The answer is no. Bacon is a meaty, delicious food for both humans and dogs.The smell of delicious bacon in the air is tempting for any dog. However, it is not safe for dogs to eat bacon.
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Why dogs cannot eat bacon?
- Bacon is high in fat and sodium. Excessive feeding can lead to an upset stomach, vomiting, diarrhea, and pancreatitis. Bacon grease can also clog your pup’s arteries.
- Garlic powder, onion powder, maple chili, honey chipotle, pepper, and brown sugar are often used to flavor bacon. Each can increase the potential for GI problems.
- Bacon’s high sodium content can increase thirst. If the dog has eaten salty food, dogs will drink excessive amounts of water. It can lead to an emergency condition called bloat. The excess salt content in bacon is potentially poisonous to dogs. Dogs that eat too much food with high levels of salt content are put at risk for getting salt poisoning, also known as sodium ion poisoning.
- Some dogs may be allergic to pork.
How to feed bacon to your dog in safe ways?
The safe way is to reduce the high quality and salt content in bacon. A small amount of cooked, crispy bacon that has been drained of excess grease is the best choice to feed your dog. When the bacon is cooked until crispy, most of the fat will be cooked off.
If your dog likes bacon and shows no signs of gastrointestinal upset, you may feed it bacon in small amounts. You can offer a small dog about 1/8 to 1/4 of a strip (dogs < 20 pounds), a medium-sized dog (dogs 21 – 55 pounds) around 1/2 of a strip, and about 3/4 to 1 strip for a large dog (over 55 pounds).
As always, consult your vet before feeding new foods to your dog and keep a close eye on them to monitor their response within 24 hours.
