Opinions on pig ears?

[Sophist]

I've never used pig ears as snacks/chew toys for my dogs before. My husband just bought a couple to try. Just curious what everyone here had to say about them.

[Catlady711]

My boss (head vet with 30+ years in practice) says pig ears are 'doggie junk food' full of salt, preservatives, and likely to cause obesety (which can lead to diabetes), and possible allergies to the ingredients. Imported pig ears can harbor somonella which is harmful to people and animals.

Here is what a pet nutritionist says about pig ears (http://www.petdiets.com/faqs/display_faq.asp?ID=143)...

In most cases, pig ears are no problem for a dog; however, there is not one kind of "pig ears". The product is not considered a nutritional product or food if there is no nutritional statement made on the product. Therefore, it is not regulated like a food by AAFCO although clearly they are "consumed" by the dog.
Some contain a very high percentage of fat and should not be fed to overweight dogs or those intolerant of fat. If the dog swallows a piece too big, they have caused esophageal and small intestinal obstructions, and have to be retrieved by a veterinarian.

Pig ear products imported into the USA may and have carried in Salmonella, and kids have been become infected with the microbe after handling the pig ear product. So be forewarned ....


Here is information about her company and her credentials...

Founded in 1989 by Dr. Rebecca L. Remillard, Veterinary Nutritional Consultations, Inc., is an independent consulting business for professionals in the practice of veterinary medicine, for individual pet owners seeking advice, and for companies selling nutritional supplements and pet foods.

VNC makes independent nutritional evaluations and recommendations to companies on existing and potential products and also informs them of new scientific developments in veterinary nutrition. VNC receives no revenues from pet food or supplement sales


Dr. Remillard holds a B.S. and M.S. in animal science from Purdue University and the University of Maine, and in 1983 she received a Ph.D. in animal nutrition from Colorado State University. In 1987, she earned a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine and became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Nutrition in 1991. She completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Surgical Nutrition at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 1993. She has been the Clinical Nutritionist at Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston, a major metropolitan referral hospital serving more than 50,000 dog and cat cases annually, since 1993.

Dr. Remillard is founder and president of Veterinary Nutritional Consultations which has been incorporated in Massachusetts since 1993. There are fewer than sixty individuals in the world with the combined qualifications of a PhD in animal nutrition, a DVM, and Board Certification by the American College of Veterinary Nutrition. Her interests primarily lie in the area of nutrient utilization as altered by disease processes. She continues to train veterinary students, interns, residents and provide continuing education to practitioner on the subject of canine and feline nutrition. In 2004, she was an invited guest speaker at seven veterinary schools in Japan.

She served on the Executive Board of the American Academy of Veterinary Nutrition (www.aavn.org) between 1999 and 2005. Concurrently, she has served on the Executive Board of the American College of Veterinary Nutrition (www.acvn.org) since 2000; culminating as chairperson until 2006. She is considered a legal expert in the field of clinical pet nutrition, has conducted numerous clinical studies at several universities in the actual use of nutritional pet products, and has authored more than 45 publications in the field of nutrition for veterinarians. She has co-edited two editions of a major nutrition textbook, Small Animal Clinical Nutrition, for veterinarians and veterinary students. Edition IV has been translated into five languages for worldwide distribution.

Dr. Remillard has extensive relationships with professionals in veterinary medicine. She speaks annually at national and international veterinary conferences on the topic of nutrition. She has been conversing regularly with veterinarians worldwide as a Nutritional Consultant on the Veterinary Information Network since 1997, and therefore has a wide network of resources and experiences in the practice of veterinary clinical nutrition.

[Reachoutrescue]

Dogs love pig ears. But I don't. They can get stuck in the back of the dog's throat. When I was younger, we had a St. Bernard and my dad gave her a pig ear. She loved it, but it got jammed in her throat. My dad had to stick his hand in her mouth, down her throat and pull it out...needless to say, she never got another pig ear!! Please if you give your dogs them, watch them real close as they are eating it. Good luck and be careful.

