Can dogs eat raw pork?

Pseudorabies is a viral infection of pigs. Pigs can survive it, but dogs that catch it usually become severely ill within a few days and rarely recover. Many countries have cleared the virus from commercial pig farms, yet it still circulates in wild boar populations across much of Europe and in feral pigs in parts of the United States.

Hunting dogs are the group most often affected, typically after being fed raw offcuts from a boar hunt.

Raw pork has historically been linked to Trichinella roundworms and tapeworm larvae. Modern farming has made these rare in inspected supermarket pork, but they remain a concern in wild or home-slaughtered meat. Raw pork can also carry Salmonella, Yersinia, and Listeria, which your dog can pass to the people it lives with.

Many raw-feeding guides specifically leave pork out for these reasons.

Cook any boar or feral pig meat through before it goes anywhere near a dog, and keep dogs away from gutting sites and discarded offal. If you follow a raw diet, choose other proteins and discuss the plan with your vet so it stays balanced.

Some owners assume that cured or air-dried pork such as prosciutto or salami counts as cooked. Curing is a different process from cooking, and these products also bring a heavy load of salt and fat. Freezing pork at home is not a reliable safety step either. If pork is on the menu for your dog, cook it until the juices run clear.