We’re always up for trying new chews, and I’d been seeing these beef cheek rolls all over social media. They’re touted as a long-lasting rawhide alternative, and supposedly much more digestable. An added bonus; I was able to find them at my local pet food store, so I snatched them up! Here’s what we thought.
Beef Cheek Rolls; Are They Rawhide?
My social media review caused quite the controversy as to whether these things were rawhide or not. According to many of the commenters, these things are rawhide. It took a little digging to figure out exactle what the difference is between these beef cheek rolls and actual rawhide is.
According to Barking Buddha’s website, they are made from grass-fed South American beef and processed with an undisclosed natural cleaning method and slow baking process. Additionally, from their website, beef cheek rolls are free from preservatives, additives and chemicals. Barking Buddah states they are a good source of collagen, which can support healthy skin and coat, as well as joint health.
What’s the Difference Between Beef Cheek Rolls and Rawhide?
Rawhide comes from the inner hide of the cow. During processing, hides are cleaned, stripped of hair, (which is often done with chemicals like lye), then pressed and rolled into the shapes we’re familiar with.
They’re then chemically treated to remove offensive scents and bacteria. These chemicals are then ingested by your dog during chewing. Moreover, these hides are tough, and indigestable for your dog.They can expand in the stomach and cause blockages. For these reasons, we steer clear of rawhide chews.
On the other hand, beef cheek rolls are made from the inside of the cow’s cheek, which is not as tough as the hide. This softer skin naturally dries into the white color you see in beef cheek rolls. They are not processed in the same manner as rawhide, cutting out the chemical load.
Additionally, the majority of rawhide is processed in China, while these particular beef cheek rolls are processed in the United States. More stringent US manufacturing rules mean that beef cheek rolls won’t have the chemical load that rawhide chews do.
Our Taste-Test of Barking Buddah’s Beef Cheek Rolls
Wallace, our power-chewer and tester-of-everything definitely approved! Oliver, our sensitive, soft-mouthed Golden, Oliver needed a little more coaxing (in the form of peanut butter smeared on the chew).
These are long-lasting chews! Wally went to town on his. After about 20 minutes, I traded it for another high-value treat so that he didn’t consume too much of the roll. This routine went on for several evenings until Wally’s roll was a nub, and Oliver lost interest in his, so we traded it to Wally for the duration.
These beef cheek rolls come in peanut butter and unflavored, and you can buy them online in a special vanilla-mint flavor. Additionally, their website offers a bevy of different beef cheek chips, chews, and bully sticks.
I spent around $15 for both of the treats. In my mind, this was a worthwhile purchase according to the amount of time it took the dogs to work through them. Will we buy these beef cheek rolls again? Yes! Do I care about the naysayers and internet “experts” who told me I was still feeding rawhide in my social media post? Not so much.
My dogs enjoyed these treats, and while they won’t be a regular occurrence in our house, we will most definitely add them to our rotation. How about you? Would you share these beef cheek rolls with your Best Friend?