Dog’s love food and sometimes our big puppy eyes gazing at you as you tuck into your dinner can be hard to resist.
If we aren’t sniffing the floor in search of leftovers, you will often catch us attempting to sneakily eat food that we are not allowed.
While I’d love to share all of my human’s meals with them I understand there are reasons why I can’t.
There are certain foods that I cannot be fed and those that I can eat should be given to me in sensible amounts to ensure that they do not make me feel unwell.
Over the years I’ve tried many different foods, some of which I am allowed and others that I have eaten when my humans haven’t been looking.
Because of this, I’ve gathered some knowledge regarding the foods that are a safe addition to my diet and those that I am not allowed to consume.
If you have a hungry canine on your hands and you are wondering whether your dog can eat pork, I’ve answered this question for you below.
As carnivores, much of our diet is composed of meat but some are better for us than others. While we can eat pork, you must ensure that it is cooked thoroughly as the consumption of raw pork presents the same risk to us dogs as it does to humans.
Pork can contain trichinosis, a parasite that can cause gastrointestinal illness, pain, stomach upset, diarrhea, and several other unpleasant side effects. Not only should the pork be cooked thoroughly but it must also be plain.
When making pork for your own consumption you will often add seasonings to enhance the flavor but this can upset our stomachs.
The following seasonings can be particularly toxic to us, this includes; onion powder, garlic powder, and nutmeg. There are also many sauces that you may use to accompany your pork that are not recommended for our consumption.
Pork can also be quite a fatty meat and this fat can be difficult to digest potentially leading to indigestion and pancreas inflammation and irritation.
Although leftover meat bones look super tasty, we should not be fed them and this doesn’t only apply to pork bones but all leftover meat bones. This is because they tend to dry out during the cooking process and can splinter and cause internal damage to our digestive systems.
Now that you know that we can eat thoroughly cooked pork, you may be wondering whether other cooked varieties of this meat are suitable for our consumption.
Bacon is a staple ingredient in many human meals, however, the high salt content makes it unsuitable for us to eat as our stomachs are unable to handle it. When eating in large amounts, bacon can actually be fatal for us.
Ham also has a high salt content which can lead to bloating, another condition that can be deadly for us. The salt content can also make us incredibly thirsty and drinking water in excessive amounts can put a great deal of pressure onto our internal organs.
If your dog is fed a raw food diet, you may be wondering how you can introduce raw pork to meal times safely. Pork that is intended to be consumed as part of a raw meat diet usually tends to be frozen beforehand as doing so will get rid of the parasites that can cause us many health issues.
What happens if a dog eats pork?
Sometimes we manage to get our paws on human food even when we aren’t allowed.
Because of this, you may be wondering what symptoms you should look out for if we have eaten seasoned pork or pork that is infected by trichinella parasites.
We typically become nauseous, lethargic and we can also begin to vomit or suffer from diarrhea. Other symptoms include pale gums.
Sadly some dogs have weaker immune systems and in this case, they will likely experience more severe symptoms.
How do you cook pork for dogs?
As mentioned, we can enjoy cooked pork so long as it has been cooked correctly. My humans adopt the following method when cooking pork to ensure that it is safe for my consumption.
Roast the pork inside an oven that has been heated to 325-degree Fahrenheit. Allow it around 40 minutes to an hour to cook or wait until the juices from the piece of pork are clear. When you are confident that the pork is cooked thoroughly you can then remove it from the oven.
Cut the pork into bite-sized pieces that will be easy for your dog to eat and then allow it to cool. Although we tend to feel super hungry for the majority of the time, meat that is too hot can end up burning our mouths.
We do enjoy some accompaniments with our pork such as oats, apples, green beans, and other tasty vegetables.
Why isn’t pork used in dog food?
As you can see there are several reasons why pork isn’t used in our dog food. Because it is safe for us to eat if cooked thoroughly you may be wondering why this is the case.
Often, it is because so many parts of the pig are consumed by humans so there is then very little left for use inside dog food.
Due to the risk of trichinosis in uncooked pork, it is not incorporated into raw dog food.
Final Thoughts
When cooked correctly as part of a balanced diet, pork can be a nutritious source of protein for us.
It is super important to remember that cooked pork that is intended for our consumption shouldn’t be seasoned but instead left completely plain, as there are many seasonings that humans typically use on their meat that can leave us feeling very unwell.
Also, avoid giving us other variations of pork such as ham or bacon. Although it may be taken from the same cut of meat, the high salt content can cause us many problems which in the worst-case scenario, can be fatal.
So long as it is cooked thoroughly and left plain, I can enjoy pork as a tasty addition to my meals.
