Can Dogs on Raw Diet Eat Pork

Generally speaking, raw meat isn't just safe for dogs, some experts believe that feeding a raw diet gives a dog more energy, a healthier skin and coat and cleaner teeth than commercial or processed diets. Raw diets, however, are controversial among veterinarians and veterinary nutritionists, and uncooked pork, in particular, can be dangerous for your best friend to eat uncooked.

No. Raw or under-cooked pork could make your dog very ill. Chief among the risks is trichinosis, a disease caused by a parasitic worm which enters the body through the gastrointestinal system.

Trichinosis, also called trichinellosis, is a disease triggered by eating raw or undercooked meat infected with the larvae of the Trichinella roundworm. Trichinella larvae grow in carnivorous and omnivorous animals who eat the muscle meat of other infected individuals. The infection is most commonly found among bears and other predators in the wild and domestically in pigs.

Trichinella is an insidious parasite that lives in the intestines and muscles. When an animal (or human) eats meat that contains trichinella larvae, acid in the stomach breaks down their outer husk releasing the fully-grown roundworms. The parasites then move from the stomach into the small intestines where they mate and lay eggs. The eggs hatch into juevenile worms that move through the arteries to the muscles where they curl up and "encyst" or form an outer shell and wait to be consumed so that the life cycle can start all over again.

There are a variety of symptoms associated with trichinosis. Signs of infection are likely to begin within one to two days of eating raw pork. They include:

• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Nausea or abdominal discomfort

The onset of a second set of symptoms can occur soon after the first, typically two to eight weeks after a dog has eaten infected pork. These include:

• Headaches
• Chills
• Cough
• Swelling of the eyes and face
• Achy joints, muscle pain and stiffness
• Itchy skin
• Constipation

The severity of a dog's trichinosis corresponds to how much infected meat they've eaten. In severe cases, a dog may loose their coordination, or develop heart or breathing problems. If left untrated, it can even result in death.

If your dog experiences any of the initial symptoms of trichinosis within 24-48 hours of eating raw pork, contact your vet immediately. While mild to moderate cases of trichinosis may go away on their own after a few months, fatigue, weakness, muscle pain and diarrhea can last much longer.

While trichinosis infections can cause significant problems for your dog, once identified, the treatment is quite simple. All they need is an antiparasitic drug, an anthelmintic, to get rid of the worms.

To confirm the presence of the worms, your vet will start with a urinalysis and blood tests to look for the elevated white blood cell count that indicates infection. They will also take a stool sample to identify the presence of the worm in the intestines. For dogs that are displaying more severe symptoms that suggest the infection has spread to the muscles, they may also take a sample of the muscle tissue.

What Raw Meat Is Safe For My Dog To Eat?

This is a controversial question in the dog food world. Many veterinarians and veterinary nutritionists believe it is never safe for a dog to consume raw meat, nor is it safe for their humans to prepare it. There are plenty of guardians, however, who feed their pets a raw diet and believe that it benefits the health of their dog. The animal proteins that raw diet advocates like include:

• Chicken
• Turkey
• Rabbit
• Duck
• Beef
• Lamb

Always consult your vet before incorporating raw meat into your dog's diet.

Yes! Dogs can eat thoroughly cooked pork, as long as it is prepared with no additional fats, oils, seasonings, spices or condiments. Because pork is much higher in fat than animal proteins like chicken and turkey, however, it may not be the best option for feeding your dog daily, especially if they need to lose a few pounds. If fed in moderation as a treat, pork is safe for most dogs to eat.

Because pork bones are much more brittle and fragile than beef bones, they are not a good treat for your dog. This is true whether the bones have been cooked or not. If your dog breaks off a splinter of pork bone, it can easily become lodged in their throat causing them to choke. And if they manage to swallow a broken, jagged bone, it can slice through the walls of the stomach or intestines and result in serious health problems.

We offer a variety of articles on foods that are safe or harmful for your dog to eat, including fruits, vegetables and grains. You might also be interested in "Can My Dog Eat Pork?"

Can Dogs on Raw Diet Eat Pork

Source: https://www.rover.com/blog/can-dogs-eat-raw-pork/

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