[Vela]

You couldn't pay me money to feed pig ears to my dogs, rawhide either. No way, no how.

[critter crazy]

pig ears can be very dangerous! mine dont get them andnever will JMo.

[pitc9]

I give mine pigs ears.
They only get them when I am home and watching them.
They both eat them slow and chew them up good (if they didn't I would give them to them)
I'm sure it also has to do with the size of the dog. My dogs being German Shepherds, are bigger dogs and IMO would have less of a chance choking than a smaller dog eating one.
I know they are "doggie junk food" but hey.. I give myself snacks once in a while too!! :o

[Joannie]

If you look at some of the pig ears you will see a coating, or droplets of fat,I used to give my boyz pig ears and then I noticed that awhile after they would have diarrhea. I also agree about getting stuck in the throat and causing damage, NO TO PIG EARS! Joann

[borzoimom]

My dogs love pig ears- but its not worth the problems so they do not get them- except once in a blue moon ( hasn't been a blue moon in a long time).. also- since I feed raw, I do not want the gut to slow down the digestion of the raw- .. And pig ears do- ..

[Sophist]

Glad I asked here! Most of what I could find searching on my own was pretty positive, but I didn't quite trust it because most of the websites either sold them or had links to sellers.

I am still thinking that I may let my big girl try one under close supervision after the beagles go to bed, but I'm not sure.

[luvofallhorses]

Pigs ears aren't neccessarily good for dogs.. they are just dangerous since they are so big and then a dog could have an obstruction easily, just like with rawhides. I watched on the new show on Animal Planet --
E-vet Interns, things your pets swallow and one of these 2 black labs that are sisters ate a whole 2 lb. bag of pig ears. the dog was given I don't remember what it was called to make her throw up and she was fine. Mine only get pig ears once in awhile and that is once in a blue moon. just like twice a year they get them. they don't get rawhides often, either. I just give them dog biscuits for treats or canine carryouts.

[Glacier]

I give them out as special treats to some of the dogs. Earle and Paxil can't handle the fat in them, so they get other chewies. The dogs love them and I've never had a problem with them. They really are doggy junk food though so I don't give them out often.

[lizbud]

I don't give the pups pig ears very often, but they both love them.
In fact it's the only treat that Smokey won't give up to Maggie, no matter
how much she begs him. :)

[BC_MoM]

Mine get pig ears and they love them. :)

[Kfamr]

The only way my dogs would get pigs ears is if they were given as a gift. I do not/will not buy them.

They do no good for my dogs, although they do enjoy them, there are hundreds of healthier treats that the enjoy just as much. :)

[dragondawg]

I've never used pig ears as snacks/chew toys for my dogs before. My husband just bought a couple to try. Just curious what everyone here had to say about them.

I agree with the Catlady post on the information posted about possible fat vs diet problems for diabetic, and for that matter dogs with past pancreatitis problems. They are probably loaded with salt which again could cause problems in some dogs with prior health problems. Healthy dogs with no prior problems should be ok if not given in excess. But for dogs with prior health problems you'd need to consult with your Vet.

As someone noted below if a dog ate a whole bag of pig's ears, or swallowed a lot of rawhide it might cause obstruction problems. But one pig ear? Probably not. I'm assuming the pig ear is not that large. My previous Golden/Lab mix would consume 1/2 of an 11" rawhide bone in a single night if I allowed her to- she could really work a rawhide bone over quickly, mostly the long stem part. Never had any problems when it occured. But I wouldn't want a toy breed dog try the same thing. My current two get raw hide chips every morning. They expect to receive them! The moment I head towards the bag, it's woo-woo-woo and bark time, followed by running up the stairs and waiting at the top of the staircase. It's either that or I later find a phone book shredded on the floor. The one knows how to get back at me.

Per rawhide I've always tried to look for American or domestic rawhide. I've seen mold and the like on S. American rawhide all too often.

[Roxyluvsme13]

I didn't know there was anything wrong with them.. and you could always buy the more natural ones from a place like a natural pet supply.. ?

