My Dog Ate Bacon Grease – What Should I Do Now?

It’s important to know that dogs and bacon grease don’t mix. But when you have a dog and it does, there are ways to help them feel better. 

Keep reading the post to learn more about what to do if your dog ate bacon grease.

Can Bacon Grease Make A Dog Sick?

picture of bacon grease in a bowl

Bacon grease is loaded with saturated fat. 

Saturated fats have been linked to obesity, heart disease, and diabetes in humans. So it makes sense that can also make dogs sick if they eat bacon grease!

Since the stomach of a dog is much smaller than a human’s, there’s more chance of it being uncomfortably full after eating this food. 

As you probably know, getting your stomach uncomfortably full can cause nausea and vomiting for humans.  And getting too full has the same effect on dogs!

Can Bacon Grease Cause Pancreatitis in Dogs?

Yes, it can!

Pancreatitis is a serious condition that’s fairly common in dogs.  Many people think that pancreatitis is caused by eating too much fat and/or sugar. But the reality is that some dogs are just genetically predisposed to developing this disease, although the reason why isn’t clear at this time.

The pancreas produces digestive enzymes and also produces hormones like insulin and glucagon in helping your dog control their blood glucose level while digesting food. 

In cases of pancreatitis, these cells become damaged or inflamed so they don’t work properly. 

High levels of glucose may enter the bloodstream without being broken down first, which can be fatal if left untreated!

Can Bacon Grease Kill A Dog?

In most cases, the dog will feel better after vomiting and no longer have symptoms. But in rare situations, a dog may develop serious complications from eating bacon grease such as dehydration or hypoglycemia (low blood glucose).  

If left untreated, either of these conditions can be fatal to your dog depending on how bad they are!

Can My Dog Eat Bacon Grease If It’s Not Too Much?

Even if your dog eats small amounts of fat like those found in bacon grease (which is bad enough!), it’s not a good idea to feed them fatty food on a regular basis.  

If you want to keep your dog healthy and prevent health problems stemming from eating too much fat, try giving your dog meals that are lower in fat or give them low-fat snacks instead of high-fat treats. 

This will help keep their risk factors for developing pancreatitis, obesity, and other diseases as low as possible!

Yes, it’s likely that your dog ate bacon grease if they’ve consumed something smelly!  It’s a good idea to understand what happens when dogs eat too much fat – especially if you have a dog who is prone to pancreatitis or obesity.

How Much Bacon Grease Is Too Much For A Dog?

The internet doesn’t have a clear answer on what is the right amount of bacon grease for dogs. 

The most commonly quoted rule of thumb is that it’s only safe to feed your dog 5% of its body weight in any given meal. This means that if you have a 10lb beagle, he shouldn’t eat more than 0.5oz (1/4 cup) of bacon grease.

What Happens When A Dog Eats Bacon Grease?

dog is resting on bed with hot towel and thermometer in mouth

There are all kinds of things that can happen when a dog eats large amounts of bacon grease.  But one thing is certain: they will get sick!

The first thing to know about dogs and bacon grease is that some breeds are more susceptible to getting sick after eating it than others. Some of the breeds that fall into this category include beagles, dachshunds, and bulldogs. If you have a dog of one of these breeds, it’s important to make sure that they don’t overeat!

One issue that can happen when dogs eat bacon grease is an upset stomach. This is especially true if the dog eats too much in one sitting. 

Dogs can also become constipated and vomit as a result of eating too much fat like bacon grease.

It’s not uncommon for dogs who’ve eaten large amounts of bacon grease to get diarrhea. If your dog gets diarrhea after eating this food, it can be very problematic because most types of diarrhea are difficult or impossible to treat at home!   

This means that the problem will persist until the dog recovers on its own (which could take several days) or gets medical treatment.

Potential Health Issues Caused By Dog Eating Bacon Grease

There are some potential side effects of eating large amounts of bacon grease that can be even more serious than nausea and constipation!  

Some dog owners worry that their dogs have eaten too much fat if they vomit blood after eating a meal. If this happens to your dog, it’s important to contact your vet as soon as possible for a checkup!

Another thing you should know about dogs and bacon grease is that there are some breeds who develop pancreatitis (a dangerous inflammatory disease) when they eat diets high in fat.  

