[Josh H]

I have heard negative things about Pig Ears, Cow Hooves, Raw Hide (really bad) and of course bones, but I haven’t really heard a lot of bad things about Cow ears. Are cow ears a safer alternative to a pig ear?

Also, would they be OK for a puppy?

[anonymously]

Cow ears would be processed the same way that pigs ears are.

Maybe this article will help: http://www.embracepetinsurance.com/blog/harmful-side-animal-sourced-dog-chews excerpt below, click on link to view full article.

•Cow hooves and pigs ears are what the name implies.
•Marrow bones are from the long bones of cows and pigs.
•Rawhides are the skin of cows.
•Antlers come from either deer or elk.
•So what do you think bully sticks are? Think about this one. Give up? They are bull penises! Hmm.

There are some dangers with all of these items. All of these have the potential and can cause intestinal obstructions, but equally important are the dangers that come from the way these are processed. They are first soaked for hours in a caustic lye solution to digest the undesirables off the skin and then to remove the lye the skin is then soaked in bleach solution. Sounds yummy. Many of the rawhides come from China where they have been known to use arsenic compounds to preserve them.

There is no regulation of rawhides or pigs ears. You really have no idea where these come from.

[Josh H]

Wow, thanks for the info, I am definitely avoiding those!

[InkedMarie]

I buy pig ears from Hare Today and Raw Feeding Miami has various types of these things and to my knowledge, they are safe. I believe they are “made’ differently than ones you may buy elsewhere.

[Josh H]

Well I am not sure about pig ears, but cow ears are usually 100% imported (usually from Brazil) because of US restrictions. That being said, it doesn’t really matter where you get either of them because there is a lot of data that these types of chews aren’t really safe for pets (not a lot of info on cow ears, but there is a ton of info on pig ears). I gave my old dog pig ears, but apparently they aren’t all that healthy for him (or safe) which would be some of my top concerns for my puppy.

[InkedMarie]

Look at Raw Feeding Miami; they have a whole bunch of “chew stuff” for dogs.
I’m very confident in the pig ears from Hare Today but it’s fine if you aren’t.

[Bryan B]

I never knew bully stick was bull penis!

That’s disgusting IMO – I don’t think I can get them anymore. I looked at the ingredients on my pack and it said ‘Beef pizzle’… I looked up beef pizzle and it’s true, it’s all true!

However, besides that, not all cows ears are made in China, bleached, and soaked in chemicals/preservatives, etc. I know that, for example, Pawstruck cow ears are made in the US, are 100% natural, and are free from all those bad things. But there are plenty of other good brands as well.

[Oscar D]

Cow ears are not unhealthy at all. But we use the ones that come with fur and are not processed. They stink a bit more than the regular cow ears, but they are a healthier alternative. There are several companies that offer them although they are not mainstream.

Option 1: https://bullystickscentral.com/products/hairy-cow-ears-natural-beef-ears-with-hair

Option 2: https://farmhounds.com/products/beef-ear-w-hair

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