Can Dogs Eat Raw Bacon? Steer Clear Of These 11 Foods For Your Dog’s Sake

It’s a well-known fact that dogs like bacon. However, many people may feel worried about their puppy’s wellbeing when he munched a slice of raw bacon. So if you are also asking yourself, “Can dogs eat raw bacon?” today’s post has the answer. We’ll also go through the top 11 foods you should avoid feeding your canines.

Can Dogs Eat Raw Bacon? 

Not really. Here’s why:

Although bacon is not deadly to your canine, pork is a fatty food that canines should avoid eating great amounts to prevent pancreatitis. At the same time, raw pork may potentially expose your dog to trichinosis, a parasite condition.

Furthermore, bacon has a lot of salt, which is bad for your puppy. So while certain food products are safe for your dog, raw bacon is not.

This might be a bigger issue if the raw bacon had been spoiled or found in the garbage when consumed. 

Indeed, food that has passed its expiration date can become nasty and have many germs, increasing the risk of disease and stomach discomfort.

It is also important to note that uncooked pork products may carry a parasite known as Trichinella Spiralis, a kind of worm. It harms both canines and people and is commonly contracted by consuming undercooked or raw pork products.

A tiny bit of raw bacon shouldn’t do much harm. - Healthline
A tiny bit of raw bacon shouldn’t do much harm. – Healthline

The worm eggs in the uncooked pork develop into larvae. They subsequently spread throughout the body, forming abscesses in the dog’s tissues. In canines with weaker immune mechanisms, infection is more common.

When Should I Call My Vet?

A tiny bit of raw bacon won’t usually leave any side effects. However, if your dog shows persistent signs (as below), you should contact your vet for direction. The signs include:

  • Abdominal discomfort
  • Retching
  • Diarrhea
  • Lethargy
  • Muscle irritation

Moreover, if your pet has swallowed any wrapping, contact your vet right away. This is especially critical if the bacon had gone rancid and was in the garbage bin. Any undigestable packing might produce an intestinal blockage, potentially fatal for dogs.

Can Dogs Have Salami? 

Like raw bacon, salami’s excessive sodium and fat level may place your dog at risk of sodium overdose or pancreatitis. In addition, many salamis contain ingredients such as garlic powder, which is particularly poisonous to your dog.

Although dogs consume meat primarily, some packaged products, such as salami, have been adjusted to improve our human diet’s flavor and extend their storage life.

Salami can induce sodium poisoning in dogs. - LoveYourDog
Salami can induce sodium poisoning in dogs. – LoveYourDog 

This usually indicates that these processed proteins include other ingredients and preservatives, such as nitrates, which are not good for your pet. Not to mention that a cut of salami, for instance, may have over 200mg of salt and up to 26% of fat! 

For comparison, a medium-sized canine should only eat about 100 mg of salt per day, meaning one piece of salami is almost double that amount! As a result, salami is not an appropriate snack for your canine, notably if they are puppies.

Further reading

Are There Bugs In Peanut Butter? Discover The Shocking Truth

10 Foods That Your Dogs Should Never Eat 

Chocolate

Chocolate is at the number 1 spot of unhealthy things for canines. Theobromine is not lethal to people; however, it is a deadly substance for canines. It is available in all types of chocolate, although it is most abundant in dark chocolate and baked chocolate.

Chocolate may drive a dog to puke, experience diarrhea, and feel very thirsty. It could also induce unstable cardiac rates, convulsions, shakes, and death in the worst case.

Here’s what to do when your dog eats chocolate:

Fatty Meat 

Undoubtedly, high-fat products will result in weight gain, which is valid for both your pooch and you. However, there exists an additional reason you should stop offering high-fat products to your canine.

Fatty meats aren’t meant for dogs. - The Pampered Pup
Fatty meats aren’t meant for dogs. – The Pampered Pup 

If your pooch consumes fatty meat, his digestive function may overwhelm the release of specific enzymes. Such enzymes are routinely generated by the pancreas to facilitate digesting function, but too much may cause pancreatic irritation.

Pancreatitis is a highly irritating and severe disorder caused by an overworked pancreas. It may trigger retching and diarrhea in your pet, along with dehydration and a disruption in his normal metabolic balance. In severe cases, it could be a potentially fatal disease.

Salty Foods

Many people say that popcorn and pretzels don’t go well with dogs; however, this is only correct if those snacks are salty. Salt may lead to sodium ion intoxication, along with extreme dehydration or perspiration. 

Salty foods are also a big NO. - Sada El balad
Salty foods are also a big NO. – Sada El balad 

In addition to bloating, indications of taking too much sodium involve retching, diarrhea, fever, and convulsions. Because salt is harmful to dogs, limit it to a minimum in the foods you feed your dog.

Garlic And Onions

The garlic-onion combination does more than only lend you monster breath. But unfortunately, these smelly foods are harmful to canines. If taken in large amounts, they will end up killing your dog’s red blood cells, resulting in anemia.

Garlics and onions will harm your dogs. - Cooking Light
Garlic and onions will harm your dogs. – Cooking Light 

This might not seem that terrible at first sight, as a tiny bit of garlic and onion may not pose any problems. However, a considerable intake or repeated small ones might result in toxic effects. Consequences may involve fatigue, vomiting, difficulty breathing, and a decreased appetite. 

Paprika 

How about paprika? Can dogs eat paprika? Sadly, no.

Dogs cannot tolerate peppery items like peppers as their intestines, and digestive systems are vulnerable. So while sweet paprika is not much of a problem for dogs, hot paprika is.

