Opinions please on dogs and deer hides

[bossynbella]

So we live on a small farm, we have three dogs a black lab that is at a healthy weight of 118 a Shepherd mix that weighs about 70lbs( might be a bit chunky but not overweight according to the vet) and a beagle who weighs about 23lbs.
We feed blue buffalo dog food, with raw added in as often as I can.
However every winter our big dogs find every deer hide in the area (we have people who pay our landlords to hunt in the 20plus acres behind our house. I think they leave the hides behind. They have also brought back deer that where hit along our gravel road. We keep the dogs in when they are there, but the lab is loose at night as he is our "livestock" dog (keeps the critters away from the chickens, ducks, guineas and rabbits. In the morning he gets back in the house for a nice warm sleep.

So my question is, is there any harm to let him and the other two dogs enjoy the deer hides? Well I say deer hide but its the skin hair and legs etc of the deer. We had two in the front yard a bit ago when I did chores and I took pity on my two girl dogs and threw one into the fenced area they have to run in. My beagle is in heaven. She grabbed one leg and was trying to get it as far from the other two as fast as she could, but she was to short to run with that whole deer hide behind her! I brought the two big dogs inside so she would have some time to chew on it alone.

Any harm? Any thing I should watch for if I let them eat it? I figure its kinda the same as the true prey diets where they get the whole rabbit bone fur and all.

Thanks in advance.

And a picture of dogs in question just because they are so cute! In their Christmas Collar.
Apollo
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hpho...207079348_1229098590_32658570_401833545_n.jpg
Lani Girl
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hpho...5208559385_1229098590_32658577_79838689_n.jpg
Annie didn't want her picture taken with the collar on. But she does like to steal the cats toys!
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hpho...06599336_1229098590_32658568_1854140191_n.jpg

 

[Iowa Roo Mom]

Speaking from personal experiences, Diesel has been happily grazing on deer bits for nearly 10 years now, and his predecessor, Scooby, grazed on deer bits for over 18 yeats! All of my brother's cats and dogs do it as well, and have never had a problem.

 

[86121]

My Uncle gives the dogs the left overs all the time, nothing bad ever happened to them

 

[xchairity_casex]

check your local DNR office and ask about cronic wasteings disease>>>>>>>http://www.cwd-info.org/index.php/fuseaction/about.main

though it says not contagious to "domestic livestock" you really shouldnt take the chance just ask about it in your area better safe then sorry

 

[Mala]

I looked into the backyard one day and found my Anatolian chowing down on a deer leg. Juvenile, from hoof to about 2 inches of femur. No idea where she got it from as there were no other carcas peices in our yard. Called the vet and they said other than the ick factor there was nothing to worry about. If it had been in the summer heat, I might have worried. They said to just watch for an upset stomach because it was something out of the norm for her to eat. If your pups are getting it on a regular basis, I woudln't worry too much at all as long as they are on some kind of worming/heartworm meds & tick/flea prevention

 

[ambrosia]

And the pooches will gorge themselves because of pack mentality.... expect a little vomiting of hair and tallow if they cannot 'pace' themselves. I have three dogs ranging from 4 to 100 lbs.... they all race for prime chunks of leftovers

 

[abluechipstock]

Be careful, the hides can bind them up pretty bad. At the vet's office we had give many a dog the enema bucket LOL!

 

[zazouse]

Quote:
Very true they can not digest that hair and tough hide, my dogs throw it up but they are very large ,a little dog may not do so good.
My dogs also find the neighboring leftover kills that have been dumped in the far corners of our ajoing acarege.

 

[carolinagirl58]

I give my Anatolians legs and heads that have hide on them but I won't let them have a whole hide. I am afraid if they swollowed large chunks of it, it could easily block them up. Ticks and fleas are nothing to be concerned about because as soon as the animal dies, the fleas and ticks leave. They won't stay on a dead hide. I wouldn't worry about chronic wasting disease either since dogs can't get it.