For pet fox owners, one of the most common diet questions is whether foxes can or should eat pork. While pork can be an affordable meat source, there are some important considerations regarding raw pork and foxes. This guide covers the health implications, risks, and recommendations around including pork in your fox’s diet.
Can Foxes Eat Raw Pork?
In the wild, foxes are opportunistic omnivores and will eat a wide variety of foods depending on availability. Small mammals, birds, insects, vegetation, fruit and carrion would all be part of a wild fox’s menu. So could foxes eat pork in the wild?
Pigs are not native to all areas where foxes live. But in regions where they coexist, foxes may scavenge on pig carcasses. So wild foxes can and do consume pork on occasion.
For pet foxes, most owners feed commercially prepared raw diets or a combination of raw meat and vegetables. Pork could be included, but it’s not necessarily an ideal choice. Here’s why:
Potential Health Risks of Raw Pork for Foxes
While foxes can eat raw pork, there are some potential downsides:
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Fat content – Pork tends to be higher in fat compared to other raw meats. Excessive fat can lead to obesity and other health issues in foxes.
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Gout risk – The high protein and fat content of pork may raise the risk of gout in foxes, which can cause painful joint inflammation.
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Parasites – Raw pork has a higher likelihood of harborings parasites like trichinella, which can be passed to foxes and cause illness.
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Foodborne illness – Salmonella and other bacteria are more common in raw pork versus other raw meats. Proper handling is crucial.
So while foxes can technically eat raw pork, it may not be the best choice compared to leaner, lower fat meats.
Safer Meat Options for Foxes
While raw pork should be limited, there are other more suitable raw meat choices for foxes:
- Chicken, turkey, and game birds
- Rabbits and other small prey animals
- Venison or other wild game meat
- Lean cuts of beef or buffalo
These meats are lower in fat and less prone to parasites. Grass-fed, pasture-raised meats are ideal. Variety is important, rather than feeding just one protein source.
Recommended Guidelines for Raw Meat Diets
If choosing to include pork in your fox’s diet, follow these tips to reduce risks:
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Select high-quality, human-grade pork from trusted sources
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Freeze raw pork for 2-3 weeks before feeding to kill parasites
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Limit portion to less than 10% of overall diet
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Balance with lower fat meats like poultry, rabbit, and venison
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Wash hands and disinfect surfaces after handling raw pork
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Monitor your fox’s body condition and health status
Following basic food safety practices is also crucial when handling any raw meat. This includes:
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Thoroughly wash hands and prep area before and after contact
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Keep raw meats sealed and separate from other foods
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Refrigerate immediately and use within 2 days or freeze
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Thaw in the refrigerator, not at room temperature
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Discard any spoiled meats that have an off smell or appearance
With proper precautions, occasional small amounts of pork can be fed as part of a balanced raw diet. But leaner proteins should make up the bulk of their nutrition.
Can Foxes Eat Cooked Pork?
While wild foxes eat raw meat, cooking pork may make it a bit safer in terms of parasite risks. However, cooked bones become brittle and can splinter, causing injuries.
Here are some tips on including cooked pork in a fox’s diet:
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Cook to an internal temperature of at least 145°F to kill bacteria and parasites
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Choose lower fat cuts like loin or tenderloin
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Remove all bones, especially if cooked until brittle
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Chop or shred into bite-size pieces when cooled
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Limit to occasional treats or mix into their raw food
Things to Avoid Feeding Foxes
Some other common human foods should be avoided or limited for foxes:
✖ Fatty meat trimmings and table scraps
✖ High sodium deli meats and bacons
✖ Heavily processed hot dogs or sausages
✖ Raw eggs due to salmonella risk
✖ Chocolate, candy, gum with xylitol sweetener
✖ Onions, garlic, avocados, grapes, raisins
✖ Moldy, spoiled, or contaminated meats
Sticking to high quality sources of raw meat and proper handling methods is the best way to include pork or other meats into your fox’s diet. Monitor their health and adjust the diet as needed.
Signs Your Fox Should Avoid Pork
While most foxes do well with lean, low-fat pork in moderation, watch for these signs that your individual fox may have issues processing it:
- Diarrhea or other digestive upset after eating
- Significant weight gain from fat content
- Lethargy or lack of energy after meals
- Refusal to eat or loss of appetite
If you observe any of these symptoms, stop serving pork temporarily and reevaluate. Consult your exotic vet if health concerns arise. Some foxes have higher sensitivity and pork aggravates medical conditions.
