We love sharing everything with our furry canine babies. They always stare at us, and we must give them what we eat.
One of these delicacies is bacon. But can Frenchies eat bacon? We weigh the benefits and risks to come up with the right answer. Read on.
Can Frenchies Eat Bacon?
Yes. Frenchies can eat bacon in small amounts and infrequently. Bacon is a fatty meal. Additionally, it has preservatives and sodium. These are harmful to your Frenchie’s overall health.
About bacon
Bacon is cured pork. Some types, notably Canadian bacon, are made from leaner pork loin. But unlike other meats, bacon has fewer minerals and vitamins. However, it has small amounts of minerals like potassium, phosphorus, iron, and magnesium.
According to WebMD, a small serving of bacon has 3 grams of protein, 115 milligrams of sodium, 9 milligrams of cholesterol, 2 grams of fat, and 32 calories.
Health Benefits of Bacon for Frenchies
Consuming bacon infrequently has benefits for your French Bulldog:
Energy boost
Bacon is a nutrient-rich food that gives pets a lot of energy. Adding bacon to your sick dog’s diet speeds up the recovery process. Similarly, some dogs are not very active and show laziness. Senior Frenchies are less active, and bacon may boost their energy levels.
Water retention
Highly active Frenchies may lose lots of salt, leading to an electrolyte imbalance. This is where bacon replaces the lost salt and keeps your Frenchie physically active.
Cognitive wellness
Bacon has healthy fat that supports proper brain growth in young Frenchies. Serve it in moderation, as too much causes obesity and other health issues.
Nutritious
Bacon has minerals and vitamins for your dog’s overall wellness. It has zinc, riboflavin, and selenium for a healthy immune system. B vitamins keep your Frenchie’s skin smooth and healthy.
Why Isn’t Eating Bacon Safe for Dogs?
Bacon is typically smoked and sliced. It includes salt, fat, and perhaps additional ingredients, including nitrates, sugar, or preservatives. Although these additives give bacon its delicious flavor to humans, they are unhealthy for dogs.
Health Risks of Feeding Your Dog Bacon
Raw, undercooked, or seasoned bacon can negatively affect your dog’s wellness. Here are the risks of feeding your Frenchie bacon:
High-fat content leads to pancreatitis
Although fat is crucial for your dog’s wellness, consuming it in large amounts contributes to various health issues, including cardiac problems, obesity, and diabetes. Fatty meals also increase the chances of pancreatitis, a painful condition resulting from pancreas inflammation. Common symptoms to watch out for include poor appetite, vomiting, fever, dehydration, and shock.
High sodium content causes salt poisoning.
Sodium plays a key role in your Frenchie’s body. However, bacon has lots of sodium, which can lead to salt poisoning in the long run. Salt poisoning causes dehydration, kidney problems, and high blood pressure. Diarrhea and vomiting are other symptoms. Salt poisoning can be severe, leading to a coma, seizures, and even death.
Bacteria lead to food poisoning.
Raw or undercooked bacon harbors bacteria like E. coli and salmonella, which expose your French Bulldog to life-threatening infections. Food poisoning can be severe and is characterized by various symptoms like fever, lethargy, and dehydration.
Additives in bacon can cause cancer.
Bacon has unhealthy additives, including artificial sweeteners, flavors, colors, preservatives, and nitrates. Although nitrates give bacon its delicious taste and nice color, they also raise the probability of nitrosamines in your Frenchie’s body. Nitrosamines cause cancer.
How Bacon’s High Salt Content Affects Your Dog
Bacon has a lot of salt. Consuming this delicacy in large amounts or frequently exposes your Frenchie to the risk of salt poisoning, characterized by the following:
- Fever.
- increased thirst and urination
- Convulsions
- Abdominal pain,
- Muscle spasms
- Seizures
- Increased heart rate
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Coma
Which Bacon Recipes and Parts Can Be Eaten Safely by Frenchies?
Raw Bacon
Cooking is the best way to serve your dog bacon. Raw bacon has bacteria and parasites, including salmonella, E. coli, and Trichinella spiralis. Trichinella spiralis causes trichinosis. Serving raw bacon to your French Bulldog exposes it to the risk of trichinosis and salmonella infections.
So, can Frenchies eat raw bacon? No. Frenchies shouldn’t consume uncooked bacon. Consuming raw bacon increases the chances of infections and stomach upsets. Ensure the bacon is well cooked before serving it.
Fried Bacon
This results from cooking bacon slices in oil. The process leads to oil absorption, making it unhealthy for dogs. Fried bacon is also salty. Excess oil and salt raise the risk of cardiac problems, arthritis, pancreatitis, and salt poisoning.
So, can Frenchies eat fried bacon safely? Yes. French Bulldogs can consume fried bacon in small amounts and infrequently. Large amounts of fried bacon cause chronic health issues in Frenchies.
Steamed Bacon
Steaming destroys parasites while draining off excess oil from bacon. This makes steamed bacon safe and healthy for Frenchies. Steamed bacon should, however, be devoid of seasonings and other unhealthy additives.
So, can Frenchies eat steamed bacon safely? Yes. French Bulldogs can eat plain steamed bacon. Steamed bacon has no salmonella, E. coli, or trichinela spiralis. This lowers the chances of infection.
Baked Bacon
Like steaming, baking also destroys parasites and reduces the amount of fat in bacon. This ensures your Frenchie cannot get infections or other diseases like pancreatitis.
