What Should I Do If My Dog Eats Grease?

What Should I Do If My Dog Eats Grease From My Grill?

Nothing says Summer like a Barbecue Cookout! I found a recipe on AverageJoeCooking to make some Baby Back Ribs using my new Pellet Smoker. I just finished cooking the Hamburgers on the Grill and the Watermelon is cut and ready to go. I join everyone in the yard to play Corn Hole for about 15 minutes. I come back to start plating our feast and notice my dog eating the Grease from the Grill Grease Trap.

What should I do if my dog eats grease from my grill? If your Dog eats Any Kind of Grease or Fat, your Dog will most likely be okay, but if you notice your Dog Vomiting or having Diarrhea for longer than 24 hours, consult your Vet because eating a lot of Fat can lead your Dog to develop Pancreatitis.

What Is A Grill Grease Trap? Most grills have a grease trap under the grill to catch the grease from getting all over the ground. Some have built in grease traps that allow an Aluminum Drip Pan to catch the grease. If your grill does not have a built in grease trap, you are most likely using an aluminum can to dump excess grease.

What Should I Do If My Dog Ate A Little Grease?

If your Dog ate a Small amount of Grease, they may get some Bad Diarrhea or Throw Up.
Keep an eye on your Dog, if the diarrhea lasts for than 24 hours or your Dog does not seem to be recovering, please see your local Vet or contact the Pet Poison Hotline or the the Animal Poison Control Center (ASPCA) to see what they want you to do.

What Should I Do If My Dog Ate A Lot of Grease?

If your Dog ate A LOT of Grease, your dog may develop Pancreatitis or Kidney Failure. A Vet can confirm this with a simple blood test.
Contact your local Veterinarian immediately or contact the Pet Poison Hotline or the the Animal Poison Control Center (ASPCA).
If your Dog immediately begins throwing up or has Diarrhea because they ate a lot of Grill Grease, be sure to collect a sample of each to bring with your to the Vet. Vet’s can learn a lot from the samples you bring in and best how to treat your sick Dog.

What Kind Of Fat is Bad For My Dog?

Animal Fats	Duck Fat, Pork Fat, Chicken Skin, Turkey Skin, Lamb Fat, Bacon Grease, Beef Grease, Meat Drippings, Meat Scraps
Other Fats	Lard, Butter, Margarine, Shortening, Cooking Oils (Vegtable Oil, Olive Oil, Avacado Oil, Coconut Oil, etc), High-fat Dairy Foods (whole milk, cheese, sour cream, ice cream, etc.)

What is Pancreatitis in Dogs?

This is a condition that happens when the pancreas becomes inflamed. The Pancreas is the organ near the stomach that helps digest food and helps control blood sugar. Pancreatitis can come on all at once and then pass, or it can stay for extended periods of time.

How Do I Know If My Dog Has Pancreatitis?

Loss of Appetite: When your Dog Does not want to eat or is eating significantly less than they normally do
Your Dog is Throwing Up a lot
Your Dogs Stomach is Painful to Touch
Your Dog has a Fever
Your Dog has Diarrhea that is lasting more than 24 hours
Your Dog is Lethargic
Your Dog has a Hard Time Breathing

If your Dog has some of these Symptoms for more than 24 hours or if these Symptoms keep coming back, take your Dog to your local Veterinarian immediately or contact the Pet Poison Hotline or the the Animal Poison Control Center (ASPCA).

Animal Poison Control Center – #888-426-4435
Pet Poison Hotline – #855-764-7661

How Do I Prevent My Dog From Getting Pancreatitis?

It is hard not to give into those puppy dog eyes, when they are begging for table food. Keep in mind that there are a lot of table food that is harmful to Dogs. You also need to be conscious of what your Dog can get into and what is in their reach.

When in doubt, do not feed your Dog Table Food
Keep your Trash can secure (inside and outside)
Put a lid on Grease Cans on your counter top containing excess Grease, like bacon grease
Section off your Grill, so Dogs cannot get into it. Even a cooled grill can have lots of greasy debris, especially the grease trap.

Dogs LOVE the smell of Grease or any food for that matter. If your Dog eats any amount of Fat, you need to keep an eye on them to make sure they do not develop Pancreatitis. Keep in mind that lean cooked cuts of meat that have all of the fat removed and contain no bones, can be giving to your dog to enjoy.