Can Dogs Eat Raw Pig Feet?

Table of Contents

Raw pig feet are collagen-rich, packed with minerals, and at about 30% bone to 70% cartilage, fat and meat, yes, they can absolutely be part of your dog’s raw diet.

Personally, I’ve been feeding raw since 2015, in both the US and Germany, and pig feet have been a regular in my dogs’ rotation ever since.

Here’s what you need to know before adding them to your dog’s bowl.

Pig Feet aka Pork Trotters in Raw Feeding

They’re also known as pork trotters and are classified as raw meaty bones in raw feeding.

That’s great news because pig feet are an inexpensive cut of meat.

However, there’s a few caveats you should be aware of.

That said, here’s what this blog post covers:

What’s in raw pig feet
When to cook pig feet
Where to buy raw pig feet
What to feed raw pigs feet with
Types of dogs raw pig feet are best for
How to feed raw pig feet to dogs (+ video)
How much bone is in raw pig feet (2 tables in oz and g)

What’s in Raw Pig Feet + Pig Feet Health Benefits

Besides bone, there’s mostly cartilage, ligaments, tendons and fat in pig feet, and very little meat.

As is the case with all feet, they’re rich in glucosamine and chondroitin, the building blocks of cartilage. Cartilage and joint tissue are important for dog joint health.

That said, raw pig feet are a wonderful natural dog arthritis preventative, and they’re also a great dog chew for dogs with arthritis.

Since pig feet require quite a bit of chewing, they’re also great for oral health as:

They help scrape away plaque and tartar
They provide a jaw muscle workout

They also offer a great mental AND physical workout, which means your pup is going to be snoozing after a raw pig food eating session!

Feeding Raw Pig Feet to Dogs

First things first, if you buy farmed raw pig feet you can feed them right away if you want.

If you get your hands on wild raw pig feet you should freeze them for 3 weeks prior to feeding.

Frozen pigs feet thaw quickest if you place them in a bowl with cool water.

You can also let them thaw on a plate or inside a container in the fridge, but that’s going to take longer than doing it with the water bowl hack.

Below is a video of my Feist mix Wally eating a raw pig’s foot:

Feeding, Benefits & Downsides of Raw Pig Feet for Dogs

Watch this video on YouTube.

Types of Dogs Raw Pig Feet are Best for

Raw pigs feet are a fairly large cut of meat, so that’s something to be aware of when you’re trying to figure out if your pup(s) can have it.

Keeping that in mind, they’re not a good raw meaty bone for toy breeds and also not for small dogs.

I wouldn’t offer them to Chihuahuas, Shih Tzus, Dachshunds and similarly sized dogs.

Feist mix eating a raw pigs foot — My Feist mix Wally with a raw pig trotter

They are, however, great for medium to large and extra large dogs. So your Beagles, Bulldogs, Labs, GSDs and Great Dane type dogs.

Yes, Feist mixes like my pup Wally can have them too!

Since they’re very rich in fat, they’re not a great raw meaty bone for overweight dogs and those who’ve been diagnosed with pancreatitis.

How Much Bone is in Raw Pig Feet?

Raw pigs feet are about 30% bone and 70% cartilage, fat and some meat as I already pointed out.

They weigh anywhere between 8-16oz depending on the size of the pig they’re from.

The tables below show the ratio of bone vs meat on a pig foot depending on its size, both in oz and grams (for my non-US readers!).

This is helpful information when you’re figuring out how to include it in your dog’s weekly raw dog food allowance:

	8oz pig foot	12oz pig foot	16oz pig foot
bone	2.4oz	3.6oz	4.8oz
meat, cartilage, fat	5.6oz	8.4oz	11.2oz

raw pig foot bone vs meat ratio in ounces (oz)

	200g pig foot	300g pig foot	400g pig foot
bone	60g bone	90g bone	120g bone
meat, cartilage, fat	140g meat	210g bone	280g meat

raw pig foot bone vs meat ratio in grams (g)

For example, an adult dog who weighs 50lbs and is fed at a 2.5% maintenance percentage eats 1.25lbs = 20oz per day.

