So far this summer, more than 100 people in 33 states have been infected with Salmonella bacteria from dried pigs’ ear treats they gave their dogs. Although no patients have died, at least 30% have been admitted to a hospital for care.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, people can contract the illness by handling the snacks or caring for the dogs that ate them. The dogs themselves may or may not get ill.
Although personnel at state regulatory agencies and the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, have isolated Salmonella from the treats, they haven’t been able to trace infections back to a particular brand or distributor. That’s why the CDC and FDA are asking the public not to feed any pigs’ ear treats to pets, no matter when the snacks were purchased. It’s just not worth the risk.