[Jan Fulton]

Hi, this is the first time I have EVER been in a talk group. My darling little dog died yesterday, and I need someone to talk to. She was playing with out neighbors dog, and all of a sudden, she backed up, yelped real loud, and fell over. when I got to her, she took a last breath and then died. I have cried constantly for 24 hours and dont think I can cry anymore. she was four years old, no health problems that I know of, but the vet, when I took her in to have her cremated, said it sounded like an embolism??? Never heard of this, does anyone else know of this?? thanks for letting me vent. Jan

[husky 1]

so sorry to hear this news jan , i think embolism is something to do with the heart, but not too sure.

[Vela]

Hi, this is the first time I have EVER been in a talk group. My darling little dog died yesterday, and I need someone to talk to. She was playing with out neighbors dog, and all of a sudden, she backed up, yelped real loud, and fell over. when I got to her, she took a last breath and then died. I have cried constantly for 24 hours and dont think I can cry anymore. she was four years old, no health problems that I know of, but the vet, when I took her in to have her cremated, said it sounded like an embolism??? Never heard of this, does anyone else know of this?? thanks for letting me vent. Jan

I'm sorry to hear of your dog's passing=( You will probably get more responses to this if you post it with it's own title. Start a "new thread" and repost this with it's own title. I don't think many people will see it here. Just hoping to help you get more of a response. Again, I'm sorry for the loss of your girl.

An embolism or aneurysm can happen at any time, even to people. An embolism is a blood clot, that can form and then travel to the heart or lungs or brain and stop all blood flow to that area. An aneurysm is the rupture of a major blood vessel in the heart or brain etc.

[lyonmild]

:mad: :mad: :mad: My 13 mo old Miniature Pinscher is in the hospital now since Saturday morning with a bacterial infection in her GI system that has affected her liver now. She is on IV antiobiotics (2) and has not eaten or drank anything for 4 days now. She had vomitted 5x in an hour and had diarrhea with some blood in it. I took her right in and the vet diagnosed bacterial gastroenteritis from eating pig ear. One study has shown that 46% of pig ears are laden with Salmonella, 13% were resistant to more than one antibiotic, and 4% resistant to more than 4 different antibiotics. I hope my pup lives through this. Please do not give to your dog and research it on the internet. I am printing out researched info and taking it to the pet shops in the area in hopes they will become enlightened and stop selling this product. I hope this saves other pets from a painful and possibly fatal occurence.

[Vela]

Thank you for posting that. I never feed them to my dogs but your post is a good warning about what could possibly happen with feeding pig ears or rawhides. I do hope your baby pulls through and has no lasting ill effects. That must be very scary.

[pitc9]

Hi, this is the first time I have EVER been in a talk group. My darling little dog died yesterday, and I need someone to talk to. She was playing with out neighbors dog, and all of a sudden, she backed up, yelped real loud, and fell over. when I got to her, she took a last breath and then died. I have cried constantly for 24 hours and dont think I can cry anymore. she was four years old, no health problems that I know of, but the vet, when I took her in to have her cremated, said it sounded like an embolism??? Never heard of this, does anyone else know of this?? thanks for letting me vent. Jan

Jan - I am so sorry for your painfull loss, all of us here at PetTalk love our pups more than life itself so we understand how painfull it is when we loose a pet. Especially when it's so unexpected and as quickly as you lost yours.
Please take comfort in knowing that your sweet pup is running free at the Rainbow Bridge with all of the other loved pets that have pasted before yours.

[lyonmild]

Thanks for the support, My Min Pin is a little better today, fever is down and she is off the IV, still not eating or drinking yet. I went and held her for about an hour this morning and she fell right asleep. I am so mad at myself. I should have known better with my education. Just wanted to make my pup happy by giving her something tasty and tough to chew on.. a pig ear.

Jan, I hope you remember all of the happy times with your pup. You gave her a wonderful life, remember that and smile through your tears girl.
Peace and love to all who are suffering with and for their animals.

[pitc9]

My Min Pin is a little better today, fever is down and she is off the IV, still not eating or drinking yet. I went and held her for about an hour this morning and she fell right asleep. I am so mad at myself.

