chews actual weights are and close to 4.9 ounce. From the caloric information posted on the E.A. site, the chew weights of the large chew would need to be ~ 136 grams.

    What is truly baffling to me is that store owners I’ve talked to don’t care that they are selling product thatdoesn’t meet labeled weight. As one owner of an award winning store put it she is “comfortable” selling the product. It is a real head scratcher!

  43. Renly’s Mom

    April 7, 2018 at 5:45 am

    I have a question, maybe you all could help me with. No Hide is my dog’s favorite treat, so I’m pretty upset to learn we’ve been deceived. My biggest concern about rawhide has always been the chemicals and poisons associated with the tanning process. If the company is, in fact, using hide but treating it naturally (safely?) with fruit enzymes, is it still dangerous? What are your concerns about non chemically treated hide? After all the lies that have been uncovered, I don’t think I can trust this company anymore and don’t plan to buy their products again. I’m just trying to figure out what my dog has been exposed to.

    • Batzion

      April 7, 2018 at 3:12 pm

      The only way you can be sure is to avoid processed treats altogether. Read this article by Dr. Karen Shaw Becker in which she suggests safer, healthier treats, and watch the video on how rawhide treats are made: https://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2018/03/19/dog-treat-feeding-guidelines.aspx?utm_source=petsnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20180319Z1&et_cid=DM193852&et_rid=248049821

    • aimee

      April 9, 2018 at 3:14 pm

      Hi Renly’s Mom,

      IMO rawhide can be dangerous for two reasons, one, large pieces taken into the mouth, and swallowed can cause obstructions and two by way of processing.

      In answer to your question can naturally treated hide be dangerous? .. yes as it can still pose a choking hazard. Chews made of multiple pieces IMO pose more of a danger as a dog could pull one of these shorter pieces out of the wrap and swallow it before the owner has a chance to recognize the problem and intervene.

      If there is an egregious breach of ethics someplace along the line and a product labeled and sold as one thing is actually another I don’t think I could trust whomever made the substitution to be using the highest quality of the substituted material.

      Earth Animal guarantees 100% satisfaction. As you are not satisfied you should ask for the return of all monies spent on the product.

  44. Sasha's Mom

    May 20, 2018 at 10:54 am

    We have a 10 lb. mini dachshund who loves to chew….she will not chew on teething type bones, etc. tried all of them. Didn’t want to give her Hides…so been using these. As far as size we can use the 4″ and she is allowed to have it..in view…for 10 minutes at a time. When it gets chewed we remove loose or dangling pieces (cut with scissors) and kept in freezer. When it is down to a certain size…regardless.. it is thrown out. BUT now the worry for me is ..is it hide or not. If we can’t give her these …as some people understand with dogs that need to chew…then what are we to do. No toy replaces this for chewing… If it means her life we will not let her have them. SO i guess our little girl just has to go without. Problem is then she wants to go get mulch or sticks …which scare me even worse.

    • Dianne & Pets

      December 18, 2018 at 10:57 pm

      I don’t know if I am wrong here, but I have cut strips of cooked beef roast and let them dry out in the fridge. They can chew and it definitely digestible. I wonder how the cost would compare to buying an equivalent amount of the chews.

