Best Raw Pigs Ears for Dogs: Top Brands Compared.

Okay, let's talk about raw pig ears for dogs. I decided to give these a whirl a while back.

Why I even tried it

Honestly, I was looking for something different for my dog, Max. He gets bored easy, you know? Plus, I kept reading online stuff about how natural chews are better, supposed to be good for their teeth and all that. The usual cooked ones from the store seemed kinda... processed. I figured, how bad could a raw one be? Animals eat raw stuff all the time in the wild, right?

Getting my hands on them

Finding them wasn't super straightforward at first. Your regular pet store mostly stocks the baked or smoked kind. I ended up asking the butcher at my local grocery store. Felt a bit weird asking for raw pig ears, not gonna lie. He looked at me funny for a second, then went in the back and came out with this plastic bag full of them. They looked... well, like raw pig ears. Pale, a bit floppy, definitely not like the brown crispy things you usually see.

The first try

So, I got home, took one out. It felt kinda greasy, which I expected. I called Max over. He sniffed it like, "What is THIS?" Gave it a tentative lick. Then his eyes kinda lit up. He took it over to his favorite spot on the rug (great, I thought, grease on the rug) and just went to town on it.

It took him a while. Much longer than the cooked ones. He was really working at it, chewing and gnawing. It kept him busy for a good 45 minutes, maybe an hour. That was a big plus right there. Peace and quiet!

What I noticed

Okay, so over the next few weeks, I gave him one maybe once or twice a week. Here’s what I kinda saw:

• Kept him busy: Definitely a good long-lasting chew for him.
• He loved them: No doubt about that. He'd get super excited when he saw the bag.
• Mess factor: Yeah, they're greasy. Had to make sure he ate it on an old towel or outside. Cleaning the floor after was sometimes needed.
• The smell: They don't smell great when they're raw, kind of a faint porky smell. Not overwhelming, but noticeable up close.
• Digestion: Max seemed fine. No upset stomach or weird poops, which was something I worried about. But every dog is different, I guess.

Handling and Storage

This was important. Since they're raw meat, basically, I treated them like raw meat. Kept the bag in the freezer. Took one out maybe an hour before I planned to give it to him, let it thaw a bit but still be cold. Washed my hands like crazy after touching them. Didn't want to risk any nasty bacteria stuff, for him or for us.

My final thoughts on it

Look, was it a game-changer? Not really. Was it a decent, natural chew that kept my dog happy and busy? Yeah, pretty much. The biggest downsides for me were the grease/mess factor and needing to be careful with handling the raw aspect. It wasn't something I could just toss to him anytime, anywhere like a biscuit. Required a bit more thought and cleanup.

I don't give them as often now. Found some other long-lasting chews that are less messy. But every now and then, if I'm at the butcher anyway, I might grab a couple as a special treat. Max still goes nuts for them. So, yeah, that was my little experiment with raw pig ears. Worked out okay, just gotta know what you're getting into with the raw handling and potential mess.