Does It Get Better Over Time?
For bacterial issues, no, not really. However, for oral and choking concerns, yes.
In terms of pathogens, it is true that your dog’s immune system improves as it ages, but even the healthiest dogs can suffer from salmonella because it is such a powerful bacteria that can cause severe illnesses.
Luckily, however, oral issues get better over time as your dog’s gum lines become tougher as it ages. Once it is an adult dog, you do not really have to worry about cuts forming in your dog’s mouth. The same applies for choking concerns, but this is something that you still have to be careful of.
It all depends on the product: if your dog is chewing on a pig ear that is too large to swallow or small enough to swallow safely, then your adult dog should be fine.
However, in general, adult dogs tend to be safer when it comes to pig ears because they have wider throats. Therefore, this safety concern really gets better when your puppy is older, so wait till then!
3 Safety Concerns With Pig Ears for Puppies
The thing about pig ears is that though they are made to be completely edible, there are other aspects of it that could make the treat potentially poisonous for the puppy.
Along with harmful bacteria strains, there are physical concerns such as it being a choking hazard and other oral issues that come with pig ears.
Unfortunately, pig ears are not produced in the most sanitary conditions. More often than not, it is, in fact, considered to be a waste in the process of slaughtering pigs.
Because humans tend to throw them away, pig ears can be found with all the additional organs that butchers would not sell at the butcher shop.
For this reason, even if these pig ears are dried, if they are not sanitized properly, there are various harmful bacteria that are growing and populating on these pig ears.
Now, these bacteria can prove to be very dangerous for both humans and dogs because, as we have mentioned, there are so many different pathogens that cause sicknesses in the insides of a pig. The most notable one and the most common one is salmonella.
In fact, this dangerous characteristic of pig ears was the cause of a recent salmonella outbreak in 2019 during which the government made an official statement telling all pig ear producers to temporarily stop producing them and making the consumers aware of the risks of providing pig ears to their dogs.
The main problem with salmonella is that though it does not kill, it can cause sicknesses in both humans and dogs. This means that if the human gets sick along with the dog, then the dog can not receive proper care, especially if the owner is the only one that the dog knows and, therefore, can trust.
Luckily, however, salmonella tends to be an easier fix for humans because there have been many different ways that have developed over time to cure or alleviate salmonella infection symptoms.
On the other hand, this is not necessarily true for dogs. It is crucial that you are careful of bacteria, especially when you are feeding pig ears to puppies with weak immune systems.
Although this applies to many other chew treats/toys that are available on the market today, this fact is especially true for puppies and pig ears.
Just like beef jerky, pig ears are made out of dried meat. This means that the treat itself is a lot more chewy and, therefore, more difficult to break down with the teeth before swallowing it.
Obviously, this was the point of the product:
You want to have dogs chewing on the treat for as long as possible before they go onto soften it up enough to be able to swallow it without a problem. Unfortunately, dogs do not think the same way when they are chewing on pig ears.
The scent and taste of meat only encourages them to hastily gobble up the consumable chew toy, just like candy for us. Although the process of swallowing it after breaking it apart is not the pleasant part, we are still inclined to swallow them as soon as possible because of how sweet it tastes.
The same applies for dogs and pig ears.
However, pig ears tend to be much more dangerous as they are brittle, hard, and difficult to chew. This means that if it ends up lodged in your dog’s throat, it will be very challenging for you to dislodge it without professional help.
However, you have to try until help arrives. What you can do in such cases is to perform the Heimlich maneuver:
Choking hazards apply for all dogs, but because of how hard and brittle pig ears are as a chew treat and how small the throat of puppies are, we really do not recommend that you feed your puppies pig ears.
Compared to the other health concerns listed above, this health concern is relatively minor. As your puppy chews on pig ears, because of how brittle the treats are at times, its gum lines can be severely agitated, to the point where there are cuts and scratches.
Usually, this would not be much different from a normal scratch on your dog’s legs, but for puppies, these injuries can be fatal.
Not because it excessively bleeds, but because of its weak immune system and high risk of bacterial infection.
Your dog’s mouth is one of the regions in which the largest amount of bacteria exist.
Now, this does not necessarily mean that your dog’s mouth is bad, but it can contain pathogens that should not be in your dog’s bloodstream. In such cases, infections may arise. Luckily, most infections are not fatal; they are only minor inconveniences.
However, you still do not want your best friend to suffer from a cut in its mouth! This problem might get better when your puppy becomes an adult, but right now, its gum lines are too soft. You would be risking it of bacterial infection, so please be careful.
What age can Puppies have antlers?
Our Split Deer Antlers are a perfect chew for puppies from 10 weeks of age. The split antlers are slightly easier on the teeth so perfect for teething puppies. The inside of the antler is much like a honeycomb texture which most dogs love to chew at.
Pig Ear Treats Causing Disease in People and Dogs
Cue the butt wiggles! Pig ears are a popular treat our canine companions love to chew away on. But are pig ears good for dogs?
Pig ears do provide some enrichment and novelty as a yummy snack, but like any other treat, they shouldnt be fed on a regular basis.
Pig ears for dogs are made out of, quite literally, pig ears. And although it may sound strange to some, these are a widely loved dog treat! The pinna, or flap of the ear, is used to make these treats and consists of skin, cartilage, and little muscle. Once harvested and dehydrated, pig ears can be chewed and digested for your furry friend to enjoy. ‘
These soft, long-lasting chews are a great source of enrichment. By giving your pooch a fun (not to mention delicious!) activity to keep her preoccupied, you can prevent signs of boredom like chewing up furniture, excessive licking, or barking.
Plus, chewable treats like pig ears can help clean your pups teeth by gently removing plaque and tartar, too. So whats not to love?