Glad to hear she's doing better today!
What is her name?
Don't be mad at yourself! It was a freak thing that happened! Tons of people give their pets pig ears and nothing happenes to them! It's not your fault!

[finn's mom]

I don't claim to know any scientific reasons or real safety issues with pigs ears or rawhides. I just know that the pig's ears smell like crap. :) I walked around sniffing the carpet for almost an hour one day when I had a roommate with a young Siberian Husky. I could have sworn I smelled urine, but Nikolai was already nearly 100% potty trained. Turned out, it was the pig's ear he was eating outside! That was the last time I ever bought one! As for rawhides, I just think they're gross. They get wet when the dog chews on them, then they dry in the carpet, and blech. I wouldn't give them stuff like that inside anyway, but I did give a rawhide inside once and saw what it did, and again, I'll never get another one. Any treat or food or toy can be dangerous at some point, nothing is 100% safe, really. And I don't claim to know if pig's ears or rawhides are any more dangerous than anything else. My reasons for not giving them are just that they're nasty. :D

[Vela]

The main problem with pig ears and rawhides, if they get a chunk off, or try to swallow it before its small enough, they can get stuck in the throat or intestine and can't digest,which often leads to be breeding ground for bacteria that can make them really sick. No chew is 100% safe, but safer choices are raw meaty bones and/or bully sticks (100% digestible as it is muscle and not the skin [rawhide]). Even if they do end up getting a bigger piece down, it will digest and is less likely to get caught in the throat or intestines. ANY chew can be harmful, for myself personally there are some that just aren't worth the increased risks they may pose. I also don't feed greenies, but many do without incident, I just choose not to. I only give mine bully sticks or the inedible nylabones. I also watch for any signs of breakage or damage and remove them if needed.

[finn's mom]

inedible nylabones.

haha, that's funny. ;) i wish finn and freckles realized that those are inedible! ;)

[GreyhoundGirl]

I've never used them. Just haven't gotten around to it. My aunts huge GSD ate tem all the time and lived to 14 so I don't think there is anything wrong with feeding them. :)

[mike001]

When my dogs get pig ears, they are fresh from the butcher shop. I feed raw, and never give stuff like that to the dogs. Good old raw bones for them. :)

[finn's mom]

I've never used them. Just haven't gotten around to it. My aunts huge GSD ate tem all the time and lived to 14 so I don't think there is anything wrong with feeding them. :)

I'm not saying this to pick on you or your statement, and I'm also not saying that rawhides are the worst thing available or comparable to smoking cigarettes (which I'll use in an example). I'm just saying that the mentality of "my dog ate this for his whole life and lived to be 15 so that means it's safe" is just a little outdated. I've known humans who've lived to be 100 even though they smoke cigarettes for 80 years. Doesn't make it healthy or safe just because it's possible. ;)

[Sophist]

For what it is worth, I have decided it is not worth the worry, and the bag of tpig's ears has been tossed out. I only allow the biggest to have rawhide, and only occasionally under close supervision. I don't allow any of my dogs to have greenies. Looks like pigs ears are going to be added to that list. Thanks everyone for your input.

[lyonmild]

My Min Pin named Jet is back on the IV since her bloodwork showed she was needing more hydration and was not drinking at all. No diarrhea today and no vomiting. I am going to go see her this eve and let her sleep in my arms in a blanket. She falls asleep so fast and stops shaking. A cold metal cage, even with a blanket with all the lights and noises is very scary. I want to thank you all for your love and concern and support. It has made me feel better all day.

Jan, how are you coping?

[Vela]

I'm sorry she had to go back on IVs. I really hope she will start feeling better and be able to go home soon.

[Vela]

haha, that's funny. ;) i wish finn and freckles realized that those are inedible! ;)

LOL I hear that. Some dogs just can't have things like that, they just chew too aggressively. I only used the nylabones when they were puppies anway, they chew through anything now haha. I gnerally just give the raw bones and bully sticks myself.