So, can Frenchies eat baked bacon safely? Yes. Baked bacon is safe for French Bulldogs. It is free from parasites and has less fat. You should, however, serve it sparingly.
Turkey Bacon
Low-sodium and uncured turkey bacon are safe for dogs. It is an excellent treat if given plainly without any onions, garlic, or other unhealthy ingredients. Turkey bacon has less fat compared to pork bacon. This makes it a good choice for muscle and coat wellness.
So, can Frenchies eat turkey and bacon safely? Yes, Frenchies may consume turkey bacon without suffering any harmful health effects.
However, turkey bacon may include additional additives, so it should only be given sparingly to dogs to prevent stomach distress. French Bulldogs who consume a lot of turkey bacon may get pancreatitis.
Bacon Grease
Consuming lots of fat raises the risk of pancreatitis. Bacon grease has loads of fat, so it is not a healthy choice for dogs. Common symptoms of pancreatitis include stomach pain, a rapid heartbeat, and lethargy.
So, can Frenchies eat bacon grease? No. Bacon grease is a fatty treat and unhealthy for your French Bulldog. Bacon grease is too greasy, heavy, and fat for a dog’s stomach.
Additionally, bacon grease contains a lot of salts, which, even in very small amounts, can cause sodium poisoning and bloating. A high salt intake makes dogs very thirsty.
Best Ways To Prepare Bacon For Your Frenchie
Preparing bacon at home is the safest way to ensure your Frenchie does not consume unhealthy seasonings and additives. Here are two easy recipes to try at home:
Bacon and pumpkin
Ingredients
- 2 slices of diced bacon
- 1 cup of pumpkin puree
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
- 3 cups of whole wheat flour
Procedure
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment paper
- Using medium heat, heat a large skillet and add bacon
- Cook for 6-8 minutes or until brown
- In a mixer, mix pumpkin puree, eggs, and bacon fat until well combined
- Add old-fashioned oats and flour and knead until soft
- Add bacon and continue kneading
- Roll the dough into ¼ inch thick
- Bake for 20-25 minutes
Bacon and peanut butter
Ingredients
- Peanut butter
- Milk
- Unsweetened apple sauce
- Wheat flour
- Oats
- Baking powder
- Bacon
Procedure
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- In a bowl, combine peanut butter, milk, and eggs
- Add baking powder, flour, and oats and knead
- Roll out and cut into desired shapes
- Bake for 18-20 minutes
- Turn them and bake for another 10-12 minutes
- Serve at room temperature
Which Dog Food Brands Use Bacon in Their Foods?
Bacon is a fatty meat, and consuming it in large amounts is healthy for your Frenchie. It also contains lots of salt, leading to salt poisoning and stomach problems. Some brands have, however, added bacon to their recipes for healthy dog treats.
- Stella & Chewy’s: Their freeze-dried patties Stella & Chewy’s Wild Weenies is a nutritious dog food with bacon as the leading ingredient. Pork is the second ingredient in high-quality protein. These treats are perfect for rewarding and training your Frenchie.
- Cesar: Their wet dog food, Cesar Classic Loaf Bacon and Egg Wet Dog Food, starts with pork and includes smoked bacon for a tasty and healthy meal.
How much bacon can I give to my dog?
Bacon is not healthy in large amounts. You should serve it infrequently, as too much exposure exposes your French Bulldog to life-threatening health problems. Here’s a guide on the amount to serve your dog:
| Dog size | Number of strips |
| Small dogs | ¼ |
| Large dogs | ½ |
How do I know if my dog is reacting to eating bacon?
Your Frenchie can accidentally eat unhealthy bacon. Here are the signs to watch out for:
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Lack of appetite
- Lethargy
- Muscle stiffness
- Pain
What to do if your Frenchie eats raw bacon
Eating raw bacon harms your Frenchie as it has parasites like salmonella, E. coli, and trichinella. These parasites cause infections and stomach issues. If you give your Frenchie raw bacon containing parasites or bacteria, it may suffer chronic diarrhea that typically requires many weeks of treatment. Any signs of bacterial infections call for an emergency visit to the vet.
Healthy Alternatives Foods to Give Your Frenchie
Bacon is loaded with salt and fat, making it an unhealthy meal in large amounts. Here are healthier alternatives for your Frenchie:
Can Frenchies eat sausage?
Yes. Frenchies can eat sausage in moderation. Sausage has lots of salt and fat; consuming it in large amounts raises the risk of pancreatitis and other health issues.
Is bacon bad for dogs?
Plain and unseasoned bacon is not bad in small amounts. However, bacon has a lot of fat, which makes it an unhealthy meat for Frenchies. Healthy alternatives include chicken and turkey.
Can bacon kill a dog?
The high-fat content in bacon increases the risk of pancreatitis. If untreated, pancreatitis can be fatal. Any sign of pancreatitis calls for a visit to the vet.
Final Thoughts
There you have it.
Bacon, though safe in small amounts, is an unhealthy meal for Frenchies. It is packed with fat and salt, which exposes your French Bulldog to chronic health issues like cardiac problems, arthritis, pancreatitis, and salt poisoning. These problems, if undetected early, can be fatal.
Raw bacon is a no-go zone. It harbors bacteria and parasites like salmonella, trichinella, and E. coli, which increase the risk of infections. Serve bacon in small amounts. You should also ensure the bacon is well prepared and free from seasonings and artificial additives. Always consult the vet before introducing bacon to your Frenchie’s diet.