Raw hide is nothing more than a by-product of the leather industry.

 The hide of the animal, is dipped into high salt bath to slow the decay which can make it very salty. The hide will also be cleaned with detergent and degreasers and sterilised with low concentrations of hydrogen peroxide. The next step after this is to remove any hair or fat attached which involves harsh chemical combinations, in some regions, arsenic or even formaldehyde is used in this process. Then additional chemicals, such as lime, are used to separate the layers of skin. During this process artificial colours and flavours may be added to make them look and smell more appealing, and they’re then manipulated into fun shapes which can sometimes involve glue. Sounds yummy don't you think?

None of this is mentioned on the packaging, most likely they will claim to be 100% natural, or fully digestible- which I guess if they make it through the digestive tract without causing a blockage (in 5+ days) does count right?

Fact is hundreds of dogs each year die from eating raw hide! Aside from the risk of contamination due to poor processing or the bucket loads of chemicals used to produce these treats (a process if you haven’t already read up on, I recommend you do) the risk of choking, blockages and death is more common. These hard “treats” become a slobbery, rubbery mess that can quite easily get lodged in the oesophagus or part of their digestive tract or make their way through the stomach undigested and cause a blockage without any sign something is wrong, until it is too late. 

Raw hide treats really need to be removed from shelves and most importantly removed from the treat jar.