  45. Ren

    December 18, 2018 at 5:33 pm

    I worked at a pet store that sold these things religiously, we literally had regulars that would come in specifically for these things. We also sold 100% pure rawhides for 1/2 the price that hardly anyone touched. We were told the No-Hides were comprised of mostly gelitan and our raw hides were not like “normal raw hides”. They were produced in the US, without the use of formaldehyde, and they were single sheets of air dried cow hyde. We were told rawhide wasn’t an issue, it’s the way its’ processed. Im not sure if even that’s true, transparency seems to be a HUGE issue in the pet chew department, well in the pet food industry itself. I will say that my store owner had an 85 lb 5 year old doodle that would have ATLEAST 1 of the 11 inch No-Hides a day and has never had an issue. I can definitely attest that every dog is different and that that dog should have NEVER been given a 4 inch in the first place. I don’t think the owner should be blamed but I don’t really think that it’s rocket science to think a 4 inch No-Hide would be way to small for a dog of that stature. According to their website the 4 inch is suitable for dogs up to 45 lbs! I’m almost certain that dog was wayyy over 45 lbs. In all honestly it could have been a 4 inch bully stick that warranted the same effect. BUT, recently the pet store where I buy my dogs’ food put up a letter stating they removed No-Hides from their shelves due to transparency issues which let me to research the issue. It’s incredibly sad as I know many pet owners who believe they are picking the “better” choice. Not only that but their brand alludes to the fact that it doesn’t “Hide” anything. I think the dog death had nothing to do with the content of the No-Hide but I’m extremely glad that it resulted into the investigation of this company, if they are hiding something pet owners need to know.

    • Susan Thixton

      December 18, 2018 at 8:05 pm

      FYI – the company added the size directions after this dog died. And did No-Hide/Earth Animal tell you the product was “dried cow hide”?

  46. Margie Perry

    March 30, 2019 at 5:59 pm

    My dogs love these. I found them at a local feed store. My dogs have never been allowed to chew rawhide. They are small dogs, under 15 pounds. I was thrilled to find these treats that would digest. I called the company and spoke at length with staff as to the ingredients before I ever let them chew one. I brought them to my Veterinarian before I let them chew one for her review. The company sent me PDF flyers explaining how they are made and what they are made of. I told the company I was so thrilled I would recommend them to my friends online. At that point they told me about the dog who choked to death. They were very transparent. For Christmas ’18 I sent some No Hides to friends as gifts for their dogs. One of the recipients put me onto Susan Thixton’s report above about the “real” analysis of No Hides. I told my friends to throw them out, but I would continue to try to research the ingredients. What I did find is that no one wanted to get involved. I tried to explain it was just for me, I wasn’t wanting to take legal action against anyone, I just wanted the truth about the ingredients. I would not disclose their names, I just wanted to know if it was safe to give this chew to my dog. Mind you, I never questioned the manufacturer until my friend sent me this website and your report. So, after talking by phone to the director of an agriculture school at a local university, a PhD. who stated if the products in the PDF are correct, he doesn’t endorse but sees nothing wrong with the product. I soaked a piece of NO HIDE it in water (not stomach acid) and went to another division of this very large well respected school of agriculture. I spoke with the head of the lab, a different PhD and one of the scientists that works there. There is a slaughter house located on the campus as well. What they did tell me as they looked through all my documents that I had taken off the website was that the analysis reports were not worded correctly. They questioned the authenticity of the reports. They tried to look up Dr. Kallenberger to see if he was a legitimate PhD. They examined the soaked No Hide sample I brought and said it was definitely NOT rawhide. They were willing to show me a piece of hide, but I chose not to view it. They said there were no blood vessels in my sample.
    The PhD in charge of a slaughter house/meat lab at our highly respected school of agriculture was very definite about his findings. I showed them photos of my pups and I feel they would want no harm to come to my animals. My conclusion is, I believe the experts who examined my sample. I am choosing to continue giving my pups No Hides with great supervision. I spend over $100.00 a month on this product as I don’t let them chew them down. I do not give them to anyone else. I have had no problems to date, and I have given all the stores in my city that sell NO HIDE your reports.

    • Susan Thixton

      March 30, 2019 at 6:27 pm

      Hi Margie – I commend you for the attempts you made to learn more about the treats. There is more information on the treats – documents from Freedom of Information Act request Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. https://truthaboutpetfood.com/is-it-no-hide-or-rawhide-from-china/

      • Margie P

        March 31, 2019 at 3:01 am

        Hi Susan, thank you for sharing your latest findings. To say that my heart dropped into my stomach while reading the report is an understatement. I will proceed with my investigation! I will take your latest findings back to my school of agriculture for their review. I’ll let you know the outcome. I would be mortified to think I’m giving my beloved pets rawhide. Best, Margie

        • Susan Thixton

          March 31, 2019 at 8:22 am

          Thanks for letting us all know the outcome of your continued investigation.

