I always wondered why there aren't a lot of pork treats for dogs. There's bacon scented treats, and that's about it.
As I was testing out this recipe, I did a lot of research on pork in different cultures. In Chinese medicine, the yin and yang principle has practical impacts on one's health. If one eats predominantly yin foods, the body will produce only yin or cool energy - darker, slower-moving and colder. In contrast, eating predominantly yang foods produces yang or warm energy - faster, hotter and much more energetic. While a balanced diet is important, one can benefit from eating more cooling foods in the summer and warming foods in the winter.
Chicken is considered yang energy, while beef and pork are considered more neutral and yin (depending on the part). The sweet flavor and cool energy of pork supports the energy of the digestive and reproductive systems. Pork also helps to generate qi and blood and is said to nourish yin.
When to treat? I usually use pork treats when Luna is recovering from infections (e.g. ear, allergies, etc.), tummy troubles, or has thrown up. The yin energy in the pork helps to cool her energy and reduce swollenness and dry cough. I’ve noticed that she calms down faster after a doggy play session or changing squirrels. Energy aside, Luna is just happy for a delicious treat!
Human friends eat potato chips, and dog friends eat Pork Chips.