Can Foxes Eat Ham and Bacon?
Pork in the form of processed ham or bacon is not recommended for foxes. These are very high in fat, sodium, preservatives and other additives.
While the salt and smoke flavoring may seem appealing, they can cause serious health risks like pancreatitis or sodium ion poisoning. Processed pork products should be avoided for foxes.
The Verdict: Is Pork OK for Foxes?
To summarize:
- Foxes can eat pork, but only in limited amounts
- Raw pork may pose parasite and illness risks
- Cooked, lean pork is safer in moderation
- Avoid fatty, heavily processed pork products
- Lean meats are healthier as the main protein sources
In small portions from quality sources, pork can be an occasional part of a balanced fox diet. But other proteins like poultry should make up the bulk of their meat intake for optimum fox health. Follow safe raw meat handling practices, and be attentive to your individual fox’s needs. With some common sense precautions, pork can be included in a fox’s menu.
Silver Fox Identification and Management CPD
It is thought that a wild fox eats about 400g of food every night, which is about the same as a young rabbit or 5–10 rodents, depending on its size. Like most other dogs, foxes have relatively small stomachs for their sizes. They eat about 10% of their body weight, while dogs and other dogs eat about 20% of their body weight. Over a course of a year, wild foxes are thought to consume around 150 kg of food.
Foxes eat mostly meat, but they also eat a lot of other things, too. This is why they are sometimes called opportunistic or omnivorous carnivores.
- Rodents
- Rabbits
- Birds & Eggs
- Amphibians & Small lizards
- Insects & Invertebrates
- Fruits & Vegetables
- Grains, Nuts, Shoots & Seeds
- Commercial Cat and Dog Foods
- Human Food Waste
Even though foxes eat many different kinds of foods, it’s important to remember that their bodies and digestion are still mostly designed to break down small ground-dwelling prey.
Feeding a captive fox;
Foxes like to eat little and often and self-regulate their diets by caching any excess food. If you notice that your fox is caching a lot of food or not retrieving cached items within 24 to 48 hours, you will need to change your diet and routine to cut down on waste and get your fox more interested in food and enrichment.
For consistency’s sake and to help with training, you should feed your fox twice a day, with breakfast and tea. These meals should be small, plain, well-balanced, and regular. The base of the diet should be a complete dry diet with raw meat and cooked vegetables; for young foxes, use complete puppy or kitten food. A healthy and well-balanced diet will include a lot of prey. To keep your foxes entertained all day, it’s best to feed them this part of their diet as food enrichment. Basics include;.
- Things that birds eat, like chicks, whole chickens and game birds, mice, rats, rabbits, and more
- Insects and invertebrates;Crickets, locusts, waxworms, wax moths andearthworms, etc.
- Eggs; Quail, duck, goose and chicken, etc.
- Raw meat (on or off the bone; no pork because of snakebites)
- Occasionally liver, kidneys, and heart should be fed to dogs as raw organ meat (a diet of at least 10% organ meat is recommended for dogs).
- Cooked meats (without bones, pork is OK if cooked thoroughly)
- Commercial diets—Both wet and dry high-quality complete diets for cats and dogs can be used. Badger also makes its own food. For people in the US, Zupreem and Mazouri make full diets for exotic cats and dogs.
- Fresh fruits and berries (take out the seeds and cores of the fruits; no rhubarb, citrus, or cobs).
- vegetables, cooked and raw (but not mushrooms, onions, garlic, or potatoes that aren’t ripe yet)
Occasional treats can include;
- Honey
- Natural yogurt
- Nuts and seeds (no macadamia nuts, chestnuts or fruit seeds)
- You can feed your pet dehydrated and dried fruits, berries, and vegetables. Remember that the nutrients are concentrated in foods that are lighter, so feed them the dried weight equivalent of the fresh fruit.
- Cottage Cheese
- Coconut oil
- Maple syrup
- Marmite
- Bovril (high in salt, so small amounts only)
- Unsalted and unsweetened popcorn
- Unsalted and unsweetened porridge
- Fish like tuna or salmon can make foxes sick if they eat too much of it.
- Blue, pinto, and black beans that have been cooked (be careful, not all beans are safe).
- Cooked chickpeas and lentils
Carnivore care is also available in the UK as a supplement, for foxes that need extra nutritional support.