  47. JGRanney

    July 6, 2019 at 8:00 pm

    I just bought two of these for my sensitive-gut dog. I cannot seem to find ANY kind of “chewy” product that is safe since I have quit believing any online vendor sites. All of them I have tried give her the skinny, Dairy Queen poop. I got these at Pet Supplies Plus today before I knew all of this. We need regulation, folks, and that’s probably not happening. Our own people food isn’t evey safe!

    • zorado

      January 21, 2020 at 7:40 pm

      After reading this information on Animal no hide chews I decided to do an experiment on my own since my dog seemed sick after devouring them. I put a 3 inch piece in a glass of water for 10 days to see if it dissolved, since it is suppose to be made of all natural digestible ingredients. After 10 I took it out of the water and tried to pull it apart and it did not budge. It felt like a thick piece of strong rubber that could one could not pull apart. Earth Animal no hide is a liar. Do not buy these for your dog.

      • Tom

        May 20, 2020 at 12:19 pm

        how is putting the hide in water an accurate representation of the conditions in a dog’s stomach? Water alone does not “digest” anything

        • aimee

          August 10, 2023 at 12:28 am

          Hi Tom,

          Holding something in water does not mimic the conditions in the stomach nor does it measure digestion. What it can do is crudely mimic conditions in the esophagus.

          When people hold chews in water, IMO they are testing for dissolution not digestion and I find it can be a valid test.

          FDA tested No Hide for dissolution using water made to mimic saliva. They held samples at “canine body temperature” and reported “minimal dissolution” with No Hide and “marked dissolution” with Dreambone, the non-rawhide control.

          FDA also mimicked digestion holding No Hide for three hours in simulated stomach conditions and reported an increase in size and weight as opposed to the Dreambone and rawhide samples.

          It appears that No Hide failed to either dissolve or “digest” using FDA’s protocols. Personally, I’d expect a gelatin based chew to degrade to some degree under those conditions, that it did not leads me to be of the opinion that No Hide is not a gelatin based chew.

          FDA lab did numerous tests on No Hide and apparently concluded they could not rule out the presence of rawhide.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Learn More

Human Grade & Feed Grade
Do you know what the differences are between Feed Grade and Human Grade pet food? Click Here.

 

The Regulations
Pet Food is regulated by federal and state authorities. Unfortunately, authorities ignore many safety laws. Click Here to learn more about the failures of the U.S. pet food regulatory system.

 

The Many Styles of Pet Food
An overview of the categories, styles, legal requirements and recall data of commercial pet food in the U.S. Click Here.

 

The Ingredients
Did you know that all pet food ingredients have a separate definition than the same ingredient in human food? Click Here.

Click Here for definitions of animal protein ingredients.

Click Here to calculate carbohydrate percentage in your pet’s food.

 

Sick Pet Caused by a Pet Food?

If your pet has become sick or has died you believe is linked to a pet food, it is important to report the issue to FDA and your State Department of Agriculture.

Save all pet food – do not return it for a refund.

If your pet required veterinary care, ask your veterinarian to report to FDA.

Click Here for FDA and State contacts.

The List

The Treat List

Special Pages to Visit

Subscribe to our Newsletter
Click Here

Pet Food Recall History (2007 to present)
Click Here

Find Healthy Pet Foods Stores
Click Here

About TruthaboutPetFood.com
Click Here

Friends of TruthaboutPetFood.com
Click Here

You May Also Like

Pet Food News

Investigation documents provides concerning information about No-Hide Dog Treats.

Pet Food News

Earth Animal has published two rebuttals - so to speak - of the post on TruthaboutPetFood.com titled Is No-Hide Dog Chews Actually Hide? While...

Pet Food News

The District Manager of the Philadelphia District of USDA told TruthaboutPetFood.com "The pet treats are NOT manufactured under USDA inspection."