Pet chew product containing natural animal fibers, methods of manufacture and use thereof

1. A pet chew product comprising:

a molded chewable body formed of a base composition including edible resin and independent, loose particles of natural animal hair dispersed within the edible resin;

wherein:

the natural animal hair includes oils and a natural scent of a host animal from which the natural animal hair is derived; and

the natural animal hair does not include wool.

2. The pet chew product of claim 1 wherein:

the natural animal hair is present in an amount of 0.1% by weight to 50% by weight of the pet chew product.

3. The pet chew product of claim 1 further comprising:

the edible resin comprises at least one of starch, gluten, gelatin and casein.

4. The pet chew product of claim 1 wherein:

the natural animal hair is from a land mammal.

5. The pet chew product of claim 1 wherein:

the natural animal hair has a length in a range from 0.01 mm to 100 mm.

6. The pet chew product of claim 1 wherein:

the molded chewable body is in a shape of a bone.

7. A method of forming a pet chew product comprising:

providing an edible resin;

adding independent, loose particles of natural animal hair to said edible resin such that said natural animal hair is dispersed in said edible resin

providing a base composition comprising said edible resin; and

molding a chewable body from said base composition;

wherein the natural animal hair includes the natural scent and oils of a host animal from which the natural animal hair is derived; and

the natural animal hair does not include wool.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein:

the natural animal hair is dispersed within the edible resin prior to molding the chewable body.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising applying the natural animal hair to an exposed surface of the chewable body after molding the chewable body.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

mixing water with said edible resin, wherein said water is present in the range of 20% to 40% by weight of the composition; and

reducing said water content, wherein after molding the composition the water is present in the range of 1% to 20% by weight of the composition.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein:

said molding comprises injection molding the chewable body using an injection molding machine.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein adding said natural animal hair to said edible resin comprises introducing the edible resin and natural animal hair as separate components to a barrel of an extruder and mixing the dibble resin and natural animal hair in said barrel to provide an extrudate; and

said molding further comprises introducing the extrudate into the injection molding machine.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein:

the extrudate is formed into pellets prior to being introduced to the injection molding machine.

14. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

heating the base composition before said molding; and

after said molding, applying natural animal hair to an exposed surface of the chewable body prior to cooling the chewable body to ambient temperature.

15. The method of claim 7 wherein:

the natural animal hair is present in an amount of 0.1% by weight to 50% by weight of the pet chew product.

16. The method of claim 7 wherein:

the natural animal hair has a length in a range from 0.01 mm to 100 mm.

17. The pet chew product of claim 1 , wherein the natural animal fibers are also located on an exposed surface of the chewable body.

18. The pet chew produce of claim 1 , wherein said natural animal hair is present only at select portions of said chewable body.

19. The pet chew product of claim 1 , wherein said natural animal hair is present throughout said chewable body.