National Bacon Day

Happy Holidays! While most of you will be focused on the major holidays over the next few weeks, our canine companions are much more excited about December 30th. That’s National Bacon Day! A Tipp City, OH veterinarian discusses this doggy favorite below. 

Bacon Basics

Fortunately for Fido, bacon is safe for dogs. Well, sort of. This is one food you definitely do not want to offer your pet too much of. Bacon is very high in fat, which pups can’t metabolize very well. If you give your canine pal too much, he could be at risk of developing pancreatitis, a potentially fatal issue that affects, as one may suspect, the liver. There’s also a lot of salt in bacon. Your furry pal may get extremely thirsty after eating a lot of it, and may need a few extra walks. (These of course would help him burn off the bacon, but that’s besides the point.) In general, this is just one of those foods you want to offer sparingly.

Advantages

Bacon actually can be a helpful tool for dog owners. For one thing, it can be a pretty useful training aid. Just break it into small pieces. If you give your canine buddy a whole strip every time he does something right, you could end up overfeeding your adorable student. Bacon can also come in handy for giving Fido pills. Smearing a tiny bit of bacon grease on a pill or adding it to something you’ve hidden a pill in, such as a meatball, may do the trick. Just make sure that your vet doesn’t object. 

Ruh Rohs

There are a few potential hazards with bacon. As you’ve probably noticed, Man’s Best Friend is a pretty opportunistic eater. What happens if you drop a piece of raw bacon on the floor as you’re making breakfast, and Fido snaps it up? Now what? Fortunately, a small amount of raw bacon probably won’t have severe repercussions. However, you may want to contact your vet. Raw bacon may contain parasites, specifically one nasty critter called Trichinella spiralis, which can affect both people and pets. You’d also need to call your furry buddy’s doctor if he eats bad bacon, spoiled bacon, bacon packaging, or too much bacon. 

Happy Holidays from Troy Animal Hospital, your Tipp City, OH pet clinic. Please feel free to contact us for all your dog’s veterinary care needs.