Free Tool

Get Your Dog’s Bone Allowance, Then Do the Pig Foot Math

This calculator gives you your dog’s total daily bone allowance based on weight and activity level – the number you need to figure out how much pig foot (30% bone) fits into that allowance.

Try the Free Calculator

Here’s a quick refresher on how to do that math:

Divide your dog’s target body weight = 50lbs by 100. Multiply the result = 0.5 with the maintenance percentage = 2.5.

So 50/100 = 0.5x 2.5 = 1.25lbs = 20oz (16oz = 1lb).

Of that, (s)he has the following daily requirements:

Muscle meat, 70% = 14oz
Raw meaty bone, 10% = 2oz
Secreting organs, 10% = 2oz (5% = 1oz liver, 5% = 1oz other secreting organ)
Plant matter, 10% = 2oz

If you feed a whole prey diet including entire prey animals, you probably don’t include plant matter and can disregard the 10% plant matter allowance. Instead, up the muscle meat allowance from 70% to 80%.

So for the 50lb dog, an 8oz pig foot that has 2.4oz of bone content covers that dog’s daily bone allowance. Want to know your own dog’s bone allowance?

But what if the pig foot you have for that 50lb dog weighs more and has considerably more bone?

No worries, you can balance your dog’s raw dog food over the course of about 7-10 days.

So if you feed more bone one day, just decrease the bone allowance the next day or skip it entirely.

Just make sure that your pup gets the amount of bone they need over the course of a week-ish.

What to Combine Raw Pigs Feet with For a Raw Meal

Since raw pigs feet are fatty cuts of meat and rich in calories, I would combine them with lean cuts of meat.

So rather than adding ground pork or pork trim to the pig foot, go for lean cuts of:

Turkey or chicken (no skin on the poultry)
Rabbit
Venison
Pheasant
Ostrich
Kangaroo

For the secreting organs, how about some chicken liver and beef kidney.

As far as plant matter, try some (cooked and puréed) spinach, carrots and red beets, kelp powder and (soaked and ground) almonds and chia seeds.

Balanced homemade raw dog food with raw pigs foot in a stainless steel dog bowl — Raw dog food featuring a raw pigs foot, ground beef, mackerel, goat secreting organ mix and homemade frozen veggie supplements

Feist mix dog sitting in front of a stainless steel dog bowl filled with raw dog food and a raw pig's foot — Wally ready to dig into his raw meal!

How to Cook Pig Feet for Dogs

OK, let me clarify that I don’t suggest you ever cook raw meaty bones you intend to feed your dog(s)!

Cooking changes the bone density and makes bones brittle where they splinter easily. That’s how they can do some damage inside your dog’s body.

So please only offer your dog RAW pig trotters!

However, you can use raw pig feet to make a yummy batch of bone broth.

You can also let your pup have half of a raw pigs foot and then use the other half for doggie bone broth.

Check out my bone broth recipe here.

Where to Buy Raw Pig Feet for Dogs

You can find raw pig feet at butchers, many grocery stores as well as ethnic grocery stores. For example, Mexican and Asian grocery stores.

As far as online retailers, I’m aware of the following one that carries raw pig feet:

Farmer’s Fresh Meat & Grocery Pork Feet (Houston, TX)

If you’re aware of any pet food retailers who sell raw pigs feet, please let me know and I’ll add them to this list!

You can either leave a comment at the end of the blog post or email me at Barbara [at] k9sovercoffee.com.

Brown dog eating a raw pig foot — Wally eating a raw pig foot

Bottom Line

I hope this answers the question can dogs eat raw pig feet?

As I explained, raw pork feet for dogs are a good raw meaty bone for medium to large and extra large dogs.

They’re inexpensive to source and consist of about 30% bone. The rest is mostly cartilage and fat which makes it great for joint health and oral health.

Brown Feist mix sitting in the grass looking at a raw pigs foot for dogs in someone's hand

However, it has very little meat.

Since it’s more on the fatty side of things, raw pig feet are not a good idea for overweight dogs and those who suffer from pancreatitis.

My pup Wally weighs around 38lbs and gets raw pig feet occasionally, about once every other month.

For more raw feeding resources, visit my full homemade raw dog food library.