[q m]

My Vet told us specifically to switch from a dog food that was rated high here because it contained pork. He said dogs should NEVER be fed pork, and that is very bad for their digestive system. Now we feed him a 3-star food that he recommended. I see pork being recommended on this site.

What gives?

[Anonymous]

I don’t feed pork to my dogs. Pork in itself is as harmless to dogs as chicken, beef or any other meat. However, there is a slight risk of your dog being infected with trichinosis by eating pork.
Besides, I think pork has more salt/preservatives….I think of it as a processed food.

[Bobby dog]

Hi g m:
Were you feeding raw pork?

[theBCnut]

There have been some reports that some dogs can’t handle processed pork fat. If your dog doesn’t have an issue, I wouldn’t worry about it.

My dogs eat pork regularly, however it’s raw pork. Commercially raised pork has next to no danger of Trichinosis anymore, because of the practices used when raising it. Pork that is raised more humanely needs to be frozen at 0 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 2 weeks before feeding it raw, I freeze for longer, just because I always lose it in the bottom of the freezer.

[crazy4cats]

gm-
There are many humans that do not eat pork. Many consider them a dirty scavenger animal that carries toxins. Some do not eat it due to religious beliefs.
I have fed my two dogs two different kibbles that contained pork in the last few months. They did well on both. They were Eagle Pack and California Natural brands. They both have sensitive digestive systems.
Just as with any meat, I think it depends on how the animal was raised and if the meat is then prepared properly for consumption.
How is your dog doing on the new food?

[q m]

No…no raw pork. I was feeding my dog Eagle Pack, and the vet told us that was NOT good because it contains pork.

Also, i see a lot of the chewables are of pork (rawhides, ears, etc). What is the consensus on these pork items? So far, I’ve stuck with beef chewables, from what the Vet said about pork.
My dog has been eating the Iams adult dry food for the last 2 years with no known issues…only rated a 3 of 5 here.
Thanks
QM

[Anonymous]

http://www.embracepetinsurance.com/blog/harmful-side-animal-sourced-dog-chews
http://www.embracepetinsurance.com/pet-care/dangers-of-rawhide

They are junk, treated with toxic chemicals, imo

Also, listen to what the homeopathic vets have to say, some of it makes sense
http://vitalanimal.com/natural-dental-prevention/
I give my dogs an occasional frozen beef marrow bone to chew on, however, these are not without risk. They can chip a tooth, and one of my dogs had to go to the emergency vet because of abdominal pain and vomiting, x-ray showed calcified material in her colon and stomach, luckily it passed.

A raw carrot is a good treat. But don’t be alarmed if you see carrot chunks in their feces….they don’t digest veggies well.

[neezerfan]

Last week I specifically asked my vet about pork in dog food. Back in the day I had always heard don’t feed pork to your dog so I was skeptical to see it being sold. She said it’s perfectly fine because it’s de-fatted. Reo has food sensitivities so I’m looking for another novel protein for him. Pork will be my next choice.

[theBCnut]

As far as pork body part treats, like pig ears, they are part of the reason that pork got a bad name. If your 5-10 lb dog eats a whole pig ear, it might eat way too much fat and get pancreatitis. I don’t think that makes pork bad, but the owner of the small dog might.

What LM said about all the chemicals in them is very true of the cheap ones. They have some pretty awful stuff in them. There are natural ones. They cost more and you still have to make sure your dog doesn’t eat too much of them.

[Susan]

Hi, Patch has intolerances to certain foods, Patch does real well on pork.. Even Hills has made a new vet prescription diet wet tin food with Pork liver & of cause pork by-products like most vet diets they use by-products… I’ve also read that pork is good if your dog has food sensitivities/intolerances as pork isn’t in many dog foods YET & chances are your dog hasn’t eaten pork & can be used in elimination diets….

[Dog_Obsessed]

Huh…I’ve never heard anyone recommend not to feed dogs pork kibble. My vet recommended it as a novel protein for my dog’s elimination diet, and so I have been using Acana Singles Pork and Butternut Squash. It is hard to tell if it is working or not, especially since we found out she also has environmental allergies, but she didn’t do badly on it.

