FDA And CDC Warning: Reconsider ‘Pig Ear Treats’ For Your Dog

I don't know about your dog friends, but when I had the joy of being a dog mom in the past, by far my dogs' favorite treats tended to be the 'pig ear' treats. I doubt I would buy them for my dog if I had one today, for various other reasons. Despite any other concerns with them, this may definitely cause you to consider choosing an alternative.

The FDA and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control Prevention have warned in the past not to purchase the treats due to a multi-state salmonella outbreak that included the pig ear treats.

The CDC had reported that "a total of 127 people infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella have been reported from 33 states." Thankfully, no deaths were reported, but 26 people were admitted to the hospital.

In case you're not familiar with the symptoms of salmonella infection in dogs, look for signs of diarrhea, possible fever or vomiting, and signs of fatigue. In humans, symptoms may also include diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps. Honestly, after a year of a global pandemic the last thing any of us want is to be sick.

As always, make sure you wash your hands thoroughly after feeding or playing with your animal friends. Obviously, we're all used to washing our hands right now anyway. Hopefully, anyway.

There are better options out there. Not to mention--think about how icky those pig-ear treats after your dog has spent any amount of time chewing on them. Ew. Just thinking about it makes me want to go and wash my hands. Again.