News Hounds Ady & Flo www.sunlive.co.nz

It was an exciting day that the boss emerged from the shop with a new throw ball and a mystery bag of goodies.

I knew the throw ball meant good things but I was kept in trepidation for at least half an hour before he revealed the contents of the mystery bag: pigs' ears.

Now these have long been considered a delicacy amongst the canine fraternity, but me being of such youthful inexperience, I had no idea what they were for.

Was the boss making a start on a kitset pig? Perhaps it was like one of those hobby magazines, where you get the ears one week, a short curly tail the next, and gradually build yourself a whole snorting, rooting, oinking pile of live bacon after just 188 instalments. Well no, it turns out the pigs' ears were treats for moi. I've always wanted a pig's ear. Trouble is, I couldn't see how I could get a pig to stand still long enough for me to chew one off. Turns out, pig's ears are removed from the pig after its been, well, baconised.

I excitedly ripped the first one to smithereens and devoured it in a methodical fashion. Yum. Then a few days later, due to my excellent behaviour, of course, I was rewarded with another one. That was so exciting, I must have swallowed it whole. Unfortunately within hours of demolition, I proceeded to be violently ill for 24 hours. I won't go into details because this is a family show, but suffice to say, there were more pig remains scattered around the lawn than the day Kermit went troppo with a machete. (Not sure if that really was the theme of a Sesame Street episode, but it makes a good story.)

I was even too ill to chase the neighbour's cat. Although I did wonder if a cat chaser might have smoothed the lining of my innards.

The boss lady looked up ‘pigs' ears' on the internet and was horrified to read that pigs' ears can contain all sorts of nasty bacteria and according to the World Wide Web,
can lead to pancreas issues and a whole lot
of nasties.

A chat with Joerg from Mount Vet Hospital revealed that it was more likely the speed of consumption that caused the problems. They're meant to be chewed up slowly, not wolfed down like a fat boy in a spaghetti eating competition. Ady knows how to eat slowly. Sometimes it takes her days, which drives me nuts.

Well there won't be any more ear treats in our house. That will be a relief to the pigs.

I know many of my fellow canines have been enjoying them without fuss for years, but I guess I won't be getting any more.

So again I survived yet another medical misadventure. I'm feeling fine now, thanks again to Joerg for his wonderful advice.

Till next week, take care out there, remember to chew properly and floss afterwards. Not with the cat.