As for Pork treats/chews, I have occasionally heard of contamination issues, or dogs having issues with the fat, but I think they are generally fine if from a reputable company, and of course, supervised to make sure the dog doesn’t choke or consume too much in one sitting.

[C4D]

It’s funny, but I have several dog friends that are shocked when I’m crockpot cooking a whole pork loin for my dogs. They always think dogs shouldn’t eat pork. I trim any excessive fat and they just LOVE it! I totally agree with BC on the pig ears and small dogs. I have large dogs and they get them in a rotation and haven’t had a problem. I did try pork for my foster that seems to have some allergy issues, but it didn’t seem to work for her. She’s on a limited ingredient Turkey canned/kibble & raw turkey and seems to be doing well.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 7 months ago by C4D.

[Naturella]

Personally I have only fed Back to Basics Open Range or something like that and Victor that contain some pork meal but not as the main ingredient. Bruno has had a pig ear in 3 sittings and a pork sausage wrapped in some other pork dried puff or something like that in 3+ sittings, and small pig snouts 1/sitting. He doesn’t have it very often, but does ok on it. I have fed him a couple of pork neck pieces (raw) after having kept them frozen up a few weeks like BC nut said. He did fine. So from my experience pork is ok in a cautious manner and I would use it in kibble and raw.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 7 months ago by Naturella.

[Patti S]

My dog does better on Pork than he does with Chicken! I use tenderloin fillets and I trim the fat.
You won’t find a large difference between the calories in pork tenderloin, ham, bone-in pork chops, and skinless chicken breasts, legs and thighs. Pork tenderloin has the fewest, with 93 calories in a 3-ounce serving, while ham contains 116 calories, which is the highest of the six samples. All six provide about the same amount of protein: 16 to 19 grams in 3 ounces.
You should thoroughly cook all pork, so don’t use it if you feed your dog a raw diet. But once cooked, Pork in itself is as harmless to dogs as chicken, beef or any other meat.
That said, if you would like to feed Pork raw, it is recommended that it be frozen for 3 weeks to kill potential parasites.

[C4D]

Hi Patti S

Just a word of caution. I would never recommend ham since it’s a cured product and has a really high sodium content. Ham should never be part of a dog’s diet. Any other fresh pork with fat trimmed off, is absolutely fine!

[Jonathan S]

Just to throw in my two cents… trichinosis is almost completely unheard of in modern, first world pork products. You can cook pork rare for yourself or family without worrying about it anymore. Same goes for your dog. The advice on freezing for a significant time is also good unless you are serving walrus or polar bear.

My dogs don’t do very well with pork as a protein source, so I don’t serve it only for that reason. I don’t think it is harmful in itself… it’s just that people are only now starting to include it and the old fears are still there.

[Patti S]

Hi C4D,
I didn’t say ham, I said Pork Tenderloin. And I trim off the excess fat, too.
As long as the pork is cooked, neither you or your dog will get Trichinosis.

To those of you concerned with Trichinosis, any raw meat can get you or or dog sick, it can be a source of E. coli and Salmonella. Aside from that, many people don’t realize that raw or under-cooked chicken, beef, or lamb can carry parasites too!

In closing, I leave you with this happy thought, we trust the cattle, pork and chicken producers to keep their livestock wormed on a regular basis, but over 50% of animals that go to slaughter are parasite infected. The bottom line is cook the meat you and your pets eat.

[C4D]

Hi Patti S,

Sorry, but you did say ham. Here’s your post from farther up:

“You won’t find a large difference between the calories in pork tenderloin, ham, bone-in pork chops, and skinless chicken breasts, legs and thighs. Pork tenderloin has the fewest, with 93 calories in a 3-ounce serving, while ham contains 116 calories, which is the highest of the six samples. All six provide about the same amount of protein: 16 to 19 grams in 3 ounces.”

That’s why I cautioned about ham. I generally feed commercially processed raw and home cooked when using meat for human consumption. I do agree that you never really know what’s in the meat you are buying. 😉

Would you mind posting a link regarding undercooked beef and lamb? Do you mean less than Rare on a meat thermometer? I couldn’t find that, other than hamburger or ground meat, which needs to be cooked longer.

