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For centuries, many Asian cultures have consumed pig’s feet due to their high collagen content. Pig’s feet are an excellent source of nutrients for fetuses. You can find pig’s feet snacks for dogs, and dog owners are concerned about the implications of adding them to their dogs’ diets. Given below is all the information you will need about the impact of feeding pig’s feet to dogs.
Raw Pig’s Feet for Dogs
Raw pig’s feet have become a popular snack for dogs. For many years their nutritional value and after-effects on dogs’ digestive systems were unknown. However, as the years go by, you can find a lot of information about adding pig’s feet to your dog’s diet.
We know that raw pig’s feet are a cheap and reasonably accessible source of snacks for dogs. If your dog likes them, you can save lots of money by using them as treats. As the availability increases and cost decreases, the popularity of pig’s feet as dog snacks skyrockets.
There is no doubt that, much like many dog owners, you might wonder if they are safe to feed your dogs. The major concern is that they have sharp, large bones that can get stuck in a dog’s throats. The following sections will enlighten you further about the usefulness and safety of feeding pig’s feet to your dogs.
Can Dogs Eat Pigs Feet?
Dogs are natural carnivores. They derive a lot of important animal proteins and nutrients from animal food sources. Therefore, pig’s feet serve as a natural source of healthy proteins for dogs. That being said, pig’s feet are safe to be consumed by dogs. However, you should ensure you do not feed cooked pig’s feet to dogs.
Why Should Dogs Only Eat Raw Pig’s Feet?
Dogs should only consume raw pig’s feet and bones. Raw pig’s feet are great for developing a healthy digestive system and strengthening their gums and teeth. When you cook pig’s feet, it loses all their elasticity and beneficial nutrients. Cooking them makes them unfit to consume by dogs.
Feeding raw meat is not restricted to pig’s feet. You should never feed any meat product with bones to your dogs because cooking makes the bones brittle. If your dog consumes these products, the bone will likely splinter inside your dog’s throat leading to lethal consequences.
Feeding Limits
Even though pig’s feet are completely safe for your dogs, you should pose a limit to the number of treats that you give to your dogs. Your dogs can consume many beneficial nutrients from pig’s feet, but nothing is good in excess.
The biggest reason for limiting the number of pig’s feet treats is necessary because they are extremely dense in calories. Therefore, over-consuming pig’s feet can give your dog gas afterwards. It can also lead to excessive weight gain.
While the number of treats suitable for your dogs depends on their breed and size, an average of one or two treats a week should be enough.
Can Dog Eat Pig’s Feet Bones?
There is no harm in feeding dogs bones, especially if they are big and strong. It has small and brittle bones that can be a threat to your dog’s well-being. Pig’s feet are known for their large and strong bones. They cannot be swallowed whole by dogs. Therefore, they are perfectly healthy to be consumed by dogs.
However, cooked pig’s feet are an altogether different story. Cooked pig’s feet’ bones can be dangerous to dogs because they lose much of their strength and texture. They become brittle and can potentially break inside your dog’s mount, causing choking or internal bleeding. Feeding your dog human-grade bones is safe, and most animal-suited meat products have such bones.
The only thing that you should make sure of is to buy high-quality products. Since you will feed your dog the meat raw, they have a higher risk of catching animal-transmitted diseases if you buy low-grade products. Moreover, low-quality products can have preservatives that harm your dog’s digestive system.
Dehydrated Pig’s Feet for Dogs
One of the varieties of pig’s feet snacks available for dogs is dehydrated pig’s feet. However, you can choose from several varieties within this category. Some variants of dry pig’s feet have the bones removed, while some don’t. On the other hand, some are cooked before dehydration, and some are not.
As we have established before, you should only feed raw pig’s feet to dogs once, not twice a week. Therefore, if you want to feed dehydrated pig’s feet to your dogs, you will have to make a smart buying decision.
You could buy pig’s feet that were not cooked before dehydration. However, getting that information accurately is not always possible. Therefore, purchasing dehydrated pig’s feet treats that have their bones removed is your safest bet. These treats will not have brittle bones that can harm your dog.
Smoked Pig’s Feet for Dogs
The smoked pig’s feet in question are a leftover treat you might give your dog. Several things make smoked pig’s feet unsuitable for dogs. This is because not all human edibles are dog-friendly. Given below are some reasons why you should not feed them to your dogs.
Excessive Sodium
Most smoked meat, including pig’s feet, has a lot of sodium. Even though some sodium is necessary to balance a dog’s diet, they will receive from smoked pig’s feet is not ideal. It can lead to sodium ion poisoning, which can cause diarrhea, nausea, and even seizures.
Excessive Fat
The meat that humans consume is made to be too fatty—consuming such food then weakens the dog’s digestive systems. That leads to vomiting, tender abdomen, and obesity. The negative consequences of obesity on a dog’s health are too severe to be ignored.
Wrapping Up
Pig’s feet can be a delicious source of great animal protein and nutrients for dogs. However, you must always ensure they are only fed raw to your dog. Since pig’s feet are also an extensive source of fat, you must limit the number of treats you give to your pup to avoid obesity and other health issues.