Pork is a great protein source for any raw meaty bones diet for your dog.  But there is much incorrect information surrounding “risks” of feeding pork.

Canada has done a great job keeping Pseudorabies out of our supply chain by utilizing strict swine import regulations, and made any case of it legally reportable under the Health of Animals Act.

The same cannot be said for the US and for American pig farmers.  Although the country is working hard to eradicate the problem, only 35 states have declared themselves “AD Free”.  And Iowa is still considered at relatively high risk, and the one state alone accounts for 25% of the national herd.  Therefore, some precautions should be followed when feeding raw American pork.

Europe does have significant issues with the disease, with it being quite common in Portugal, Spain, as well as parts of Asia.

It’s generally recognized that freezing for three weeks is enough to kill the virus, so those feeding raw pork to their dogs in susceptible regions are recommended to do so prior to use.  For those in Canada, or other such regions where the pork sources are known and the region is disease free - fresh pork is just fine to feed.  Our pack regularly eats meaty pork riblets and neck bones.

The other one we need to watch, although not as dangerous as AD, is Tapeworm (aka Cysticercosis).  This is a problem considered extremely rare in Canadian swine, and also quite rare in American swine.  Again, anyone with a concern should freeze their pork prior to use (freezing at -10C for 5 days is enough to kill off any tapework cysts that may exist).

The bottom line is that pork is a perfectly fine raw protein source to feed your dog.  Canadian pork is perfectly safe to feed without freezing, but if still uncomfortable, rather than not feeding pork simply freeze the product for a few weeks prior to feeding.