Paprika, especially the hot ones, aren’t for your dogs. - PupVine
Paprika, especially the hot ones, aren’t for your dogs. – PupVine 

If consumed in excess amounts, hot paprika might trigger indigestion, puking, or incontinence in your canine. Furthermore, although this is only an extremely rare scenario, it is still a possibility.

Solanine poisoning is another problem associated with excessive paprika consumption. Solanine is abundant in the nightshade genus, including potatoes, eggplants, and paprikas. 

Excessive levels of solanine could cause respiratory problems, lethargy, and poor nervous system responses. However, the dog will need to ingest a lot of paprika for this to occur.

Moreover, a dog’s nose is far more sensitive than our human, and it is considerably more reactive to discomfort. The capsaicin in paprikas can induce slight pain, causing your dog to sniffle for a couple of secs and rapidly search their water bowl.

Milk, Cheese, Ice Cream, And Other Dairy Products

Many people have tried to hide a pill in a slice of cheese for their dog, but canines cannot digest dairy foods. Dogs don’t have any enzyme that breaks down milk lactose, and although a few dogs can take lactose better than the others, most canines are lactose sensitive.

Dogs are lactose intolerant. - Drink-Milk
Dogs are lactose intolerant. – Drink-Milk 

Dairy products could trigger vomiting, diarrhea, and digestive disturbances in canines. As with fatty proteins, the excessive fat level in milk might cause pancreatitis. Don’t give your pooch any dairy products. 

Raw Meat, Fish, And Eggs

This is a controversial topic since many professionals report medical advantages from changing their pets’ usual eating plan to raw meat menus, such as better skin and fur, better teeth, and smoother digestion.

According to some experts, cooking raw food kills bacteria and parasites (like salmonella and E. coli) that could be dangerous to canines. Thus, most veterinarians (and also the FDA) still advise against serving raw meat to pets. 

Raw meats contain lots of bacteria that can harm dogs. - Tasting Table - can dogs eat raw bacon
Raw meats contain lots of bacteria that can harm dogs. – Tasting Table 

Many of those diseases occur in canines whose immune functions are already impaired, and it might be difficult to determine if your dog’s immune mechanism is healthy.

Meanwhile, uncooked eggs contain enzymes that might trigger skin problems in canines, and fresh seafood may possess parasites that inflict severe infections. 

Therefore, when you adopt a raw diet, you should measure the dangers against the advantages and learn how to handle and store raw proteins.

The main point here is that it is not advisable to just rush to the supermarket, get some raw meats, throw it into your pet’s plate, or encourage your pet to sneak uncooked meat off the countertop or out of the trashcan.

Stay updated by researching and learning about the possibilities. If you don’t, your dog might become severely sick.

Candy And Gum

The root problem here is a component known as xylitol which exists in these delicious treats. It triggers an insulin rush in your pet’s system, which might result in low insulin levels and hepatic problems.

Candies are harmful to dogs. - The Daily Tar Heel - can dogs eat raw bacon
Candies are harmful to dogs. – The Daily Tar Heel 

Drowsiness, vomiting, impaired coordination, convulsions, and, finally, death are the expected consequences. A few of these products, particularly peanut butter, are occasionally manufactured without xylitol, so examine the ingredient labels before feeding them to your pup.

Grapes And Raisins

You might not think they are harmful foods as your pooch might have already consumed grapes or raisins without consequences before. However, it is still dangerous as grapes and raisins have been linked to renal dysfunction in canines.

Grapes and raisins are also bad choices. - Times of India - can dogs eat raw bacon
Grapes and raisins are also bad choices. – Times of India

Your dog’s kidneys may begin to collapse, resulting in puking and drowsiness and, finally, death. Thus, it’s better to store both grapes and raisins out of your pet’s sight.

Sweet Foods  

Sweet food isn’t healthy for us, and it’s even worse for canines. In fact, it might cause the same complications in dogs as it does in us. Obesity, dental problems, and diabetes are all caused by consuming too many sweets. Thus, don’t offer sweets to your pet.

Avocado

Almost all of the debate surrounding avocados and dogs is about persin, a component found in avocado greens, seeds, branches, and fruits. In excessive concentrations, persin can be deadly.

Avocados contain persin, which could harm your dog in the long run. - La Juiceria Superfoods - can dogs eat raw bacon
Avocados contain persin, which could harm your dog in the long run. – La Juiceria Superfoods 

Dogs, however, are unsusceptible to persin, and it would require plenty of avocados for the persin to trigger long-term damage. In addition, avocados’ persin concentrations fall when they ripen. Thus, what exactly is the issue with avocados?

The actual risk arises from the seeds, branches, and leaves, which are hard to swallow and can induce suffocation or digestive obstructions, all of which can be deadly. In this case, keep your dog away from it and the fruits that fall onto the ground.

Wrapping Up 

Can dogs eat raw bacon? Now you know they can’t. As mentioned above, although a tiny bit of raw bacon won’t do any harm, its fat and salt content can lead to deadly diseases if consumed in the long run. 

Furthermore, besides bacon, there are also several foods (as mentioned above) that aren’t safe for your dog to consume. Thus, make sure to steer clear of those foods from your dogs’ reach. 

For more science articles, check our Science section and our website Jobandedu. There are plenty of informative posts for you!  

Ava Isabella

Author Ava Isabella has grasped the art of writing and using words to perfect her writing. Nothing seems to beat the blend of far-out ideas and a passion for striving for the best work. On top of that, to become an expert in the industry, Isabella did undergo countless hurdles and challenges. She moves mountains and nails them with flying colors and she's strongly inspired by Arthur who gave a born to the masterpiece Empire of Pain - a portrait of the excesses of America’s second Gilded Age and super elite involved. Hopefully, her great fortunes with in-depth understanding can help more and more readers on the go of finding bliss or just letting off steam.