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...

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!!

[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

[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.. ?

[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.

[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?

[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.

[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