Who doesn’t just love bacon? It goes with so many things! You can have bacon-wrapped chicken, a BLT sandwich, and more! But what happens if your dog eats uncooked bacon?
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Has your dog eaten uncooked bacon? Are you worried the uncooked bacon will make your dog sick? If so, then you’ve come to the right place. We understand that it’s scary when your dog eats something he shouldn’t.
In this article, we’ll take a look at raw bacon and whether or not it can make your dog sick. Let’s get started!
What is Raw Bacon?
Bacon, either raw or cooked, is salt-cured meat that comes from the belly of pork. It’s usually served in thin strips after it’s been processed and smoked. Bacon may also contain preservatives and additives that keep it from spoiling.
The bacon we buy at the store is raw and must be cooked. It is possible to pick up food-borne bacteria such as botulism by eating raw bacon.
But what about if a dog eats raw bacon?
Raw Bacon & Dogs
It can happen that a piece of raw bacon falls on the floor. Your dog is happy for this gift of food and swoops down on the meat and snarfs it up very fast. There’s not even time for you to tell him to drop it! Dogs love meat and are opportunistic. If something falls on the floor, they consider it theirs whether the food is cooked or uncooked!
The good news is that raw bacon is not toxic to dogs. However, they’re prone to develop similar illnesses as we do from eating raw meat. This can include bacteria, parasites (such as worms), and more.
If your dog eats one piece of uncooked bacon, chances are he will be OK. However, if he’s eaten more than that, he could become sick.
We recommend calling the vet right away if your dog has eaten a lot of bacon. The vet will have the best guidance and advice on what you need to do to help your dog. This may mean a trip to the vet.
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Ask a Vet Live NowSymptoms of Raw Bacon Ingestion in Dogs
You may notice these symptoms if your dog has eaten raw bacon:
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Nausea
If you notice these symptoms in your dog, then it’s best to call the vet. Let the vet know how much uncooked bacon the dog has eaten and whether or not he ate any of the packagings. This information is helpful for the vet.
In most cases, if a dog eats one or two pieces of raw bacon, he will be OK. He may experience some digestive issues but should be OK.
However, dogs that eat a large amount of bacon really need to be checked out by the vet. The good news is that these dogs, too, usually make a full recovery after eating uncooked bacon!
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Kim
Kim is a talented author, who loves animals especially dogs. She engaged in writing books and articles relating to animals a decade ago. Kim resides in Chicago with her husband and son. The family is the proud owner of a dog and a parrot (Jack and Lily). Kim wanted more than these two pets, but her husband put his foot down... She often visits elementary schools to talk to the kids about what she learned about pets and how they could learn from them.
Review symptoms, medications & behavior to keep your pets healthy with a Vet Online in just minutes.
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