Dogs who have eaten a lot of saturated fats like those found in bacon grease may develop pancreatitis over time. If you have a dog who’s eaten this food and is at risk for developing pancreatitis, it’s important to talk with your veterinarian about the best way to prevent them from developing this condition.

What To Do If Your Dog Ate Bacon Grease

Now that you know more about what happens when dogs eat large amounts of bacon grease, here are some helpful tips on how to handle the situation if it arises in your household!

You’ll want to feed your dog a small meal after they’ve consumed something fatty like bacon grease. This will help their stomach feel better and keep them from vomiting or having diarrhea. Depending on the amount of fat that was consumed, you may need to do this multiple times throughout the day!

If you have a dog who is prone to developing pancreatitis, it’s important to control the amount of fat that they eat. Try feeding your dog meals that contain less than 5% of their body weight in fats or calories each day. 

You should also avoid feeding them fatty foods like bacon grease on a regular basis. This will keep their risk factors for developing this disease as low as possible!

What Will My Veterinarian Need To do?

dog treated by a vet

Sometimes dog owners think that their dogs ate too much bacon grease if they vomit or have diarrhea.  But unless your dog is vomiting blood or has a fever, there’s no reason to bring them to the vet!

The main situation when you’ll need to get medical help for your pet after it eats large amounts of fat like bacon grease is if the animal develops pancreatitis as a result of overeating. 

If this happens, your veterinarian will probably want to run tests on your dog to determine what caused the problem and how best to treat it. This can include drawing blood samples, taking X-rays, or doing an endoscopy (a procedure where they examine the inside of your pet’s digestive system) so that they can provide treatment that’s specific to your dog!

How Do I Treat My Dog’s Pancreatitis?

You’ll take your dog to the vet right away if you suspect that he has eaten bacon grease. 

Your vet will check his pancreas with an ultrasound to find out how inflamed it is. 

If there is inflammation present, you will want to give your dog anti-inflammatory medication like prednisone for ten days. Antibiotics are also recommended because dogs with pancreatitis are at risk for a bacterial infection of the pancreas.

In some cases, your dog may develop complications from eating bacon grease which requires further treatment. For instance, some dogs will develop acute or chronic pancreatitis as a result of their first bout of pancreatitis and may need lifelong medication to manage their symptoms.

Once you have learned all these things about what potentially happens if your dog ate bacon grease, it is very important that you take steps to prevent it from happening again!

Is It Really Necessary To Stop My Dog From Eating Bacon Grease?

It may seem strange to limit your dog from eating too much bacon grease, but it’s not just smelly food! 

Just like humans get sick from eating too much-saturated fat, so do dogs when they eat too many greasy foods! 

Plus, there are some breeds with a genetic predisposition to certain health problems that can be caused by eating too much fat.   

If you want to keep your dog healthy, it’s probably best to stop them from eating bacon grease altogether!

How To Prevent My Dog From Eating Bacon Grease?

If you have a dog who is at risk for developing pancreatitis, it’s important to reduce your dog’s intake of fat as much as possible.  

You can do this by feeding them a low-fat diet and avoiding fatty foods like bacon grease on a regular basis. 

Dogs that are prone to pancreatitis should only eat two meals per day, with each meal containing less than 5% of their body weight in calories from fats!

If your dog is one of the breeds that will naturally develop pancreatitis when they consume too much fat, you’ll want to take an even more extreme approach. You’ll need to monitor the amount of fat that your dog eats very closely and feed them a custom low-fat/salt diet. 

You should also avoid feeding them fatty foods like bacon grease almost entirely, as this can be a very serious problem for dogs with the disease!

Conclusion

Very few dogs are going to be able to eat large amounts of bacon grease without getting sick.  

In most cases, they’ll either vomit or become constipated and/or develop diarrhea because they ate too much food at one time! And if your dog has eaten a lot of saturated fats like those found in bacon grease, then they may develop pancreatitis or get sick from other types of fatty liver disease over time.

It’s best to feed your dog a small meal at least once every few hours if you think that they’ve eaten a lot of fat like bacon fat.  

Also, check with your vet for advice about how to control any potential problems that may arise as a result of this incident!

Related Posts

Leave a Comment