Pork in Dog Food - Dog Nutrition DB

Pork in dog food is not yet a common ingredient. But in recent years, more and more products use pork as a novel protein.

Contents

Fresh Pork

Pork is an ingredient derived from pigs, and it is commonly used in dog food as a source of animal protein.

If a dog food lists just pork, it refers to fresh meat.

To be more specific, beef is all of the skeletal muscle and striate muscle found in the diaphragm, esophagus, tongue or heart^[1].

Some recipes list deboned pork as an ingredient. But unless otherwise stated, all fresh “pork” in dog food recipes is deboned anyway.

While chicken and beef and lamb are way more common, a reasonable number of products include pork in their ingredient list^[2].

Maybe it was less commonly used in dog food due to a long history of misconceptions about its quality and safety for dogs.

Common misconceptions in the past were that pork is too high in fat or might be unsafe for dogs to consume, especially if it is undercooked. However, pork is nutritious and actually totally fine for dogs to eat when properly cooked and handled.

Today, pork is being recognized as a high-quality and novel protein in an increasing number of dog foods. It’s just not great for raw feeding.

Nutrients in 100 g^[8]	Pork^a
Water	61.1 g
Energy	263 kcal
Protein	16.9 g
Fat	21.2 g
Ash	0.87 g
Amino acids
Arginine	1.05 g
Histidine	0.674 g
Isoleucine	0.79 g
Leucine	1.35 g
Lysine	1.52 g
Methionine	0.447 g
Threonine	0.771 g
Phenylalanine	0.674 g
Tryptophan	0.214 g
Valine	0.916 g
Fatty acids
Saturated	7.87 g
Monounsaturated	9.44 g
Polyunsaturated	1.91 g
Cholesterol	72 mg
Minerals
Calcium	14 mg
Iron	0.88 mg
Magnesium	19 mg
Phosphorus	175 mg
Potassium	287 mg
Sodium	56 mg
Zinc	2.2 mg
Copper	0.045 mg
Manganese	0.01 mg
Selenium	24.6 µg
Vitamins
Vitamin C	0.7 mg
Vitamin A	2 µg
Vitamin E	–
Vitamin K	–
Thiamin	0.732 mg
Riboflavin	0.235 mg
Niacin	4.34 mg
Pantothenic acid	0.668 mg
Vitamin B₆	0.383 mg
Vitamin B₁₂	0.7 µg
Folate	5 µg
Choline	–
Betaine	–

^aground, raw

Pork is also a highly digestible and complete protein, containing all of the essential amino acids dogs need in their diet.

Pork contains a moderate amount of purines.

After all, it’s a red meat and also contains nutrients such as fat, B vitamins, or minerals such as phosphorus, iron, zinc or potassium.

Ham and Bacon

Ham and bacon are sometimes used as pork ingredients in dog foods, although processed meats are not really common.

While both ham and bacon are derived from pork, they differ in their processing and nutritional “value”.

Ham is a cured meat that is usually made from the leg of a pig. It is often high in sodium and can include preservatives, which is not something you want your dog to eat every day.

And bacon is a type of salt-cured pork that is typically high in fat and sodium and can contain nitrates or nitrites.

While dogs can consume small amounts of bacon or ham as an occasional treat, it should not be a regular part of their diet.

Some products just include bacon or ham flavor.

Pork By-Products

There are lots of leftovers from the pork industry that can be used in dog food. Pork by-products include all the parts “other than meat” that are not used for human consumption.

Common pork by-products used in dog food are organ meats such as liver, kidney, spleen, and lungs, as well as bone, blood, cartilage, intestines or fatty tissue. But pork by-products for dog food can not include any hair or teeth.

Pork by-products are highly nutritious, rich in protein and contain essential vitamins and minerals.

They are also a sustainable way to use slaughterhouse leftovers, reducing waste and making use of all parts of the animal.

Pork blood is often turned into animal plasma.

Pork Meal

Pork meal is a type of protein powder made from rendered pork tissues, including by-products and meat scraps.

Pork tissues are ground, heated, pressed and drained to remove water and separate melted fat from protein.

The residues from the rendering of fatty tissue or skin are sometimes called greaves or cracklings. But industrial rendering produces a solid protein cake that is pulverized into pork meal.

The rendering process and raw materials used can affect the nutritional quality of pork meal.

Overall it is a cost-effective and nutritious ingredient. Pork meal is high in protein, it provides essential amino acids and minerals.

Pork Fat

Pork fat is a highly digestible source of energy and fatty acids that also provides a rich and flavorful taste that dogs enjoy.

At room temperature, it’s a viscous to semi-solid liquid^[3].

It’s collected while rendering pork tissues into pork meal. The rendered fat of swine only is also called lard or white grease^[1].

Some manufacturers include bacon fat as a flavor ingredient. Its basic composition is not that different from regular pork fat^[4]. But it’s higher in sodium and produces a has a smoky taste.

Nutrients in 100g^[8]	Lard	Bacon Grease
Energy	902 kcal	897 kcal
Fatty Acids
Saturated	39.2 g	39 g
– Palmitic acid	23.8 g	23.7 g
– Stearic acid	13.5 g	13.4 g
– Myristic acid	1.3 g	1.3 g
Monounsaturated	45.1 g	44.9 g
– Oleic acid	41.2 g	41 g
– Palmitoleic acid	2.7 g	2.7 g
Polyunsaturated	11.2 g	11.1 g
– Linoleic acid	10.2 g	10.1 g
Other
Cholesterol	95 mg	95 mg
Vitamin E	0.6 mg	0.6 mg
Choline	49.7mg	42.2 mg
Sodium	–	150 mg

Pork fat is mainly comprised of monounsaturated and saturated fatty acids, with a lower amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids^[3,4,5].

This animal fat can be a beneficial ingredient in dog food. But it should probably be combined with other fat sources, such as fish oil or flaxseed, to provide essential omega-3 fatty acids.

What is Pork Digest in Dog Food?

Pork digest is a powder or liquid made from the hydrolysis of proteins and fats in pork tissues. Nutrients are broken down into their individual components, using heat, enzymes or acids.

Pork digest is added in small amounts to dog food as a source of flavor and as a palatability enhancer.

Pork flavor enhances the taste of the product and increases your dog’s appetite for his food.

While pork flavor is a minor ingredient in dog food, it can help entice picky eaters and make mealtime more enjoyable for dogs.