Can Dogs Eat Bacon? Dangerous Diet Alert! [April 2024]

Secondly, the high salt content isn’t safe either because it can lead to your dog having an elevated heart rate and end up being put at risk of developing cardiovascular problems.

Benefits of Pork

In spite of these health concerns, many people are still tempted to feed their dogs a little bit of pork every now and then. And the sentiment isn’t entirely wrong.

While pork does tend to be high in fat content and contains a lot of sodium, it does- at the same time, also possess some nutrients which can prove to be beneficial.

A few of these are as follows:

Niacin;
Vitamins B6 and B12;
Iron;
Zinc;
Thiamine;
Phosphorous;
Selenium;
Proteins.

Can Dogs Eat Bacon: Good Versus Bad Pork

The nutritional benefits mentioned above are usually attributed to lean, fresh pork and not per se, to bacon.

The main reason behind this is that bacon and ham tend to fall under the category of curated and processed meats. Before being packaged, it is submerged in a salt solution to prevent it from going bad early on.

The salts in the solution, however, tend to be absorbed by the bacon strips, thereby making them extremely high in sodium content.

Bacon Can Cause Cancer!

Unfortunately, this is true. In 2015 the World Health Organization declared processed meats as being carcinogenic in nature.

This means that processed meats such as bacon strips, hams, etc. are all really bad for your dog.

And…It Only Gets Worse

As if having a potentially cancer-causing nature wasn’t a bad enough attribute, we’ve yet to tell you even more that might make you want to set bacon aside for good from now on.

The disease trichinosis, caused by the larvae of a parasite called trichinella spiralis can be lethal to your dog, as well as you. And guess where it is most commonly found?

Yup. That’s right.

Pigs.

If your dog has contracted this disease, we recommend going to the vet immediately. Signs and symptoms may include the following:

Dizziness;
Elevated heart rate;
Vomiting;
Diarrhea.

The good thing here (sort of), is that trichinella affects humans more severely than it does dogs. If you have a small dog, however, or a pup who is generally sensitive then the disease could be extremely damaging and even lethal.

Can Dogs Eat Bacon: Other Serious Problems

Another important thing to know about curated meats such as bacon is that it can lead to your dog getting Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus, more commonly referred to as bloat.

This is a very serious condition in which a dog’s stomach fills with gas or fluid and causes the stomach to expand and twist.

The high salt content inside bacon can cause your dog to become dehydrated. Consequently, they drink more water but a salt imbalance begins to develop, and this, in most cases can be lethal.

Safe Ways for Dogs to Eat Pork

When it comes to the question of “Can dogs eat bacon?” The answer will always be a strict no.

At the same time, however, there are a few safe ways for your dog to consume pork.

The trick here is to avoid everything process and always stick to simple, lean meat.

And always, always remember to cook thoroughly before serving!

This is important since cooking can do away with parasites and other disease-causing agents which might persist in raw meat.

What about bones?

We would highly suggest not feeding your dog anything rough such as dry bones which may lodge in their throats and lead to choking.

Can Dogs Eat Bacon: Alternate, Safe Pork Recipes

Ingredients:

Ground Pork- 4lbs;
Sweet Potato (diced)- 1 piece;
Apple- 1 piece (diced)- 1 piece;
Carrots (chopped) – 2 pieces;
Kale (chopped)- 1;
Blueberries- 1/2 cup;
Brown rice- 1/2 cup;
Water- 1 cup.

Recipe:

Add all the ingredients in a cook pot.
Turn on the flame.

Video Recipe:

Our Advice

All in all, we would recommend staying away from foods such as pork and definitely keeping things such as bacon far away from your dogs if you want them to have a healthy lifestyle!