Read This Before Feeding Your Dog Ham!

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It’s only a matter of time before your dog wants to eat ham. And it can be quite a conundrum when your buddy salivates over this meat!

Can I Give My Dog Ham?Here’s the deal:

The high saturated fat, sodium-laden salt and preservatives means that ham is a questionable food.

Feeding a bunch is a bad idea — especially to an already overweight dog. They’ll pack on additional pounds and become increasingly sluggish.

Keep reading to learn more…

Try Not To Feed Your Dog Processed Ham

It’s too salty, loaded with preservatives and just generally inferior to other meats.

The key takeaway is that feeding ham, at least regularly, could easily tip the scales towards too much sodium to your dog’s diet.

Be Very Strict If Sharing

There is no way around it:

Cured, lean and salted hams aren’t a great choice.

While a small amount will be harmless, avoid feeding your dog this meat as a way to provide them with protein. At the very least, limit it to a special treat and do so only occasionally.

This salty meat, shared too often, may develop into a bad feeding habit. You do not want a hungry hound to start expecting this processed food!

Ham’s Downsides for Dogs

Consider that pigs bred for slaughter are pumped with antibiotics and growth hormones.

Lots of professionals also do not recommend giving dogs processed ham. They cite the high salt and a potential for diarrhea. That makes sense!

Sure, some owners give their dogs ham all the time.

Ham may or may not be well-tolerated.

What is absolutely certain is it’s no health food!

Protein But Preservatives

Ham was once promoted by calling pork “the other white meat”. In truth, it is not as nutritious as beef or chicken.

Your dog needs animal protein, but ham doesn’t compare well to most other meats.

Yes, it has protein, but it’s also more difficult to digest. This is true for dogs as well.

And let’s not forget that ham almost always contains preservatives i.e. nitrates and nitrites.

These are reasons not to toss your dog the leftover holiday ham!

Hold the Ham And Upgrade

Want to keep your dog’s life simple?

Put to rest most questions about feeding table scraps and simply get a quality dog food. With the premium stuff, you won’t have to make up for nutritional gaps.

And prevent pancreatitis by holding the ham sandwich. Too much saturated fat!

Delicious But Dangerous?

Put pork under a microscope and you may see a world of worms or parasites. It’s the nature of this meat.

Not only is ham a bit riskier than other protein sources, it is also unhealthy for your dog.

Bacon, for example, tastes delicious yet everyone knows it’s far from a health food. Ham, bologna and hot dogs are no nutritional champions either.

Strictly limit these foods to keep your dog fit.

The Bottom Line

Ham, all pork really, is not a smart choice for your dog.

Sharing this salty meat is unhealthy despite the protein.

Your dog may have some digestion difficulty, but long term effects are the main concern.

The high sodium and preservatives means more leftover ham for you!

What Do You Think? Have Your Say Below…

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4 thoughts on “Read This Before Feeding Your Dog Ham!”

  1. I gave my Border Terrier some leftover ham. The next day she had an upset tummy and it continued when off her food completely.

  2. I let my dog drink the juice from ham and now she is restless. I can tell she isn’t feeling well. Should I get her to the vet right away? It’s Christmas Eve.

  3. Pippin has an upset stomach. I gave him a slice of ham to take his heart pills but he wanted more. Now he is not very well. I hope he recovers as I feel so guilty. I have read how harmful ham is for dogs.

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