# Pork



## shellbell (Sep 24, 2011)

I know a lot of people on here feed pork as a main staple in their dog's diet. This is one that I am a bit nervous to feed, b/c I hear about the parasite that can be present in raw pork meat that can affect dogs. I've also heard that it can be killed if you deep freeze the meat (not sure how long it needs to be frozen for). I've also heard (I think I read it on this board), that pork in America (an industrialized country) rarely has that parasite in it. 

When you feed pork, do you make sure you freeze it for a certain period of time before feeding it? Or do you not worry about it having a parasite?

I saw pork ribs on sale this week, but I was not sure if I felt comfortable feeding pork. I feel like I am probably being silly, since so many people do feed it with no issues.


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## Kat (Jul 12, 2011)

I have not heard that. When I buy pork from the store I will usually cut up a meal for that day and then freeze the rest of it.


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## hmbutler (Aug 4, 2011)

I bought a pork roast for Duke last week, and when cutting it up into meal sized portions, I realised I hadn't defrosted anything for Duke's dinner, so he got a chunk of that roast. The rest was frozen, but only because I wasn't feeding it that day or the next morning (some of it had been fed after being frozen only a few days though). I think if it's fit for human consumption, it's safe to assume the dog can eat it raw. I think some people freeze (for as much as 4 weeks) just for peace of mind.

I think it's wild boar etc that you would have to be worried about. Pork ribs should be fine :thumb: go get that sale!!


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

I am old and when I was young you had to cook pork really well because it could contain trichinosis, which is a worm. I don't really think that's a danger any more here in the US - i freeze most meat when i get it but I don't really worry about pork in particular.

Now, I do think there is a fish that is dangerous to feed without freezing a long time.


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## Kat (Jul 12, 2011)

A bit off topic, but I tried feeding Ruby pork ribs the other day and I dont know if maybe I just didnt give her long enough, but she didnt eat the bone so I took it away. Are pork ribs edible or are they too hard?


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## hmbutler (Aug 4, 2011)

From what I understand they are definitely edible, a lot softer than beef. So you either might not have given her long enough, or she just didn't want to eat the bone lol


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Yep - my dog with four teeth can have a decent go at a pork rib bone. But she started out not being able to eat a chicken neck - it took her a little time to get the hang of it.


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## Kat (Jul 12, 2011)

Ah I see... I did get a bit scared because I couldnt remember if it was edible or not. Next time I will let her have a go at the pork rib


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## DoglovingSenior (Jun 26, 2011)

Yes, Trichinosis was an awful parasite & the reason why pork was SO overcooked in this country. It seems to have been all but eliminated in the USA. Most pork is frozen before it reaches the grocery stores. Sometimes the ribs look SO good that i steal a few - season them well & bake them-make myself a little sauce & YUM!
My 12.8 lb Jolie can "chow down" on a spare rib. <LOL> She also made a small neckbone disappear the other night. <LOL>


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## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

Wild boar you shouldn't feed. Or at least do freeze it for a few days. Store bought, human grade domestic pork is fine. Mine had pork ribs several times last week.


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## lily (May 16, 2011)

ive been feeding annie pork ribs for a couple of months now ,on saturday i gave her a couple but on sunday morning she had been sick and was straining when trying to poop,next thing she had done a small poop of a shard of bone and blood,she went right off her food and it took 3 days to poop normaly i tell you i was starting to get worried,she obviously hadnt chewed properly ,im a bit bothered to give her anymore ribs but i know it could just be a one off ,fingers crossed it wont happen again,karen


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## HappyPuppy (Sep 26, 2011)

I'm OK with pork - Ruby just finished some for her breakfast today. My husband thinks not all store bought pork has been pre-frozen but despite the brainwashing I got growing up for trichonosis (sp?) - I am reasonably confident that US meat is fine and safe in that regard.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Always check to make sure the pork ribs aren't enhanced either, it seems lately this is something that is happening more and more with pork products and I don't like it one bit...


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## pogo (Aug 28, 2011)

I feed my two pork, most of the time it's frozen before hand but other times i buy it, feed enough for the day and freeze the rest.


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## shellbell (Sep 24, 2011)

Okay, I just went out and bought some during my lunch break. The store is having a 15 hour sale, $1.99/lb. I feel like that is probably still a little expensive, but it is the cheapest I've seen around here. They are pork spare ribs. I'm thinking I should be able to cut them into sections? I have two packages over 4 lbs each package, so I wanted to cut them down to meal size. Maybe even less than meal size, since the boys will be eating pork for the first time this weekend.

The sign by them did say "no salt solution" added, so I don't think they are enhanced any. I don't know if they were previously frozen.

Also, not sure if this makes a difference, but they are "St. Louis Style" spare ribs...


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## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

I'm not exactly sure what style of ribs you have, but I know When I get them I always get a whole rack. Sometimes a pack will have about three racks of ribs in them. I ust cut them between the ribs in sections about the right size for each of the dogs. Usually, its about three ribs per dog for a feeding.


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## shellbell (Sep 24, 2011)

Here is what I have found online to describe the St. Louis style spare rib cut:

*Baby back ribs are a smaller cut, and have less meat on them. St Louis cut is from a different part of the pig than baby back ribs. They are actually the same ribs you'll get if you buy spare ribs, but with some of the meat trimmed away. *

*St. Louis Style ribs (a.k.a. St. Louis Cut) spare ribs are St. Louis Style when the sternum bone, cartilage, and rib tips (see below) have been removed. The shape is almost rectangular.*

Good thing I have nothing better to do at work than to google about pork ribs and the various cuts and styles, right? Obviously I am not a meat connoisseur…..yet.


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## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

Spare ribs! Thats the ones we get. I forgot the name of them. They do seem to have a lot of meat on them. I know our bunch loves them.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

the disease that pork used to get if it weren't cooked beyond shoe leather has been eradicated from US pork. 


the parasite in pacific northwest salmon is one that has some people feeding it after a two week to a month freeze and people like me who live in the pacific northwest who is still on the fence about feeding wild salmon raw, which also includes salmonids, like trout and steelhead.

i will be feeding salmon again, but i will cook it first. if there are nutrients to get, they will get some. but it will be boneless and cooked.

it is the only fish that i know of that i would not feed raw. there are other fishes that i just would not feed because they are farmed...

and, if your dog cannot power through a pork rib now, wait until his jaw, mouth, teeth, gums, etc. are a little stronger and maybe then he can eat the ribs.

my pug in the beginning, could not eat a pork rib. he can now. and we serve them from store to dog.

we do make sure we look at nutrition labels for chicken and pork to ensure it is not enhanced. which means the sodium level should be under 100 mg....and less is better.


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## pogo (Aug 28, 2011)

I feed raw salmon but i try to check where it is sourced from but it is always frozen well first


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## Kat (Jul 12, 2011)

The chicken, pork, and beef I buy is organic from a local farm and not enhanced. For turkey I have to buy the maple leaf prime because the organic turkey is only seasonal and they only sell whole birds, the cheapest one I was able to find was 80$ which was way too much for me to spend on a turkey lol


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