Example of a basic daily fox diet from a UK breeder:
- 3-4 day old chicks
- x1 400g tin of wet dog food
- x1 bowl of dry dog and cat biscuits (check the weight instructions on the package to see how much to give).
- A marmite sandwich, an apple, a carrot, a handful of mealworms, and raw meats may be used as scatter feed.
Farm Fox Suggested Diet Composition;
Calories Foxes Require to Ensure Maintenance;
The amount of energy an adult fox needs to stay healthy is called Metabolic Energy Requirement for Maintenance (MEm). It is calculated when the temperature is neutral. It shows how much energy is needed to get food and digest it so that the body stays at a healthy weight.
The table below shows the results of studies that looked into how much energy silver foxes need and how many calories they need each day (Cal/kg/day);
What Foxes Cant Eat;
Like dogs and cats, foxes can’t handle a lot of different foods. There haven’t been any specific studies on fox food poisoning, but One general rule is that you shouldn’t give your fox anything that dogs and cats can’t have. Even though some of the foods below have been fed to foxes without any bad effects, it is best not to tempt fate until the ways that pain is caused are known.
Also, it’s important to remember that raw fish shouldn’t make up more than 10% of a fox’s diet, because that can cause Chaldek Paralysis, a potentially fatal vitamin deficiency.
Foods Unsafe for Dogs by Lili Chin (also applies to foxes);
The Silver Fox’s Legacy: How foxes helped create complete diets, which in turn helped the progress of scientific research:
The Fromm Brothers began their fur farm with 12 pairs of silver foxes in 1921, by 1925 they had began developing their own foods and treats. In 1933, as a result of their attention to the dietary needs of their foxes and the development of their own formulated diets, the Fromm Brothers were the first farm to produce a litter of eleven silver fox pups (in contrast wild foxes have 4-5 pups and the odds of getting just one silver are very slim). They credit their success to their formulated diets and superior nutrition, as a result of their success a boom in the production of commercial fox diets began.
Today the Fromm Brothers no longer farm fur animals, but they still produce pet food to this day.
Commercial silver fox diets made for the growing fur industry also helped scientific research grow by making animals used in studies happier and healthier and by letting scientists move animals farther so they could work with other scientists from around the world. Lab rodents were fed commercial fox diets as their main food source instead of the “make-shift” (and often unhealthy) diets they were first given. As a result, it greatly improved the health and mortality of the animals and the reliability of research.
In 1921 Purina revolutionised the domestic animal feed industry with the production of pellet-shaped feed. “Purina Fox Chow” was one product produced commercially for fox farmers, that by 1932, had found a place as a staple diet for laboratory rodents. Purina would not go on to develop their commercial “LabDiet” until 10 years later, and it wasnt until the 1960s that labs began to switch from “Purina Fox Chow” to the more specific laboratory rodent diets. Purina no longer produce their commercial fox diet, but its value to the development of scientific research is certainly worth mentioning.
Foxes store or bury extra food to eat later when food is scarce. This is like a fridge for foxes. It is important to let your fox act in this way because it is a natural way for them to survive. It helps them keep a steady food supply all year, even when the seasons change and there is competition.
Most of the time, caching just means putting food in a carefully chosen hole and lightly covering it with soil until it is needed. Some foxes will also use stumps or other similar structures, and a lot of pet foxes will hide food under beds or on couches.
Scent marks can be made before or after the cache has been emptied with poop or urine, depending on what’s inside. This behavior usually happens after a cache has been cleaned out, but it can also happen before. It’s like a chemical note telling the fox it’s been there before and didn’t like what it found, so it doesn’t have to waste time following the same false trails. Because foxes will also scent mark water sources, owners should get a raised bowl that won’t tip over and change the water every day. Ponds and water troughs work well in enclosures and can be used with food enrichment. As much as 66% of a fox’s water needs are met by its food, with the remaining 44% coming from specific water sources. Farmed foxes have a water consumption rate of 100-600 ml/day.
Foxes are known to engage in two types of caching behaviour;
- When you “save for a rainy day” or “larder cache” a few large cache sites with lots of items and close locations are often actively defended. Usually linked to lots of resources that can be used when food is scarce
- “Don’t keep all your eggs in one basket” means scatter caching, which means putting food to store in different, spread-out places. This keeps resources from going to other animals and makes sure that at least some of the food will still be there when the fox returns to its caches.
What is the likelihood of a fox ever returning to its cache?
