Last Updated on March 8, 2023 by Woody Pet

Can Dogs Eat Pork?

“Can dogs eat pork?” And more mind-bogglingly silly questions you get to hear in the break room.

OF COURSE! 

However, there’s more to discuss as to the ramifications of pork not just in yours but in your dog’s diet as well. 

Yeah, we all know that pork is full of cholesterol and it’s not good for you if you have plans to lose weight or maintain a particular weight range, and that pork is just pumped with all kinds of grease, preservatives, and all kinds of flavoring that is just bad news for your dog’s health and well-being

But less on the upside, pork has been a staple of preferential food for our canine companions for centuries! From the medieval ages where pork was just basically roasted on a stake to the pork that’s served in the fanciest platters, the food in itself might have evolved, but what has been constant is the fact that pork is just irresistibly delicious to dogs all the way back from yesteryears up to the present.

Why Do I Need To Be Worried About Pork? Read More And Find Out!

The reason why pork is such a canine favorite is that it is not only delicious but it is truly loaded with protein, which if you are not yet aware, is something that canines as carnivores definitely need in order to survive and sustain themselves. 

To better approach this query, it is best to sort the kinds of pork that are most often available for consumption by our canine companions and why these types should be avoided at all costs, which will be enumerated in the next subtopic:

Avoid These Types Of Pork At All Costs – Number 3 Might Surprise You Can Dogs Eat Pork?

Raw pork – Most dogs would not be so picky and fussy about gorging on a raw pork chop, but for the sake of safety and health, it is not advisable to feed your dog raw pork, or frankly, any kind of raw meat for that matter. 

Raw pork contains parasites, viruses and bacteria that are guaranteed to cause illnesses to your dog, from E. Coli bacterial infections to Trichinosis, which spell very bad news for your dog. 

If infected, your dog is going to suffer from ailments such as diarrhea, fever, muscle soreness, nausea, and vomiting. Dogs that have less than robust immune systems will have amplified symptoms as compared to the ones mentioned above.

Pork bones – It might seem a no-brainer for you as a dog owner to just toss out a juicy pork bone to your dog, seeing as to how the four-legged fur ball just loves gnawing on those things.

You’d be surmised to think that there’s no concern whatsoever in doing something so obvious, but veterinarians who have had to use big tweezers to yank out bones that have been lodged into the esophagus and mouth cavities of various dogs might have a different say in regards to this issue. 

Dogs aren’t the most seasoned and most disciplined eaters out there, and they tend to get careless when gnawing on something especially if it is delicious. So careless in fact that they might mistakenly swallow a shank of a pork bone and get stuck in their throat, choking on it. 

So as much as possible, avoid giving your dog pork bones since those things are tiny and easy to swallow. Give it big bones, the ones that they can lick and soon bury.

Pork with preservatives – You know these kinds of pork that I am referring to: bacon, smoked ham, and deep-fried pork chops.

They are safe, ONLY if they are given rarely and in small amounts. Too much of these can spell trouble for your dog’s health. 

Preservatives, especially artificial ones by their own certainly deserve their own website just to be able to educate dog owners as to why it is a very bad idea to feed your dog something that’s full of them.

Pork Silver Lining – Unhealthy, Yes, But Not Hopeless!

Let’s say you want to treat your dog to a juicy pork steak because it is his birthday. After reading the subtopic above, you might have some reservations as to whether it is actually a good idea to give your dog any pork.

Well, as long as you prepare the pork in question correctly, not only will your dog be able to celebrate its birthday, but it will also spend the day gorging on some delicious pork!

So, how do you do it?

As long as you are certain that the pork you are getting is a hundred percent safe, the supplier or grocery store is up to health codes and standards, there should not be any worries whatsoever. 

The healthiest way to cook pork would be to fry it as you would, but without adding any seasonings whatsoever. Salts, garlic, onions, and peppers do not really contribute much in terms of your dog’s health, and may well be detrimental to it. You could either fry it in very small amounts of butter or olive oil, just enough to grease the pan and you would be good to go.

In closing, we must reiterate the query that began this discussion which is “Can dogs eat pork?”.

The short answer is yes if you do it right. 

There are more reasons as to why feeding your dog an almost constant supply of strict pork, thereby only having it as its everyday staple as a dietary regimen is a bad idea. 

First and foremost, pork contains fat and cholesterol. These don’t go well with your dog’s heart. Your dog is going to have problems such as obesity, myocardial infarctions, strokes, and indigestion occur during the span of its lifetime. 

But if you were to treat pork as some sort of an occasional treat, a reward, even. Then it’s fine. As long as you prepare it without preservatives and as little as oil or butter, you should not have any worries whatsoever.