Almost everybody loves bacon. You can eat it any time of the day and it can even be used to elevate our savory snacks. It’s no wonder why our beloved pets would love a piece of it too. Is it safe for them to eat? What about Pugs? Can Pugs eat Bacon?
Bacon is one of the tastiest foods around. Just thinking about that salty, meaty, and flavorful strip is already making my mouth water.
In this article, we will discuss if it’s safe to give bacon to our dogs and what will be its effects, if any, on our dogs if we do so. By the end of this article, you should be able to decide whether Pugs can eat Bacon or not.
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Can Pugs Eat Bacon?
The short answer is yes, Pugs can eat Bacon. But you should not feed bacon to pugs or any other dog because bacon has a high fat and salt content which makes it unsafe for Pugs to eat.
These compounds might upset your Pug’s gut or might even lead to more fatal illnesses.
Technically speaking, pugs may still eat a small piece of bacon but the risks are too great to be ignored.
Understanding Bacon
To know why Bacon is not safe for dogs to eat, we must first understand its composition and chemical makeup.
Generally, Bacon is thin strips of smoked salt-cured meat. It typically comes from a pig’s belly or back but it can also come from other meat like beef.
The process of making Bacon involves soaking meat in a solution made up of salt, nitrates, and sometimes even sugar or honey. It is then smoked and packed before you can cook it at home, where you can eat it in meals or as an ingredient to other dishes.
It is very fatty. Typical bacon have one-half or two-third of fat to meat ratio.
Here are important things to take note of:
- It has high contents of unhealthy fat
- It contains too much salt or sugar
- It has preservatives
- Its nitrite content can easily turn to nitrosamine, a powerful cancer-causing agent
Some bacon might also include Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Honey Chipotle, and Maple Chili. All of which are proven to be harmful to dogs.
Read the full list of what can pugs eat to learn more.
Alternatives to Bacon
It cannot be denied that Bacon is delicious and if our dogs can talk, they’d probably ask us for it all the time. However, there are also other foods that dog just as badly as bacon. Here are some of them.
- Bacon-Flavored Treats: As delightful and as delicious as the real thing but with much better benefits and lower risks.
- Raw Bones: Raw edible bones, especially the softer ones that are full of meat and connective tissues, are a wonderful treat for your Pug. Your dogs will love chewing through them plus it helps keep their mouths clean. They are also full of nutrients and minerals, too.
- Blueberries: Blueberries are bustling with antioxidants and help keep your dog’s health in top condition.
- Strawberries: Strawberries are the best thing to satisfy your dog’s sweet tooth. They are also full of Vitamin C that is crucial for your dog’s immune system and overall health.
- Broccoli: Broccoli’s are high in fiber and are full of vitamins and nutrients. They can also be cooked and prepared in many ways so your dog will thank you for the variation. You can roast it, steam it, or you can just give it raw. However, remember to keep it unseasoned to avoid any harmful side effects.
Risks of Eating Bacon to Dogs
One of the key things to remember is that Bacon does not have the necessary nutrients that dogs need. While others may disagree and say that Bacon still has its benefits, we would argue that those benefits can be found in other food in greater amounts but with a significant drop in risks.
If you are not convinced yet, here are some of the disadvantages of giving bacon to your dog.
- Bacon’s high fat and sodium content can cause gastrointestinal upset or pancreatitis. These two will then have adverse effects such as vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.
- The excessive amount of sodium can then increase your dog’s thirst which would lead them to drink more water than necessary. This might then lead to a condition called bloat.
- The ingredients used to preserve Bacon and give it its distinct flavor are dangerous to both dogs and humans if ingested in huge amounts. The WHO, or World Health Organization, even declared preserved or processed meats like bacon as carcinogenic. Meaning, a potent cause of Cancer.
What about a Taste Test?
Considering that all of us absolutely love our pets, it is pretty understandable if you’d still like to give bacon to your Pug. So, the question is what about a taste test? Can Pugs eat just a tiny bit of bacon?
The answer is yes, you may let your Pug have a taste of Bacon. However, you need to be reasonable as to the amount as you do not want your dog to become sick. The advisable amount is ¼ of a bacon strip to Pugs as they are relatively smaller in size.
However, to larger breeds, you can give them as much as ½ of the bacon strip. Nonetheless, we still strongly discourage everyone to frequently feed bacon to their pets due to what we have discussed above.
Conclusion
To sum it all up, let me just end this article with a question: Why is it that all good things must come with a price. In this case, Bacon, in all of its deliciousness, comes with unignorable drawbacks.
In summary, Bacon is not recommended to be eaten by pugs. If you still intend on doing it, make sure to only give it in small amounts. If anything bad happens to your dog, make sure to contact your trusted veterinary to get him checked.