Pet fox caching food rewards during a training session;
It is through play that young foxes develop the coordination and timing necessary to become a successful hunters. They learn to adjust their speed to a moving target, and to gauge distance when pouncing. Playing with food gives young foxes the opportunity to learn the necessary skills for hunting through practical experience.
When babies are in the wild, their mothers will bring home dead prey and eat it in front of them until the babies are old enough to join in. Over time she will begin to supply partially dead prey, showing them how to finish a kill. The young foxes keep learning how to hunt by going after slow-moving, hurt animals until they are good enough to go hunting on their own.
Like young foxes in the wild, young foxes that live as pets will play with food or toys to improve their wild hunting skills. By giving your fox food that is different from its normal food, you will give it the chance to develop its natural behaviors, even though it won’t have any live prey to practice on.
Foxes are solitary hunters, which means they are not as willing to share food or resources as “pack animals” are. This means foxes can be very possessive over food and will often vocalise and display agonistic behaviours if they are approached when eating or if their cached supplies are approached. This behaviour is considered normal for foxes but it is similar to food aggression seen in dogs and can be remedied and managed with desensitisation and counter-conditioning techniques and by wearing animal handling gloves during the first weeks of training.
When foxes are hungry and can smell a tasty treat, their instincts take over, and they are willing to beg, whine, and push to get to where the smell is coming from. This can make them tense and mean. If those don’t work, they might use harsher methods, so they need to be trained over and over again around food. Never give in to their begging because it will only make them want to do it more, which will make you reward them for it.
There is a reason why people call foxes “sly.” They have almost made food theft an art form. Once they’ve stolen something, a fox will not give it back and may even bite to protect their prize. This is not a good habit for your fox to have because it could lead them to something that is not safe for them to eat. To stop this from happening, make sure that food is out of reach, counters are clean, and bins can’t be reached.
Make sure your fox has a varied, healthy diet and lots of food enrichment (on a rota and rotation schedule to keep it interested in eating). Also, make sure your fox’s main meal times are regular. Create a distraction or teach your fox something else to do with their time to keep them out of the kitchen during meal times. Don’t forget to reward them for not bothering you while you are cooking or eating!
To get back things that your fox has stolen, teach it the “leave it” command and use distraction and counter-conditioning, just like you would with a dog.
For safety reasons, a dig box or sand pit is necessary for foxes. Also, make sure your fox has a safe place to hide the food you give them if they want to. Your fox should get used to being near the food cache before you take it away, but if it’s been there for more than 48 hours, take it away when they can’t see you. Avoid desensitization and counter-conditioning techniques. This will ensure your fox learns to understand they have little need to guard resources.
For everyone’s safety, using these methods will make sure that the natural behaviors foxes show around food can be managed and lowered or eliminated.
The Feeding Behaviour of Farmed Silver Foxes;
Researchers who looked at how farmed silver foxes react to food found that the way the food is presented can change how the foxes react. They found that when there is too much food available, people’s eating habits change and they are less interested in making food more interesting.
What Do Foxes Eat: Complete List of What Foxes Hunt, and Eat
FAQ
What foods are poisonous to foxes?
What meat can foxes eat?
Can foxes eat cooked pork sausages?
Can foxes eat cooked pork ribs?
Do foxes eat raw meat?
Personally, I’m an advocate of raw meat as a staple in any captive fox’s diet. This more closely approximates their diet in the wild. Depending on how the meat is offered, it can also be a great source of entertainment and enrichment for your fox. For example, Wolf Park in Indiana often gives their foxes an entire leg of venison.
What should a wild fox eat?
Wild animals, including foxes, should eat raw or cooked meat and other canned pet foods, unsalted peanuts, fruits, and cheese. It is essential to maintain their diet as close to their natural diet as possible.
Can foxes eat grains?
Foxes do not require grains in their diet as they get vitamins from non-grain foods and small animals like mice, rodents, and insects. Avoid feeding grains to foxes. Before diving into the specific type of food that you should avoid feeding your fox, remember that any food that can hurt a dog or a cat is poisonous to your fox.
Can foxes eat dog food?
Yes, foxes can eat dog food, as their primary diet consists of meat protein. Foxes love cooked or raw meat, including dog food. Chad Fox, an author and researcher, supports animal sanctuary awareness and provides reliable information about foxes to the public. Foxes eat a variety of small mammals and vegetation.