Got Gullet?

Innovative dog chews and treats are all the rage these days. Despite the claims of their sellers, most of these products are new twists on an old theme – taking the parts of food animals that we typically discard as inedible waste and turning them into expensive and often highly sought-after dog treats. We examined a few of these chews in our previous episode. Another popular type of chew and jerky treat is one that is made from beef or bison gullets (esophagus) and tracheae. In addition to coming in a dried form as a chew, the entire neck regions of beef, lamb, chicken, and turkey are also frequently included in commercial and homemade raw diets. The question for this episode Is: Are gullets and tracheae by-products safe for dogs to consume? The Science Dog looks at recent research for some answers.