Can Dogs Eat Turkey Bacon?

Can dogs eat turkey bacon?

Is it healthy for them?

Should you incorporate bacon into your dog’s diet?

Juicy bacon is my kryptonite and a special part of breakfast for a lot of us. But are they healthy for your pooches?

We all love spoiling our dogs most of the time. It’s inevitable, those little guys are so cute, especially when you look into their endearing eyes. We can’t just help it.

We all know how much dogs love treats and like us dogs are bound to sometimes get too many calories than they possibly need from their treats.

Pet owners don’t usually realize how many calories they load on their dogs daily and are not aware of the effects or aftermath of this act.

Giving your dog multiple treats at a time can be very harmful to their health and wellness.

In practice, there’s the 10% rule for dog owners which states that treats should only account for 10% of your dog’s daily calorie intake. Any more than that could give room for ill health in your dog.

Check in with your vet for recommendations on how many treats your dog can safely handle in a day as this figure is a function of your dog’s breed, weight, and activity.

Giving treats to your pet is a good way to bond well with them but, it should be done with a well-informed knowledge of what’s good or not for them.

Dogs love treats and it is always advisable to get the best kinds and the healthiest ones. Whether we give them these treats or they go solo to get some for themselves, it is important to have the right kind of treats around.

Dogs have foods that are specially designed both for their palate and their health but they also like sniffing around human foods as well and as carnivores, any type of meat would draw their curiosity and bacon is no exception.

However, dogs are delicate creatures with delicate digestive system and it is not advised to feed them exactly what we humans feed. So the big question is, can dogs eat turkey bacon, or should they be avoided like hot cheetos and other processed snacks?

The answer to this question is laid out in detail for you below.

Feeding My Dog Pork Bacon or Turkey Bacon

Bacon generally is not toxic for dogs. As with any meat, there are of nutritional value.

However pork bacon has a high percentage of fat alongside increased sodium content. For this reason, pork is not healthy for your pooch and eating this regularly can put your dog on the path to an unhealthy and uncomfortable life.

The increased sodium content as a result of being salty can lead to dehydration. Your dog also runs the risk of becoming overweight and obese eating pork bacon.

Turkey bacon in contrast appears to be healthier than pork bacon but not entirely.

Turkey bacon has less fat content than pork bacon, but the differences are not really too far apart as you might think.

Turkey bacon is gotten from turkey meat obviously and there are made into a facsimile of bacon-like strips all the while undergoing the same seasoning procedure as the pork bacon.

This, therefore, implies that the turkey bacon still has high amounts of saturated fat and sodium in them.

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Nutritional Value Of Pork Bacon and Turkey Bacon

Below are the nutritional compositions of the turkey bacon.

Pork bacon contains about 13g of fats while Turkey bacon contains 21g.

In calorie content, the pork bacon is richer in calories and contains about 541 calories per 100g and Turkey bacon has about 390 calories per 100g serving.

Pork bacon usually has more sodium content than Turkey bacon. Turkey bacon also contains fewer vitamins and minerals in comparison to pork bacon.

Is Turkey Bacon Safe For Dogs?

Although compared to pork bacon, Turkey bacon has fewer calories but they are still generally rich in calories which are not very good for dogs.

It is better to feed your dog healthy fruits and veggies that are recommended for dogs or treats that are not overly drowned in calories are a good option as well.

Giving your dogs bacon in small amounts is not necessarily harmful to them but giving them too much at a time can pose a lot of problems.

Bacon is usually rich in sodium which if found in high concentration in your dog’s system may trigger a cascade of health issues including severe dehydration.

Sodium and nitrate which are found in bacon can cause quite a number of health anomalies such as bloating. As humans we get bloat and it isn’t so much of a big deal but for dogs, the boat can be very fatal and can lead to the death of your dog.

The fats in these juicy strips are saturated and are considered bad fats and if your dog eats a lot of it there will be an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. 

Sometimes you aren’t always there and your dog could run solo and find some bacon and dine joyfully to prevent this from happening, it is adviced you keep your bacon in an area that your dog can’t easily reach.

Related: Can Dogs Eat Broccoli?

Can You Feed Your Dog Turkey Bacon That’s Raw?

The nutritional value before and after cooking bacon shows differences in the percentage make up of its composition. Cooking turkey bacon gets rid of some fats present in it. But uncooked turkey bacon has more fat present rendering it much more unhealthy than when it’s cooked. Also, raw meat, has microorganisms present some of which are pathogenic and when ingested can cause diseases putting your dog’s health in danger.

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Downside Of Feeding Your Dog Turkey Bacon

Risk Of Pancreatitis

Turkey bacon has elevated amounts of fats. On accumulation, this can cause the pancreas to become inflamed promoting a condition known as pancreatitis. A very dangerous illness that can occur when fatty foods are consumed by your dog regularly.

Signs and symptoms of pancreatitis in dogs present themselves in dehydration, diarrhea, fatigue, vomiting, weight loss, and stomach pains.

Pancreatitis could be mild or severe and the moment you notice any of the above symptoms get your pooch to the vet as soon as possible to avoid further damage as severe pancreatitis is life-threatening. Your vet will provide the necessary treatment and he’ll with a change in your dog’s diet to push for a quicker recovery.

Overweight and Obesity

It has been established that Turkey bacon has a high percentage of fats in them and giving them to your dog can increase the chances of getting an overweight dog and subsequently obesity. This then gives room for other health attacking problems like arthritis, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes which can be dangerous and fatal to your dog.

Try as much as you can to make a conscious effort of keeping foods high in fats away from your dog to avoid health complications that are detrimental to their well-being.

You should also make an effort to make sure your dog gets its dailly activity, this is to prevent your dog getting overweight as well.

If you’re worried that your dog has been eating raw turkey, you shouldn’t be so much. Just observe for any signs or symptoms that have been listed above and in the slightest of anomalies in their usual behavior, alert your veterinarian.

Related: Are Dogs Allowed in Walmart?

Final Thoughts

There are a lot of dog treats that provide good nutritional value to your dog that can be an alternative for turkey bacon. Natural and organic dog treats serve a healthier option than fatty bacon.

There are turkey bacon dog treats available and they are healthy as they have very low or no fat content as opposed to regular turkey bacon. The turkey bacon dog treats are processed differently from regular turkey bacon and contain less sodium and are richer in nutrients your dog needs as they’re specially designed for them.

Avoid high-calorie dog treats as a large portion of these calories are gotten from the fatty makeup of bacon. Dog treats with elevated calories and high-fat content prove an unhealthy choice for your pooch.

If you must get your dog turkey bacon treats always make sure to purchase the low-fat kinds and dish out these treats while carefully observing the calorie content so you don’t give too much to your dog than they can safely handle.

Only give your dogs turkey bacon in small amounts and on rare occasions. Don’t give too much and always size up your dogs before giving them relatively larger portions as bigger dogs can make do with one slice, while smaller dogs should get way smaller portions. 

Never feed your dogs raw turkey bacon or any type of raw meat at all if you do you will be risking exposure to pathogenic organisms and causing infections like salmonella. Always make sure that the bacon is cooked before you serve it to your dogs.

Turkey bacon usually comes pre-cooked and that’s okay as it is free from bacteria but cooking it more isn’t a bad idea either. Just never fry the bacon for your dogs. Fried foods are toxic to your dogs and should be avoided at every turn. In all things exercise moderation. Giving them small amounts of bacon on rare occasions would not harm them.

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