Keep Raw Wild Boar Meat Away From Dogs

Keep dogs away from raw wild boar meat, organs, and carcasses. If your dog has already eaten or chewed tissue from a feral pig, call your veterinarian promptly and say it was wild swine. Don’t wait for illness or assume that a normal first evening rules out a problem.

Put distance between the dog and the work

If you bring a dog on a hunt, plan who will handle the dog while the carcass is processed. Use a secure area the dog cannot reach, rather than relying on a recall once scraps are on the ground. Close and secure containers holding offal, trimmings, and scraps, including in the vehicle. Keep the dog away from field-dressing areas and do not offer raw trimmings as rewards. Ask anyone taking meat home to follow the same rule.

USDA APHIS’s guidance on feral swine risks to dogs identifies contact with infected animals and their raw tissues as exposure routes. APHIS’s pseudorabies information explains that feral swine can carry the virus and that infection in dogs is usually fatal. Despite the similar name, pseudorabies is a different disease from rabies. Tell the clinic that the source was a feral pig; “ate a piece of pork” leaves out the detail that changes the conversation.

Give the clinic a timeline

Report the date and location of the hunt, what tissue the dog could have reached, whether you saw them swallow it, and any contact with a live animal or carcass. Describe symptoms that are happening now, including any marked behavior change or neurologic signs, and follow the clinic’s instructions about where to go. Don’t try to induce vomiting at home. If more than one dog had access, tell the clinic which dogs were there rather than assuming the dog with the clearest exposure was the only one.

A useful prevention check after processing is simple: clear the area before letting the dog back, secure the waste, and check that no one left a small bag of trimmings at floor level. For a different field exposure, our raw fish and salmon poisoning guide explains why the species and source matter there too.

Written by PARTNER Editorial Team for general education. Contact your veterinary team for advice about your pet’s individual health and feeding needs.