Raw pork
CautionRaw and undercooked pork can carry Trichinella larvae and bacteria such as Salmonella, and the AKC advises against feeding it. Cooking to temperature removes that risk; the fat, salt and seasoning problems remain.
This food guide has not been reviewed by a veterinarian. It summarises general information from sources and should not be used to decide whether a food is suitable for an individual dog or to assess an emergency.
Check before feeding
Check the precautions before sharing
Risk depends on preparation, ingredients or amount. Read the precautions below; body weight alone cannot establish a safe portion.
Signs and health concerns
This list includes both observable signs and conditions identified through examination or testing. It cannot establish the cause or whether an exposure is safe.
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Fever
- Lethargy
- Loss of appetite
- Abdominal pain
- Muscle pain
- Stiff gait
- Salmonella infection
More about this food
Cooked pork is fine for dogs. The AKC says plain, cooked pork is safe as long as you keep it simple. Raw pork is a different food.
The classic hazard is trichinosis. The AKC warns that raw or undercooked pork carries a trichinosis risk from Trichinella spiralis and that infected dogs can show upset stomach, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, lethargy and muscle inflammation. Merck states that infection results from consuming insufficiently cooked infected meat and gives the numbers that kill the larvae: 63C (145F) for roasts, 71C (160F) for ground meat. Freezing works for pork specifically at -15C (5F) for 20 days, -23C (-9.4F) for 10 days, or -30C (-22F) for 6 days, and Merck explicitly warns that freezing cannot be relied on for meat other than pork. A home freezer that cycles around 0F every time the door opens is not a validated kill step.
Bacteria ride along too. FDA's survey of raw pet food found Salmonella in 15 of 196 raw samples and Listeria monocytogenes in 32, and Merck links raw meat diets to both clinical salmonellosis and fecal shedding in pets, with that shedding tied to human illness in the same household.
In practice this shows up as thawing pork chops left on the counter, ground pork the dog reached in the trash, or scraps trimmed off a roast. And once pork is cooked the American versions of the problem take over: the AKC calls out onion powder, nutmeg, garlic powder and barbecue sauce as things to avoid, describes bacon as an incredibly rich and fatty food with a high salt content linked to pancreatitis, and notes that pork fat is hard for dogs to digest and can inflame the pancreas. Cooked pork bones splinter and can damage the esophagus and internal organs or cause choking.
If your dog ate raw pork, note the cut, the amount and the time, and call your veterinarian. Call now, rather than watching, if bone was involved or the dog is young, old or immunosuppressed. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center is at (888) 426-4435. Do not induce vomiting at home.
Frequently asked questions
- My dog ate a raw pork chop from the counter. What should I watch for?
- Note the amount and time, then watch 48 hours for vomiting, diarrhea, fever and lethargy, and call your vet if any of those appear. Muscle soreness, a stiff gait or reluctance to be touched later on also warrants a visit, since that is how trichinosis tends to present.
- How well does pork need to be cooked for a dog?
- Merck's kill temperatures are 63C (145F) for roasts and 71C (160F) for ground meat, measured at the center. Pink in the middle does not count. Serve it plain: no salt, no oil, no garlic, no barbecue sauce, and trim the fat before serving.
- Does freezing pork make it safe to feed raw?
- Only under specific held temperatures Merck lists, such as -15C for 20 days, and only for pork. A household freezer that warms every time the door opens does not reliably hit that, and freezing does not kill Salmonella or Listeria at all.