Imagine a large turkey being formed into strips? Well, you don’t have to imagine it anymore.
When the world welcomes hot dogs and sausages, bacon from turkey bacon comes into its form.
Many households have memorable breakfasts, and eating experiences were worthwhile because of their delectable taste.
A turkey bacon’s texture, saltiness, and juice are what makes us love it so much.
Earlier, we talked about how turkey sausages are suitable for your dogs. Now, it’s time to make a verdict on how turkey bacon fits your dog’s diet.
Can you possibly offer this food to your dog without being guilty in the end?
Hence, this article is your guide on understanding turkey sausages, whether or not it’s beneficial for your dogs.
Plus, we prepared the best, safe ways for you to feed this food!
What is Turkey Bacon?
Turkey Bacon is a type of cured meat product derived from turkey. Although this variant has a similar texture and taste to the traditional pork bacon, it is considered healthier with lower fat and calories.
In processing turkey bacon, the white meat of the turkey is cut into strips and then fried. It also goes by names like “turkey ham,” “lean bacon,” or even the vegetarian version of pork bacon.
For example, some brands like Oscar Mayer Turkey Bacon contain about 70% less fat and 30% fewer calories than traditional bacon.
Turkey bacon is usually eaten along with eggs, sandwiches, or salad in breakfast; used as an ingredient of dishes such as wraps, burgers, and pizzas for lunch/dinner.
It can also be served on its own with a side of mashed potatoes and vegetables.
Food family of Turkey Bacon
Turkey Bacon belongs to the family food of processed meats usually high in salt, fat, and preservatives.
Processed meats are food products that undergo further processing (e.g., salting, curing, smoking) to improve flavor or extend shelf life.
These products are usually derived from pork, but instead of using the traditional cuts like shoulder and side, turkey bacon is made out of white meat like breast meat which means it has less fat than other sources in this food family.
Processed meats are best served during breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It can be served or cooked/fried with other ingredients such as eggs, vegetables, salad, or potatoes.
Yet, this food also comes with health threats, such as increasing the risk of colorectal cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and type-II diabetes.
Because of this, can dogs still eat turkey bacon?
Can dogs eat Turkey Bacon?
The answer is YES. Dogs can eat Turkey Bacon, especially that which is low in fat and sodium.
Turkey bacon is soft to eat, making it easy for dogs to digest even when consumed in large quantities.
Turkey bacon has health nutrients that your dog needs like vitamin B, niacin, and selenium.
Also, because it is low in fat and sodium, turkey bacon will not cause much damage to your dog’s kidney or liver even when consumed once a week as part of its diet.
With that, remember to feed turkey bacon in moderation. Or else, your dog may suffer from health-related concerns such as cholesterol, weight gain, and excessive sodium intake.
If you have no ideas on how to prepare this food for your dogs, here are the best ways we suggest:
Best Ways to Feed your Dogs with Turkey Bacon
Add turkey bacon to your regular diet of dog food.
You can do this by adding bits of turkey bacon on your dog’s kibble or wet food, especially on those with weight management problems, diabetes/kidney disease, and senior dogs.
This way, you satisfy your canine friend’s hunger while providing it with the nutrients needed for a balanced diet.
Turkey bacon is a good treat for dogs.
You can keep your dog’s diet exciting and surprising by adding turkey bacon as a reward or occasional snack.
We recommend that you use this food now and then, once in a while—as giving it too often may lead to health concerns such as obesity due to the high-fat content of meat products like Turkey Bacon.
Pair turkey bacon with fruits and vegetables.
We suggest pairing turkey bacon with fruits and vegetables (e.g., banana, apple, broccoli) for dogs that are picky eaters or don’t want to eat their meal.
You can feed them this food combination as a snack in between meals once every two weeks at the most.
Again, remember not to overfeed your dog with this combination, as the high sodium content of turkey bacon can be dangerous.
Reasons Why Dogs Can Eat Turkey Bacon
Turkey bacon has meaty health nutrients empowering and shaping your dog’s health status. As a dog owner, this section helps you boost the confidence in feeding your dog with turkey bacon:
Turkey bacon is a low-fat, high-protein food.
Dogs need protein to build and maintain their muscles, bones, cartilage tissues—as these are the building blocks of your canine friend’s body.
Hence, giving them turkey bacon will provide them with all the lean proteins they need to maintain their healthy weight or achieve it if they are underweight.
This food is low in sodium and high in niacin, vitamin B12, iron, selenium, and zinc!
Dogs need these nutrients for a healthy skin coat and their overall system functionality, which includes digestion of food substances to absorb vital vitamins from what they eat.
And because Turkey bacon is low in sodium, your dog can enjoy it without much worry of developing cardiovascular diseases due to high blood pressure.
This food is rich in amino acids and omega fatty acids too!
Turkey bacon contains essential nutrients that will help regulate the levels of insulin production inside your pet’s body—a condition that plays a vital role in your dog’s glucose metabolism.
This food also helps maintain your dogs’ dental hygiene as it contains choline—which promotes healthy teeth and gums by fighting off plaque formation inside their mouth.
Possible Concerns When Eating Turkey Bacon
If you feed Turkey Bacon like it’s the only food in the world, your dog may suffer from a disease this world couldn’t stand for.
It means that you have to be aware of the following possible concerns your dog may encounter:
Turkey Bacon contains high levels of cholesterol.
