Can Dogs Eat Ham or Bacon?

For humans, breakfast is the most important meal of the day which in the typical American household includes a plate of crispy sizzling bacon or juicy sugar-cured or honey baked ham.  Dogs can not resist the taste of bacon or ham.  After all, walk through any grocery or pet store and you see various treats, pill pockets, dental bones, chew sticks, wet food, and dry food flavored especially in bacon. 

Both bacon and ham have dangerous levels of salt and fat for dogs to consume.  What typically comes with the overindulgence of bacon and ham is a chain of events of excessive thirst, bloat, pancreatitis, and higher susceptibility to cancer.  Your dogs will feel their abdomen swell, intestines tied into knots, coupled with vomiting and diarrhea.

Bacon Grease = Clogged Arteries

Even just the bacon and ham grease itself is terrible as some pet owners have been known to mix it into their dog's dry food.  This leads to obesity and clogged arteries as it is especially terrible for the heart. 

If you experience any of the symptoms listed above after your dog eats ham or bacon, consult your veterinarian immediately.  No matter how much they beg for those bacon strips, please do them a favor and resist the temptation and empty protein and calories.  There is no nutritional value to bacon or ham for your beloved dog.

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