Pork- why do most commercial kibbles not use pork?

[Julie and Charlie]

Just curious. I know there are a few formulas out there that do, but they're certainly not very common. Any ideas on why it's not used very often?

Note: I really don't have a desire to feed it/not feed it, just wondering.

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

a thought i too have had. cooper loves pork - infact, i generally feed raw and cooper and my 3 cats all love pork, thats mostly what i feed them (the cats also get turkey, cooper also gets some beef). when eating kibble, cooper favours lamb and pork

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

There are quite a few commercial foods with pork. Off the top of my head, I know Fromm's and Orijen have pork formulas, and I'm sure there are lots of others.

Pork is a very good source of B vitamins.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Hmm, I'm surprised. Just glancing through the list, I didn't see any others. I know some of them do use pork fat, but that's not the same thing.

I'll have to do some digging. But not tonight, lol.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I think it's interesting that few formulas have it.

[Julie and Charlie]

Like I said, curiosity only. The Doodle's health does not depend on it!

[Oliver & Elizabeth]

I've wondered this too! I've got to think it has something to do with availability and cost of ingredients. If you're ever looking for one check out Orijen Regional Red, it has pork and wild boar, it's what I stuff in Oliver's interactive toys.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'm thinking it may have something to do with there being other uses for the parts of the hogs that aren't used in human food production. That's where most of the animal protein sources in pet foods come from, the parts of the chickens, turkeys, beef, etc that aren't used in human foods. Maybe the high fat content in pork makes it more useful in a rendered state? Pork fat is used a lot in dog foods, especially the Rx stuff.

This is just 11:20 top of my head guessing, but it would be interesting to know.

[Jill, Woody & Maxi]

Here is an article I copied/pasted from The Honest Kitchen website...I remember coming across it awhile back when we first started feeding THK.


Here are just a few ideas as far as what types of meats to consider adding to your dog’s diet. The following also contains information on food energetic, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine. Cooling meats can be helpful for dogs who show signs of ‘heat’ – such as skin allergies, hot spots or hyperactivity. Warming meats may help dog who show signs of ‘cold deficiencies’ – such as sluggishness or timidness.

Fresh or raw meat (this can be ground beef, turkey, chicken, venison, buffalo or other exotic meats) we suggest using a meat that is hormone and antibiotic free.

Chicken – is considered a warming food, nourishing the blood, spleen/pancreas, stomach and kidney.

Beef – is a neutral food that is good for nourishing the spleen/pancreas and the stomach. It is good for building blood, bones and yang muscle strength. This is recommended for animals who are thin, spare and who lack confidence.

Turkey – is warming. It has a calming effect on animals due to the tryptophan in the dark meat. Dark meat helps to create more moisture than the white meat, too. Good for intestinal problems caused by yin deficiency or dryness. (ie, irritable bowel syndromes with blood in the stool or frequent vomiting of dry hair balls. Also good for constipation with blood.)

Venison – is a warming food. This meat is good for an animal that is sluggish and who gets cold easily.

Pork – is one of the most cooling of the animal meats. It is good for restoring fluids to the body in diseases such as diabetes. Pork loin or butt can be used for inflammatory bowel problems with dryness and blood. Pork needs to be boiled and all of the fat removed before feeding.

Lamb – is warming. Lamb should be fed with caution to animals that show signs of ‘Heat’.

Rabbit – is considered neutral.

Tuna/Mackerel (canned or raw) – are neutral. May be beneficial for sluggish animals with heavy, hanging abdomens, moist lung problems or arthritis that is worse in damp weather. Choose whitefish for more sensitive animals. Sardines are a favorite with many dogs and cats.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Yeah, I think you have to believe in this kind of thing for this to make sense, and I can't see any scientific basis for any of this, lol. Certain foods being 'cooling" or "warming", it just makes no sense to me. All animal proteins (in fact all proteins for that matter) are composed of the same amino acids, just in different "arrnagements" and amounts, so to speak. When you eat them, whether it's pork, fish, or rabbit, the proteins are all broken down into their basic components, which are the amino acids.

How eating pork could possibly "restore fluids to the body" better than eating beef or chicken, I just can't imagine. It's too bad they don;t explain this. It seems to be more of a belief or a philosophy than a scientifically based nutritional fact. Maybe these things are based on which vitamins or minerals each of these foods contains, but I wish they would explain that.

There are many things in nature and science that we don't know, but we do know the exact composition of foods; they are very easy to break down and analyze in terms of composition and content.

What I also know is that there is no such thing as "skin allergies", allergies with symptoms that affect the skin are diseases of the immune system, and pork or any other meat can't cure them. That much you can bet your retirement account on. :)

The irony here is that it mentions that pork is good for inflammatory bowel problems. Of all the foods out there that cause JD's IBD to flare, pork is #1. That's specific to him, only, it doesn;t mean that pork wouldn;t be a good protein for other dogs, but I guess that's the point. Food allergies or intolerances are individual to each dog and are usually based on what they have or haven't eaten in the past, so it's impossible to say that any one food would be beneficial for any dog with allergies, bowel diseases, or anything else

[Adina P]

It is really hard for me too...to 'understand' or make sense of Chinese medicine and non-western 'science'.  I was watching Cesar Millan the other day and the way he talks and his vocab about dogs makes me feel the same.  Obviously HE gets something right, but his explanations sound like they were pulled out of thin air most of the time. 

[F, Calla & Luca]

This all sounds like hokum to me.

[Jill, Woody & Maxi]

I'm glad you commented on the pork part of that, b/c I was interested..once I read that, I thought, "Oh! maybe thats a meat I can try with Woody..." But I'm over that, lol.

But, I know what you mean, without a scientific backup, there is no proof..