If you have been around with your puppy, you might wonder about whether dogs eat raw bacon or not. The short answer is NO. Bacon, just like any other food product, comes from many different brands. Each bacon is not created equally with others. So, you will want to consider checking the content of this food product.
Bacon is not necessarily dangerous to eat. But raw bacon is different. Your dog shouldn’t consume the raw bacon for any reason because it won’t be good for their pancreas.
Raw bacon can impose the risks of parasite infection. Bacon also contains a high amount of sodium, which is bad for your dog’s overall health. Some folks might suggest you give raw meat. Well, some meats are safe for them, but raw bacon is definitely out of options.
What WHO Says about Eating Bacon?
It is much better to avoid feeding your loved ones the bacon. I am not saying that it is a toxic food product. Even if it is not toxic, there are other reasons why you should keep it away from your dogs.
Bacon is a pork product that is processed with various methods of smoking, salting, and curing. In the production process involved, the producers use various ingredients and spices to make it more delicious to eat. But with this content, it can be downsides for the dogs.
According to WHO, raw bacon is highly rich in salt and fat content. As we know, it can be dangerous for the dog’s stomach and pancreas to cope up.
Large amounts of fats in the bacon can be bad for the pancreas so that it can lead to pancreatitis conditions. The same thing goes for all of the canned foods, processed meats, and other commercial products that have the same content as raw bacon. Ham, for instance, is a delicious and tasty human food. But since it comes with high salt content, it can be dangerous for your furry friend.
The condition which you should be concerned about after eating the raw bacon is bloating.
Bloat happens when your dog’s stomach contains a lot of gas, fluid, or food, making the stomach expand. Because of the high content of salt in the bacon products, it can cause dehydration in your dogs. That also explains why they demand more water after consuming raw bacon.
There are some conditions that are bad for your dogs if you keep feeding them bacon and similar food products:
COPD – Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
It is a lung progressive disease that obstructs the respiratory system so that it can cause your dogs hard to breathe. In more severe conditions, the disease is irreversible. It can be because of the high levels of natrium sodium consisting of raw bacon.
Obesity
Since raw bacon contains a lot of fat and calories, it is just about the time that your dog suffers from obesity. Obesity itself can lead to other diseases.
Cardiovascular diseases
Your dog could have a heart attack if they are overweight. The root problem of this condition is the high calories in the bacon grease and raw bacon.
What can be the worst thing that can happen to my dogs?
Death. That is the worst thing that can happen to your dogs if you keep feeding them with raw bacon.
Many people are asking about can dogs eat raw bacon, but sometimes our dogs can snatch raw bacon without us knowing it.
The thing about raw bacon is that it is very easy to get contaminated by bacteria and viruses. So, when your dog (accidentally) eat raw bacon, you will need to pay attention to several symptoms below:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Various allergic reactions
- Dehydration
- Muscles inflammation
- Abdominal Pain
- Confusing behavior
If you don’t take these symptoms very seriously, it can be dangerous for your dog, even leading to death.
How If I Give Them Cooked Bacon?
If there’s a definite answer for can dogs eat raw bacon, the same thing goes for cooked bacon. Whether it is raw or cooked or processed, bacon is not good for your dog.
Your furry friend would love to eat it without thinking about their health because they trust you. but in the long-term, it can cause serious health problems that will make the situation more difficult for you and your furry friends.
Raw bacon which contains harmful parasites will be safe to eat if we cook it. But it won’t make it safer for your dogs as the fat, calories, and loads of salt are still there.
Even though the raw bacon has not been preserved or processed, you will want to avoid feeding your best furry buddy with this kind of food.
The other alternatives that you can feed to your furry buddy are:
- Turkey
- Salmon
- Chicken
- Pork
How About Pork?
If we are talking about pork meat, experts do not see the significant danger to feed your pooch with it. Whether it is raw, cooked, or preserved, pork is okay. But when you purchase some processed pork products, you will want to pay attention to the ingredients. The ingredients which we mentioned before can pose real threats to your buddy.
Keep in mind that plain pork is safe enough. But if we are talking about pork with salt added, then it is a huge NO!
Make sure that you have also removed the fat from the pork because the dog’s stomach is hardly digesting it. It can make their stomach bloat and upset because of the pancreas downside.
All breeds are different. They have different strength and immunity. If you are about to give them pork or other meat, make sure to sample feed first. Cut a small portion of the sample to feed your dog. See their reaction. If the particular meat causes an allergic reaction, you shouldn’t proceed for the sake of their health.