Pig Snouts for Dogs: A Soft Chew for Older Mouths

Ralphie is thirteen and there is not much left he can chew. That is the honest reason pig snouts are always on our stall, and it is the thing almost nobody writing about them leads with.

They are also the funniest thing we sell. Nobody has ever picked one up without holding it over their own nose first.

Are pig snouts good for dogs?

For an older dog, or any dog whose teeth are not what they were, they are one of the best things you can buy.

One ingredient, 58% protein, soft enough for a worn-down mouth, and genuinely good for teeth. That is a rare combination and it is why we stock them.

There is one claim about them that is repeated everywhere and is not true of ours, so let me deal with that first.

Are pig snouts low in fat?

No, and this is worth reading before you buy from anyone.

Ours are 22.3% fat. Go and look at how puffed snouts are sold and you will find "super low in fat", "low-fat crunchy chew", "great for dogs with stomach sensitivities due to the low fat content". Google's own summary of the topic says puffed varieties are often lower in fat than standard ones.

Puffing makes a snout lighter and airier. That is a change in texture, not in composition. The fat is still there.

Here is where ours actually sits:

Chew	Fat	Protein
Jumbo paddywack	7.5%	84.3%
Cow ear	6.4%	54.6%
Large pig ear	20%	68.4%
Puffed pig snout	22.3%	58%

A snout is very slightly richer than a pig's ear. We said the opposite on this site for a long time, and we were wrong. If your dog is on a diet, has a delicate stomach, or has had pancreatitis, this is not the chew and our low fat range is where you want to be.

For a healthy dog, as a treat, it is a lovely thing and the fat is not a problem.

The real reason to buy one: older dogs

This is what a snout is genuinely for.

As a dog gets older their teeth wear down, and one by one the chews they have enjoyed their whole life stop being an option. An antler is out. A horn is out. Most bones are out.

What tends to happen is the dog gets nothing to chew at all, and chewing is not a luxury. It settles them, it occupies them, and it is something they have done every day of their life until it was quietly taken away.

A puffed snout is soft enough for a worn-down mouth to manage. The difference it makes to an old dog who thought chewing was over is genuinely lovely to see. The rest of our senior range is picked with the same thing in mind.

Are they messy?

Yes, and this is the complaint you will find if you go looking.

The most upvoted discussion about pig snouts online is somebody calling them the worst treat they have tried, on the grounds that they are dirty and their dog could not hold one still. Both of those are fair.

A snout is a flat, awkward shape with no obvious end to grip. A dog with strong teeth and no patience will find it frustrating. It also leaves crumbs.

What that tells you is who they are for. A snout is not a chew for a strong, determined chewer who wants something to wrestle. It is a chew for a dog who wants something soft and easy. Give one to a young Labrador and you will be disappointed. Give one to a fourteen-year-old terrier and it is exactly right.

Practical tip: give it on a mat or outside, and it stops being an issue.

Why do people say pork is bad for dogs?

This one comes up a lot and it is mostly a misunderstanding.

The warning about pork is about raw or undercooked pork, which can carry parasites, and about seasoned, cured or processed pork like bacon and ham, which is far too salty and fatty for a dog. Neither of those applies to an air-dried single-ingredient snout.

Plain dried pork is fine for most dogs. The exception is a dog with a pork sensitivity, which does happen, in which case a cow ear or a rabbit ear is the swap.

How are puffed pig snouts made?

A whole snout, dried with heat and air so that it expands rather than hardening. A normal dried snout goes firm and leathery. A puffed one comes out light and crisp, with a bit of give rather than a snap.

Nothing is added. No coating, no flavouring, no preservative. It is one ingredient throughout.

Are they good for teeth?

Reasonably, and the point is that they work for dogs nothing else works for.

The chewing action still scrapes at plaque even though the texture is soft. It will not do what a hard chew does for a young dog with a full set of teeth. But for a dog who cannot use a hard chew at all, a soft chew they actually use beats a hard one sitting in the cupboard.

How long do they last?

Not long, and we are not going to dress that up.

A puffed snout is a light, crunchy chew rather than a long-lasting one. If you want something to occupy a dog for an afternoon, this is the wrong product and you should look at a buffalo horn or a jumbo paddywack instead.

Can puppies have them?

From around 12 weeks, with you watching.

The softness suits new teeth, which is the appeal. Keep them occasional rather than routine, since a puppy does not need a rich daily treat. Our 12 weeks and over range covers what else is suitable.

Do they smell?

Mildly. Less than tripe, nothing like a stuffed hoof, more than a biscuit. Nobody has ever come back and complained.

The short version

A puffed pig snout is a soft, single-ingredient chew at 58% protein, and the best answer we have for a dog whose teeth are worn down.

It is not low fat at 22.3%, whatever the rest of the internet says, and it is messy and awkward for a strong chewer. Buy it for an old dog, a small dog, or a gentle one, and it is hard to beat.

If your dog is getting on and you are struggling to find anything they can still manage, email me and tell me how old they are. I answer every message myself.