Trichinosis can be killed, if pork is properly cut to the right portion prior to freezing. Here’s the CDC:

http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/trichinellosis/gen_info/faqs.html

[Brad N]

We have two small dogs, a Pom/Shih zue and a Yorkie/Chee WahWah. We have been feeding them home made dried pork treats for almost two years. We slice up pork roast as thin as we can and dry it in a dehydrator. We do the same with chicken. They like the pork better than the chicken by far.

The dehydrator heats the meat up to 170F. We dry it for around 8 hours till it is almost the consistency of potato chips.

We also make our own dog food from ground chicken, but that’s fodder for a different discussion. We’ve been making the dog food for about 4 years, with praises from our vet on their health.

[Linda G]

So…I have a 10 month old Great Pyr who got some pork roast last Friday. Saturday morning he had diarrhea very bad. I call our vet and she asked right away what I had fed him. I told her about giving him pork and she said not to feed him pork at all. She says that most often when she gets calls like mine, it is because owners have fed their dogs pork, even in the smallest of quantities.

I am wondering about other Pyr owners and if they have found their dogs to have sensitive stomachs.

[Susan]

My boy does really well on pork, it depends on the cut of pork some cuts have less fat then other cuts, also was there any fat on the pork?
I make pork rissoles baked in oven, when I made the turkey breast rissole Patch had diarrhea, I didn’t know if it was the turkey or the egg I added, so now I don’t add any egg when making the rissoles, I haven’t tried making the lean turkey breast mince rissoles again……

Have you thought about having the Jean Dodds NutriScan Salvia testing done…. read link then click on the blue NutriScan next to Hemopet up top & read about the rope salvia test & what foods it test for…

https://www.tumblr.com/drjeandoddspethealthresource/25934674990/dog-food-sensitivity-versus-dog-food-allergy

[Susan]

This whole link came up & the NutriScan link didn’t come up, here is the salvia rope test & what foods it test for….. http://www.nutriscan.org/

[JEN R]

I have been feeding my dog raw primal food and switch the proteins every few weeks. I have given her pork a few times without a problem. This last time she became very ill on it with horrible uncontrollable diarrhea.I had 2 trips to the vet and after a week she was put on antibiotics for the stomach to sooth the damage done by so much irritation from her runs. I fasted her for 24 hours but when reintroducing the pork she again became very ill. I like the primal company but their bags are compromised at times so pay close attention to both the date on bag and discoloration of the raw burgers or ice in it. Mine were dark and light streaked colors which they should not be, and the bag only had a month left till it expired.Also pieces of ice in it. I hope primal will refund me as the pet store would not. I feel so bad I fed her a food I trusted that made her sick. Make sure you get a bag that has at least 6 months till it expires. I just bought rabbit and there is a year that it is good for. My dog does well with rabbit.

[mark f]

Great job guys. Now I know I can feed my dog raw pork, crock pot cooked pork, sub zero frozen pork (after 2 weeks or, no pork at all. But I could be taking a risk that my dog may get trichinosis and have a hard time passing the spelling B when he gets to 2nd grade. Will he still
be good at math? So much for the question…”Pork? Yes or, No?” Seems that perhaps a more specific question would have been more suitable for this group?

[C4D]

Hi mark f,

There is no perfect food for all dogs. As you can see by the discussion, some dogs do the best, some have extreme problems, some do just fine. It also depends on the cut of pork. If it’s too fatty, it can cause problems, especially if the portion is too large for the size of the dog. While many people say chicken is the big offender in dog foods, I haven’t had any problems with chicken in any form and the current dogs in my household. I’ve actually had a couple of dogs that had problems with proteins that should be easily digested.

My point, and the discussion shows that you have to find the food that works for your dog. The only way you’ll know is if you try it.

