Can Dogs Eat Pork?

The first safety concern is that pork can give a dog worms. Trichinellosis is caused by eating raw or undercooked meat of animals infected with larvae of a species of worm called Trichinella. These worms travel through the intestinal tract, are absorbed into the bloodstream, and eventually end up in the muscles where they lay larvae in the muscle tissue. These larvae become embedded in the muscle.

Consuming raw or undercooked meat that has embedded larvae could result in infection of the dog with Trichinella. In general, these worms do not cause an outright infection and dogs do not exhibit clinical signs of disease. Cooking pork until it is no longer pink inside will kill the worms and make it safe for consumption.

Article by Dr Jill Cline, Research Nutritionist