If you are not careful enough, feeding your dogs with turkey bacon may lead to obesity due to excessive dietary cholesterol in this food substance.
If left uncontrolled, this can cause cardiovascular diseases by enhancing blood lipid levels that affect circulation throughout the body.
Hence, dog owners must monitor their dog’s cholesterol levels regularly by consulting with a veterinarian.
Turkeys are fattened up before they are slaughtered to produce Turkey Bacon!
This is because of the hormones and drugs injected into turkeys during their growth period—which can be toxic if ingested over time by your dogs.
And as much as possible, you have to avoid buying turkey meat products that are not produced organically.
Turkey Bacon is processed with nitrates and other preservatives.
Nitrates can be dangerous for dogs as they may cause cancer if ingested over time. The use of chemicals in food processing requires additional considerations before you feed your dog this product.
It’s best to read labels, check reviews, and ask around before buying this type of meat.
Signs your dog is sick from eating Turkey Bacon
The presence of possible health concerns begins when your dog suffers from apparent symptoms.
When your dog acts unusual and manifests the following, you have to bring your dog to the vet immediately:
Your dog is not interested in eating anything.
A healthy and active canine will always be hungry for food. Yet, if you find your dog uninterested in the meal you served—especially when it’s turkey bacon—then there may already be something wrong that needs doctor intervention right away!
Upset stomach and vomiting after ingesting turkey bacon.
It is usual for dogs to vomit from eating something that their body cannot digest. However, if vomiting doesn’t stop and your dog suffers from diarrhea too—or has a hard time breathing due to digestive problems—it is an indication of poisoning which needs doctor intervention immediately!
Your dog is losing weight and becomes lethargic.
If your dog’s energy level decreases, while at the same time, he is losing weight and muscle mass than usual, this can be a result of malnutrition due to his refusal to eat food.
What to do if your dog is sick from eating Turkey Bacon?
Turkey Bacon may threaten your dog’s condition, and if symptoms persist, you have to consult immediately to your veterinarian.
There are some cases wherein the vet may suggest a change in your dog’s diet, while other times, it is necessary to make sure that all remaining food substances are removed immediately from your pet’s system.
Your vet will assess your dog’s condition to determine the extent of poisoning and offer you a proper treatment plan.
Also, your vet will check for underlying health conditions that can worsen the poisoning.
Nevertheless, if you want to be safe, you should stop feeding your dog with turkey bacon right away.
Avoid similar foods from this family.
Chorizo
Chorizo is processed meat made from pork meat that is mixed with spices. Chorizo can be complicated to produce, so it contains chemical substances which are considered dangerous for dogs.
Pork Sausages
If you have turkey bacon in your hand right now, replace it with pork sausages instead. Pork sausages do not contain nitrates or other chemicals because they are natural.
If you are not sure, always check the label to be safe.
Deli Meats
Some deli meats contain sodium nitrate that can cause cancer in dogs if ingested over time—which is why dog owners need to avoid this kind of meat entirely.
This food also has high fat and salt content, so it’s best to avoid them.
Prepared Meats
Prepared meats are often filled with preservatives that can cause cancer in dogs if ingested over time—and the use of chemical substances is not suitable for their health anyway!
It’s better to be safe than sorry when you decide what meat product your canine should eat.
How to Make Turkey Bacon Safe To Eat
Reassuring a safe, manageable eating experience is what our dogs look after from us. Of course, the delectable taste is always a plus, but how you treat the food multiples its benefits.
Hence, we crafted ways to make turkey bacon safe for feeding:
Monitor your dog while eating
To check if your dog gains appetite after eating turkey bacon, it’s best to monitor your dog while eating.
If you notice that he is not interested in his mealtime anymore—or starts vomiting again after eating it for the first time—then there may already be something wrong that needs doctor intervention right away!
Put some meat on your dog’s food before adding Turkey Bacon to make sure they eat it all up.
Adding Turkey Bacon to your dog’s food can make him less interested in his mealtime. This is because you have to add some meat on top of the Turkey Bacon, making it easier for them to eat and enjoy!
If you want something more flavorful than turkey bacon, try chorizo instead—but don’t forget that this is also dangerous for dogs!
Take turkey bacon out of the pan before adding other ingredients to make sure it doesn’t burn.
The smell and taste of burnt Turkey Bacon can be so powerful that your canine may not like his meal anymore.
To remove that intense flavor, take the turkey bacon off first before continuing with cooking or mixing different spices into your dog’s food.
Key Takeaways
A turkey bacon’s texture, saltiness, and juice are what makes us love it so much. Apart from hotdogs and sausages, this food has shaped our dining moments during breakfasts.
So, guilt no more, since this food is not only good for our health but with dogs, too!
Dogs can eat turkey bacon. This food is soft to eat and safe, especially when it is low in fat and sodium.
Also, this food helps prevent the development of cardiovascular diseases since it is low in sodium and high in niacin, vitamin B12, iron, selenium, and zinc.
Plus, it has amino acids — vital in your dog’s glucose metabolism.
However, feeding too much turkey bacon equates to possible health concerns. When this happens, your dog may suffer from high cholesterol levels, obesity, and the formation of cancer cells.
For safe feeding, it’s best to monitor your dog while eating. You may also put some meat on your dog’s food before feeding Turkey Bacon.
Lastly, you may take turkey bacon out of the pan before adding ingredients to ensure it doesn’t burn.