Can Dogs Eat Bacon?

Can Dogs Eat Bacon? ‍Dogs love fatty foods, but some fats are healthier for them than others. Recognizing which fats are healthy and which are not is the key to knowing if your dog can eat bacon.

Dogs can eat bacon in small amounts as long as it’s not regular or frequent fare. The fat in bacon comes from saturated and monounsaturated fats, which are both considered “bad” fats that the body tries to avoid.

These fats raise cholesterol levels, putting your dog at risk for heart disease and other complications. Fortunately, it isn’t the fat that gives bacon its flavor.

The real danger in bacon comes from added preservatives like nitrates and sodium levels that are too high.

Reducing the risks of eating bacon requires you to know everything about it before feeding it to your dog. Here’s a closer look at whether dogs can eat bacon with different parts of the pig, including the pros and cons:

Table of Contents

Yes, but not recommended. Bacon is a high-quality, natural meat often recommended for street or trail eaters. It’s been a part of the American diet for decades, and researchers think it may offer health benefits for humans as well.

The fat in bacon is called saturated fat, which is “bad” for you and your dog. “Saturated” fats are bad for your dog because they can increase blood pressure and increase heart rate, which can increase the risk of heart disease and strokes.

“Monounsaturated” fats are good for your dog because they can lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease.

“Trans fat” is a type of fat that’s found in many foods, but it’s rarely used in restaurants because it’s expensive and bad for your dog.

A typical 3.5-ounce (100-gram) portion of cooked bacon contains:

37 grams of high-quality animal protein
Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6 and B12
89% of the RDA for selenium
53% of the RDA for phosphorus
Decent amounts of the minerals iron, magnesium, zinc and potassium

Pros Of Feeding Dogs Bacon

The first thing to recognize when buying a dog a piece of meat is its texture. The following are some pros of feeding your dog bacon:

It is a good source of protein. It has a high protein content and can be easily digested by your dog.
It contains iron, zinc, calcium and selenium which are all essential for your dog’s development.
It contains vitamins B1, B6 and B12 which are needed to keep the nervous system functioning properly so that the brain can work at its best capacity.
It keeps your dog’s skin healthy and shiny because it has linoleic acid that helps maintain a healthy skin surface, which in turn makes their coat look shiny and beautiful.
Bacon is also rich in niacin or vitamin B3 that helps boost metabolism so that they can have ample energy to play with you in the park or walk around the neighborhood all day long without getting tired easily.

Cons Of Feeding Dogs Bacon

The following are the cons of feeding your dog bacon:

Bacon is not the best option for dogs that have high cholesterol. Bacon contains a lot of saturated fats or cholesterol which can easily clog the arteries and cause cardiovascular diseases.
It can also cause pancreatitis which is a condition wherein the pancreas becomes inflamed resulting to abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea.
If your dog has an allergy to sulphites, then it would be best to avoid giving him bacon because it contains sodium nitrite that acts as preservatives in meat products such as bacon, ham, sausage and hotdogs.
Bacon can also be bad for your dog’s teeth because it has sugar content similar to candy and can cause tooth decay over time if they are not properly brushed by their owners on a regular basis.
It may contribute to obesity in dogs especially if you give them too much bacon because of its high fat content which means that it contains more calories than normal food which makes the dog gain weight over time if given too much of it per day.
Bacon may also cause stomach upset in dogs especially if they are not used to eating foods with high sodium content or salty foods like bacon so you have to introduce them slowly into eating them so that they will not develop stomach upsets frequently when given too much of bacon per day such as 1 piece per day or 2 pieces per day depending on their tolerance level for salty foods like bacon .

How Much Bacon Can You Feed a Dog?

Here’s a trick to reduce the chances of your dog getting too full from eating too much meat: make a rule that says you can’t eat more than your recommended daily amount. For example, a 10-ounce dog needs 10 to 12 grams of protein and 3 to 4 grams of fat. A 12-ounce dog should have an average of 6 grams of protein and 1.5 to 2 grams of fat.