Baby and Rawhide Chew Toys

We have a puppy who loves to chew on the rawhide chews, and I recently heard something about that being dangerous for our baby (9 months) if he puts it in his mouth. Does anyone know anything about this? Are some brands of rawhide safer than others? Our baby has put the chews in his mouth several times, and I wasn't worried about it until now.

I have read that raw hide chew toys are dangerous for babies because they can harbor bacteria (I think they specifically mentioned salmonella in the article I read) that can cause serious illness. I believe that it is one of those across the board safety guidelines, and doesn't apply to some brands or shapes any more than others. The recommendations that I heard are: that your pet should only use these chews in an area away from your baby; that you should remove all left over pieces and discard them (if your pet doesn't finish the raw hide in one sitting); and that you should be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after handling raw hide.

Okay, I just have to put in my 2-cents' worth here, and I hope not to piss anyone off...

Isn't it just plain common sense that you NOT let your baby play with a slimy toys, WHATEVER is may be, that your dog(s) have been slobbering all over? I say this as the mother of a 2yo, with one on the way, who has 2 dogs in the house. Add to that the fact that our child is a thumb-sucker, so WHATEVER is touched ends up in the mouth, at least indirectly.

I love our dogs, and yes, they love their rawhide toys... but, I do not personally enjoy it when they want me to join them in playing with these things! And, it just seems like common sense that you not let the baby join the dogs, either... and, yes, for heavens' sake, WASH YOUR HANDS, and the baby's hands, FREQUENTLY. This would hold, even if you don't have dogs.... at least, imho.

No don't let your child chew on or handle the rawhide chews. Earlier this year salmonella was found in dog snacks (i.e., pigs ears, cattle hide, etc.). Salmonella can cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea. Although no known human cases were attributed to the affected products, it isn't worth the risk.