It’s safe to say that almost everyone loves bacon. It can stand on its own or make a delicious addition to almost any meal. While bacon is a favorite meat for humans, you may be wondering if you can share your crispy bacon with your do

Can Dogs Eat Bacon?

Occasionally giving your dog a small amount of cooked bacon will not cause harm, but there are healthier alternatives to human food. Bacon is high in fat and sodium. Fat and salty foods are not good for your dog, too much can lead to obesity or heart-related diseases. Some dogs are particularly sensitive to high-fat foods.

Health Benefits of Bacon for Dogs

Unlike other human foods that may benefit your dog’s health, bacon doesn’t offer many benefits. Dog’s shouldn’t be eating pork on a regular basis since it can be difficult for their stomachs to digest. Bacon and other pork products tend to be very salty and high in fat, which can lead to chronic health issues like high cholesterol and even some cancers.

While bacon is a hearty protein source, there are other proteins you can be giving your dog if they’re eating human protein sources.

How to Feed Bacon to Dogs

While feeding your furry friend bacon isn’t the best thing to do all the time, a little bacon every now and then shouldn’t cause harm. If you can’t resist the puppy dog eyes your dog gives you whenever they get a whiff of bacon, there is a way to feed it to them safely.

How much bacon you should give your dog depends on how big or small they are. For large dogs, about half a strip of bacon should be perfectly fine. For medium does, a quarter of a bacon strip should be sufficient, and for smaller dogs, either a quarter strip or half of that is more than enough.

Why Bacon Can be Bad for Dogs

Don’t be fooled by how eager and interested your dog is by the smell of bacon. Bacon can be harmful to your dog’s health if overeaten. Bacon is high fat and salty piece of meat, both of which can cause chronic health issues for your furry best friend.

Pancreatitis is a common health condition that dogs are known to develop when they consume too much fat and too much salt. When your dog eats too many fatty foods, like bacon, it can cause the pancreas to become inflamed. When this happens, it’s uncomfortable and even painful for your dog. Treatment by a qualified veterinarian is required to overcome pancreatitis. Unfortunately, left untreated, this condition can be fatal. If you plan on giving your dog bacon, you’ll want to give it to them in minimal amounts and not very often at all.

What Foods Can you Give Your Dog Besides Bacon?

It’s normal for dogs to be curious about the foods we’re eating. When your dog is curious, it’s even more normal to want to share a little bit of your food with them. Some human foods can cause problems for dogs, while others are perfectly safe for them to eat in moderation. Before you cut up a strip of bacon for your dog, consider these alternatives:

• Plain white rice
• Apples
• Carrots
• Plain chicken
• Peanut butter
• Plain turkey
• Bananas

These options may not smell as delicious to your dog as bacon, but they’re much healthier for them, and they’ll just be happy you shared some of your food with them.

Are Dogs Allergic to Bacon?

Generally speaking, dogs aren’t allergic to bacon like they are to onions and chocolate. Just like every human body is a little different, every dog’s body is different. Your dog may have a pork allergy, while another may not. The only real way to know is to have your dog’s vet perform an allergy test or by process of elimination through their diet. Since you shouldn’t be feeding your dog pork products like bacon often, if at all, you may never need to know whether your dog is allergic to bacon or not.

Conclusion

Bacon is one of the most popular meats that humans consume. It’s delicious and goes with pretty much everything. Bacon is very salty, and anything too salty isn’t good for a dog’s stomach. If you’re going to share bacon with your dog, you’ll want to do so in moderation to ensure they don’t get an upset stomach or gain too much weight. Make sure to contact your vet immediately if your dog is displaying signs of distress after eating bacon.