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Is a beef cheek roll rawhide? What brands and veterinary sources say
Beef cheek rolls are often sold next to, or as an alternative to, rawhide. This page quotes how veterinary sources define rawhide, then what the three beef cheek roll brands in our directory say their chews are made from. None of the three pages calls its product rawhide, and none says whether any hide or skin is included, so where a page is silent we say so. Nibbables doesn't rate chews; ask your vet what suits your dog.
Last checked 2026-10-24
What each beef cheek roll page says
Quoted from each brand's product page, checked 2026-10-24. "Not stated" means we found nothing on that page about it.
Brand: product
What it's made from (quoted)
What the page says about rawhide (quoted)
Origin (quoted)
Redbarn: Beef Cheek Roll
Beef cheek rolls are natural dog chews made from the cow's cheek.
commonly chosen by pet parents looking for a highly digestible alternative to traditional rawhide
Product of Brazil, Colombia, India, Mexico or Paraguay
Raw Paws Pet Food: Beef Cheek Rolls for Dogs, 6-inch - 4-ct
Single-ingredient: Beef Cheek!
Not stated
Origin: Turkey.
Best Bully Sticks: Chicken Wrapped Beef Cheek - Medium
Not by the way the brands describe them, but the pages leave a gap. Veterinary sources define rawhide by the part of the animal and the processing: Today's Veterinary Practice says “Rawhide chews are made from the chemically processed inner hide layer”, and the AKC calls it “made from the inner layer of horse or cowhide”. The three beef cheek roll pages we checked name beef cheek as the main ingredient and none calls its product rawhide; Redbarn describes its rolls as “a highly digestible alternative to traditional rawhide”. None of the three says whether the cheek's skin is included or how it was processed, so if that matters to you, ask the brand.
Beef cheek vs rawhide for dogs: what's the difference?
The difference the sources point to is what the chew is made from and how much it is processed. Today's Veterinary Practice puts rawhides in the group of “extensively processed animal-derived chews” and says the hide “may be processed in brine (salt), degreasers, detergents, sodium bicarbonate, hydrogen peroxide, lime, or other chemicals needed to remove hair or fat, kill pathogens, and improve the appearance.” Beef cheek roll brands list beef cheek as the ingredient (Best Bully Sticks' chicken-wrapped version also lists chicken, vegetable glycerin, colors and preservatives). The article doesn't mention beef cheek rolls by name, and none of the brand pages describes its processing steps.
What is a beef cheek roll?
In Redbarn's words, “Beef cheek rolls are natural dog chews made from the cow's cheek.” Its product description adds that they are “made from the cow's entire cheek”. Raw Paws lists its rolls as “Single-ingredient: Beef Cheek!”. The three rolls in our directory list origins in South America, Mexico, India and Turkey; see the table above.
How veterinary sources define rawhide
Today's Veterinary Practice, in an article by two board-certified veterinary nutritionists, says: “Rawhide chews are made from the chemically processed inner hide layer, most commonly from cows but also other animal species (e.g., pigs, sheep, even water buffalo).” The AKC describes rawhide as “made from the inner layer of horse or cowhide”, and the ASPCA says “Rawhide chews are manufactured from animal hides.”
The same article sorts chews into groups. Under “Animal-derived products that have undergone minimal processing” it lists “Other body parts (e.g., ears, trachea, lung, hooves, antlers, horns, bully sticks, tendons, masseter muscles, skin, hides)”. Under extensive processing it lists “Rawhides” and “Compressed rawhides”. It does not mention beef cheek rolls by name.
What the brands say a beef cheek roll is
Redbarn: “Redbarn’s Beef Cheek Roll are an all-natural chew made from the cow's entire cheek.” Its ingredient line reads “Beef Cheek.”
Raw Paws Pet Food lists “Single-ingredient: Beef Cheek!”. Best Bully Sticks' chicken-wrapped roll is not single-ingredient; its list starts “Beef Cheek (Source of Collagen), Chicken, Vegetable Glycerin”.
None of the three pages says whether the cheek's skin is part of the roll, and none describes how the cheek is cleaned or dried, so we mark those as not stated. If you want to know, ask the brand directly.
Labels and testing
Today's Veterinary Practice notes that chews marketed as rawhide-free are hard to judge “because these chews are poorly regulated”, and cites a study that compared chew products with their labeling claims: “Of the 10 products tested, 2 contained skin layers (consistent with rawhides) and were therefore deemed inconsistent with their labeling.” The article doesn't name the products, so we can't say whether any beef cheek roll was among them.
Supervision, as the sources put it
The ASPCA “encourages guardians to actively observe their dog while chewing and to immediately consult a veterinarian if their pet consumes a chunk of chew material.” Redbarn says: “Always monitor your pet while rewarding with a chew and give in limited quantity if your pet is not used to this chew.” Raw Paws: “To prevent injury and choking hazard, always supervise your pet when giving any chew.”
Raw Paws Pet Food: Beef Cheek Rolls for Dogs, 6-inch - 4-ct
Ingredients (as listed)
Single-ingredient: Beef Cheek!
Made-in claim
Origin: Turkey.
Sourced-from claim
Sourced from free-range cattle raised without antibiotics, steroids, or added hormones.
Rawhide-free?
Not stated, check with them
Size / dog guidance
Ideal for Small Dogs & Puppies.
Supervision note
To prevent injury and choking hazard, always supervise your pet when giving any chew. If this chew splinters, develops sharp edges or breaks into pieces throw it away immediately.