[Rox B]

I feed my GSD a raw diet and feed raw pork as a regular staple with no problems. I freeze it 3 weeks before serving just to be on the safe side. I do not feed any cooked foods and would not advise feeding any dog pork (or any foods) loaded with human flavorings or processed pork like bacon. A raw diet is species appropriate and superior to any kibble. Join my Facebook group if your interested in learning how to feed raw. https://www.facebook.com/groups/LearningRawWithRoxane/

[Melanie B]

I feed my dogs Boka pork dog food. Never had any concerns with it. You will NOT get trichinosis from a cooked product, this parasite only comes from raw pork. Pork used in dog foods is also not treated or salted (that’s ham), it is the same thing as a pork loin. Giving dogs pork from our table could cause pancreatitis because it tends to be fatty, but if the pet food is using a pork meal the fat has been rendered out of it.

[Suzanne F]

Yes dogs can eat pork, according to my very astute vet. My dog eats PRIMAL raw food. He suggests the pork and nothing else. My dog has a sensitive stomach and environmental allergy issues. So we need to stay away from chicken & beef as much as possible, because those with allergies are more susceptible to developing food allergies, chicken & beef #1. Lamb is too rich for him and some of the more novel proteins are too rich. I told him that he turns away from salmon and krill oil on his food so I need to give it to him in a pill pocket. My vet suggested I give a small fingertip taste of lard. He’ll get the omega 3’s he needs and his coat will be shining.

[Susan L]

I have been feeding dogs raw meat for approximately 15 years. Only once has a dog had sensitivity to food or the environment. But I have learned over the years that most dogs can be desensitized, or cured as it were, of most allergies. But it takes time.

The dog with the environmental allergies (diagnosed with blood test) broke out in sores & itched like crazy. I believe it was brought or activated by a rabies vaccination. I soaked the sores thoroughly & rubbed off the scabs to prevent infection. I used TrizCHLOR 4 shampoo which was very soothing. Gave her 1 drop of Thuja for 1 week, followed by 1 week of Silica 30c place on the gum area next to her cheek (retreated her 3 weeks later). I also gave her Livton Liver Cleanse by Standard Process- which can be found on Amazon (for humans & dogs) for 2 months initially. It was so effective I currently use it for 1 month every 6 months on all my dogs.

I switched all raw food to “cool” or ‘Neutral” foods for the sensitive dog with great results. Chicken is warm, lamb & venison the hottest meat. Some sites & vets characterize turkey as a neutral meat, some a cool meat– I have found it fits more accurately in the cool category. Other cool meats are duck, most white fish & rabbit. Pork, eggs, sardines, tuna, tripe, quail are in the neutral category. I also fed leafy & regular veggies from the neutral & cool category as well. (I feed pork raw to all of my dogs & have for years, trichinosis has been bred out of pigs– but if you like freeze it for 2-3 weeks).

It did not happen over night, but after 2 months of treatment & the food change i was able to take the dog back to dog parks which had allergens she tested positive to: Cottonwood trees, grasses etc and she did well– if she later itched it stopped with a bath. After 4 months she can go, roll on the ground, pick up & chew twigs from the trees she tested as “allegic” to and no more problems. Luckily her hair grew back–and she is a bounding, happy, 1 and a 1/2 year old dog with no symptoms of allergies of any kind.

[AC R]

Does anyone gently boil fresh ground pork to remove so.e of the fat? I recently started a homemade gently cooked diet for our 6 dogs. I bought a large fresh pork shoulder roast and am grinding it after cutting off/out lot of fat. I’ll mix it with ground turkey. But Im trying to decixe how to vook it to extract more fat. Sauté and drain? Gently boil?

[AC R]

Does anyone gently boil fresh ground pork to remove so.e of the fat? I recently started a homemade gently cooked diet for our 6 dogs. I bought a large fresh pork shoulder roast and am grinding it after cutting off/out lot of fat. I’ll mix it with ground turkey. But Im trying to decixe how to vook it to extract more fat. Sauté and drain? Gently boil?

