Raw Pork For Dogs?

[Smithson]

Raw pork for dogs,

I've read a few different opinions on this. Is it safe? Should it be cooked for a little while first? What about pork bones?

[Nienke]

Raw pork can contain the Aujeski virus, which is fatal for several animal species including dogs and cats. There's no anti-serum. However, the chance a dog gets infected is very tiny.

In the raw food world there are (generally speaking) two groups: those who feed raw pork and those who are absolutely against it and will never ever feed raw pork to their animals. I am in the first group. And during the years i've fed raw pork I've never had a problem (knock on wood).

Several decennia ago, I've seen several dogs and cats with the disease (pseudo-rabies) caused by the virus, and all but one died. Why and how this one survived they couldn't figure out, unfortunately. These animals had not eaten raw pork prior to their illness. They were infected through the tripes they were fed, that most probably was cut with the same knife the pork was cut.

The other objections about pork are the same as for humans: that is full of hormones, antibiotics and whatever they jab into these animals. Most of it will remain in the meat whether you cook it or not, so it goes directly into you and/or your pet.

I feed pork rib and organ meat to my dogs.

Years ago I asked a vet in Chiang Mai about the danger for the aujeski virus. He said not to worry as the pigs received a vaccine against it. However, I never verified this.

Nienke

[Smithson]

Actually I just did a search and re-read alot of what you'd wrote earlier about raw food, good info. How about those big pork bones? Are they OK for young dogs? Also, one of our dogs has weak teeth, should she avoid the bones?

Thanks

[thaigerd]

Thanks for your helpful and intersesting reply(as usual)!

A bit off topic:

We just had an issue with our big boy. He was scratching himself day and night for many weeks.

Spend some money for the vet for expensive shampoos, medicine etc. until we've started to make an allergy test.

Surprisingly it was the chicken meat what made him scratching.........

Now he's gettng only beef(what is his big favour anyway) and he is ok.

After a couple of day we gave him some chicken again, 30 minutes later he started scratching again.

I guess there's a lot of chemicals in the chicken meat from feeding them.

Gerd

[elfe]

i think we had a thread on raw pork feeding already, maybe you do a search.

i'm worried too... fed raw meaty pork bones for years as i can get them quite cheap at the market. never a problem and i even asked the butcher if i should cook it first. he has several dogs as well which are fed the raw pork since years and years. he said no problem...

also in makro am very tempted to buy the meaty big pork bone junks and if they don't have chicken carcasses i buy them and take the 'risk', but still afraid. you never know...

to be on the safe side avoid raw pork, cook it or use chicken, duck, beef (which is best anyway in my opinion) or other expensive meats like lamb (for me impossible with so many dogs unfortunately).

and don't forget the fish, which is healthy for dogs

for 'tiny' risks... one of my dogs was infected with tetanus recently (tluckily she made it with difficult and expensive treatment). this is also a very unlikely danger and there is not even a vaccine for dogs as it happens so rarely...

[Nienke]

How about those big pork bones? Are they OK for young dogs? Also, one of our dogs has weak teeth, should she avoid the bones?

When I buy big marrow beef bones it's pure recreational, i.e. not as a meal but for the dogs to chew the cartilage of, lick out the bone marrow, clean their teeth and to keep themselves busy for a while. I stopped buying big pork bones because most of the dogs didn't really liked it. Why? I got the impression they found it too hard with too little cartilage and marrow.

My rottie (RIP) had weak teeth and I do believe that the big bones, among other things, caused the teeth to worn of. My GSD's on other hand, have strong teeth and have no problem with the big bones.

With your dog that has weak teeth, I would be careful with the big bones, but still do feed them the smaller bones such as chicken and duck bones, the softer beef ribs, and pork rib.

The pup will benefit enormously form the smaller bones, but again, not too often the big bones.

until we've started to make an allergy test. Surprisingly it was the chicken meat what made him scratching.........

Dogs are carnivores, meaning they by nature are used to eat meat, all sorts of meat. A dog that is allergic to any kind of meat is abnormal in health. It suffers chronic disease and, from what I've understood over and over again, it's vaccine damage.

one of my dogs was infected with tetanus recently

A dog that gets tetanus is an indication that it's immune system is not optimal. In stead of putting more vaccines or other poisons in or on the dog, I would boost the immune system and won't vaccinate it anymore.

Nienke

[Smithson]

The problem teeth on one of our dogs are the result of too many meds when she was young, at the time she was extremely sick and the meds saved her life.

Our other 2 pups are 4 - 4 1/2 months and have recently been vaccinated. They both have short hair, which seems to be thinning, they looked like the good be developing mange. We've been feeding them raw food and bones mixed with rice, lately I've cut right back on the rice and made it mainly raw food. It seems to be slowly improving.

We've also applied Frontline for fleas. I think the fleas, combined with biting during play were contributing to the hair loss. They also had small lumps, not sure if they were flea bites.

[ignis]

I treat my 3 dogs like humans, would you like to eat the same food day after day?

At this moment they are eating + love chicken and as there is a Promotion on 49baht per kg at Carrefour. + they have minced Pork also at 49baht kg [a good reason for having a large Freezer to stock up on Promotion Priced food]

I cook all the meats, be careful with Pork as to much will find there skin is not good + they have lumps…….. Rice is good and makes there fur healthy and shine.

My 3 love pasta of every type…….. Also good and they love is the green nut/long green bean raw + love most type of Thai fruit

I find all 3 are the same and funny, if they are not sure of something they will sit next to it and if one of the others come close then the food is eaten very quick