Mornin' Gail
Hadn't heard the disease angle to pig's ears. My Labs love them, too. I had heard that they present a choking hazard to some dogs and they are kind of high in cholesterol. My vet didn't say anything about diseases, but said to limit them to 1 ear a month and then to watch them to make sure they don't get too excited and choke on them.
Goat hooves are another treat that my Labs love. Takes 'em about a month to chew one down to the nub.
They carry parasites that processing doesn’t kill is what she told me..and the parasites can cause damage in the intestinal tracts in dogs. I started reading the labels on the things I buy Rocket and all to many of them are from foreign countries. She said the beef hide things are ok, just not the pork ones. Chicken jerky is okay too. Rock loves those but they don’t last long.