Can I Feed My Dog Pork?

Dogs are known to be facultative carnivores. Their diet should therefore contain an adequate amount of meat or a suitable alternative for the appropriate supply of animal proteins.

There is a wide variety of dog food based on different types of meat. However, pork is not usually one of them. In the following, we will explain why this is the case and whether you can nevertheless feed your dog pork.

Pork for dogs – the main points at a glance

• Dogs must not eat raw pork because it can be contaminated with the Aujeszky virus.
• When dogs become infected with the virus, they develop so-called pseudorabies.
• Wild boar can also carry the Aujeszky virus, which is why their raw meat is unsuitable for dogs.
• Since the viruses are killed when heated, feeding dogs cooked pork is usually safe.

Raw pork is off limits for dogs

Raw pork is one of the foods that should definitely not land in your dog's food bowl, because the raw meat can be contaminated with various germs and pathogens.

In the case of raw pork, the so-called Aujeszky virus poses a particular danger for dogs. If the four-legged friends become infected with this virus, they contract Aujeszky's disease, also known as pseudorabies.

The risk of infection is likely to be low nowadays, and in Germany the Aujeszky virus has even been considered eradicated in domestic pigs for many years.

In view of the serious consequences of a possible infection with pseudorabies and the fact that the exact origin of commercially available meat cannot always be determined at first glance, it is still better not to take any unnecessary risks.

What is Aujeszky's disease?

Aujeszky's disease, caused by the Aujeszky virus, causes inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. It is also noticeable in dogs due to severe itching.

Because some of the symptoms associated with it are similar to those of rabies, Aujeszky's disease is also known as pseudorabies. The incubation period is a few days and the disease is always fatal for dogs.

Humans are immune to the Aujeszky virus. It is therefore not possible to fall ill with pseudorabies even if someone eats raw pork that is contaminated with the virus.

What about wild boar meat for dogs?

What applies to regular pork also goes for meat from wild boar. Just like their domesticated relatives, these can carry the Aujeszky virus and infect dogs with it if they eat the meat.

While the virus is considered to be eradicated in domestic pigs in Germany, this cannot be said with certainty about wild boars. In addition, the animals can of course move across national borders.

The risk of infection in dogs could therefore be even higher when eating wild boar meat than is the case with meat from domestic pigs.

Cooked pork for dogs

Viruses are usually killed by heat. This also applies to the Aujeszky virus. If the pork has been cooked, it is therefore normally harmless for dogs to eat and you do not have to worry about a possible contraction of Aujeszky's disease.

Otherwise, there would certainly be no dog food containing pork. It is heated thoroughly during production so that possible pathogens such as the Aujeszky virus are killed.

Although we at Bellfor made the conscious decision not to use pork, your dog can generally consume such food without any risk.

Pork for dogs – our conclusion

As you can see, dogs can eat pork if the meat has been sufficiently heated before consumption. You can then be sure that any pathogens, such as the Aujeszky virus, have been reliably eliminated. On the other hand, you should avoid feeding your dog raw pork. This of course also applies if you want to BARF your dog.