Yellow: with caution
Yes, but only thoroughly cooked, lean and boneless. Raw pork and raw wild boar are off limits for dogs.
Why raw pork is off limits
According to the MSD Veterinary Manual, pigs and wild boar are the main hosts of the virus that causes Aujeszky’s disease, also called pseudorabies. Dogs can become infected as accidental hosts. Typical signs then include sudden death, intense itching, neurological symptoms, fever and difficulty breathing. A study from Slovenia describes five dogs that became ill after contact with wild boar or raw wild boar or pork, even though domestic pigs there are considered free of the disease. According to PetMD, raw meat also carries risks from Trichinella, Salmonella and Yersinia.
What to watch out for
- Cook thoroughly: Only fully cooked meat, with no pink areas.
- Choose lean cuts: Choose fillet or lean cuts and remove visible fat. According to MSD, fatty meat can contribute to pancreatitis.
- No bones: According to PetMD, pork bones splinter easily, especially when cooked.
- No sausages or bacon: Processed pork contains a lot of salt and seasoning.
- Hunting dogs: Do not put wild boar offal or scraps in their bowl.
What if your dog has eaten raw pork?
Call your vet and explain what kind of meat it was, whether it came from wild boar, roughly how much was eaten and when. If your dog subsequently develops intense itching, restlessness, behavioural changes or difficulty breathing, go to an emergency vet immediately. Also call for vomiting and diarrhoea after a fatty roast.
If you suspect poisoning, go straight to your vet or an emergency veterinary service.
Check whether your dog is getting the right amount of food in just a minute with our feeding calculator. Our book takes a closer look at feeding: “Hundeernährung und Futterplan” (book in German). For those first weeks with a puppy, try our free Puppy Starter Pack, and for a picture of your dog to hang on the wall, explore dog portraits from your own photo or choose a single portrait.
Further reading
- Calculating your dog’s food portions: how much your dog really needs
- Is my dog overweight? How to assess body condition and ideal weight
- Adding rice and potatoes to dog food: how to account for extras
Sources, accessed on 20.10.2026: MSD Veterinary Manual, Overview of Pseudorabies; Kuhar et al., Detection of Pseudorabies in Dogs in Slovenia between 2006 and 2020, Transboundary and Emerging Diseases 2023; PetMD, Can Dogs Eat Pork? (reviewed by Molly Price, DVM); MSD Veterinary Manual, Pancreatitis and Other Disorders of the Pancreas in Dogs.
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