[Susan]

Hi AC R,
I buy the human grade 5 star lean Pork minced meat, I whisk & add 1 egg, add chopped parsley & chopped broccolli mix all together, you can grate & add 1 peeled carrot as well, I make 1/2 cup size balls & flatten the Pork mince balls a bit & bake in oven on foiled lined baking tray & boil some sweet potato to add with his pork rissole ball, I freeze the sweet potato & the pork balls, Patch loves & does real well on his pork rissoles, next time you buy pork mince make pork rissoles with some graded vegetables & baked in the oven & when the pork rissoles are 1/2 cooked take them out & drain all the fat & water & turn the pork rissole balls over cause I buy the lean pork mince not much fat comes out, baking does remove the fat.. I also buy lean 5 star lean beef mince & do the same then I freeze the rissole balls & take out of freezer when I need them..

[Hayley Q]

Neezerfan –
How did your dog go on the pork?
I am in similar situation with protein intolerances for my GR.

[Hayley Q]

Susan –
I’m looking to try raw pork for my GR.
Curious at what park of the pork is suitable for ‘bones’?

[Rox B]

I fed EVERY part of the pig except intestines, stomach, pancreas, lungs, and legs (trotters). Some because I could not source them, some because they are too dirty, and some because they are too dangerous to feed (I don’t like trotters). I raw fed my GSD until he recently passed from old age. I fed all pork bones except legs. The pork necks are pretty hard and should be fed to careful bone eaters and not gulpers. The ribs are not quite as hard, but still hard. They can be fed joined together so the dog crushes before swallowing. My boy has swallowed one or two without crushing much, but it never caused any problems. The bones are digestible unlike beef bones. I froze my pork 3 weeks before serving just as an extra measure for killing parasites and worms although MANY people say it’s not necessary. I fed food grade DE as a natural worm preventative and didn’t take chances with the raw food I fed. In fact, I froze everything for at least 3 weeks before serving. I will tell you that my boy never had any digestive or poo issues in 10 years. That includes worms or parasites. I am not paranoid about meat, just well educated on it. Meat has the potential to harbor parasites and worms. Some forms of bacteria, like campylobacter are destroyed by 90% during freezing.

[Charles B]

Ive been making home made dog food for 4 years+. My dog is allergic to beef but I otherwise rotate the main meat regularly, with pork being a big mix. I use loin, rib ends, or shoulder most often, usually based on what’s on sale.

I think a lot of people are over reacting to the nees for fat trimming. Unless you’re just throwing fatty scraps to your dog or something really fatty like pork belly, there probably isn’t enough fat on there to be a concern and require significant trimming (or any). Take pork loin for example. There will usually be a fat layer on top, which probably accounts for max 5-10% of the total cut. Meanwhile fat should make up around 25/30% of your dogs diet. So trimming that layer off isn’t doing your dog any good in my opinion.

[Susan]

Hi Charles,

You need to remove the fat & make the pork very lean if the dog has IBD, Pancreatitis or other health problems where the dog needs a lean diet…Even a normal dog cant stomach too much pork fat it can cause vomiting & diarrhea…
Omega fats are more healthy then pork fat that turns into lard, just be careful you don’t feed to much pork fat you don’t want your dog to end up with Pancreatitis…

“Plain pork is safe for dogs to eat, as long as you keep it lean, simple and leave off the bells and whistles people tend to cook with.”
By the American Kennel Club

[Angel Y]

Hi,I’d been trying to feed my dog with pork lately.And,unfortunately,he has a really sensitive stomach.So we went to the vet and now dieting on rice.

[Will H]

Pork is actually safe for dogs in limited quantities. It provides some essential nutrients that dogs need and also has a high protein content. So, dogs can eat cooked, unseasoned pork. However, pork has a higher fat content than chicken or lean beef. And too much fat can cause digestive issues and health problems in dogs. While dogs can eat pork, they are better off eating leaner proteins as the main component of their diet. I have German Shepherd and i have some diet for Yoda. We get Taste of the Wild (look it here https://www.bestadvisor.com/dog-food ), pork with rice and i always is looking for foods that contains fish oil and vegetables to get omega 3 fatty acids. These food sources are necessary to keep the dog’s coat and skin look healthy. Additional ingredients like sweet potatoes and carrots are also good for German shepherd.

[Author]

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