If you ever felt uilty about treating your dog to some homemade dishes, don’t. Many people do it. I mean, how could you possibly resist when he’s staring at you like that? No dog lover or dog parent will ever blame you if some table scraps end up in your dog’s bowl because they all understand. We’re all in this together.
But as a responsible dog parent, you probably don’t want to feed your dog unhealthy stuff that may affect him in the long run or even immediately. Some foods that are good for humans are way too toxic to be feeding them to dogs, so it is the human’s responsibility to choose the appropriate foods.
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In fact, there are people who make their own dog food, which is usually a combination of foods that people eat, only adjusted so that it’s OK for their canine companion too.
Here are some options that you can consider if you want to feed your dog homemade foods and some options you should always avoid.
OK Foods to Share with Your Dog
Oatmeal – If your kids don’t like the porridge, maybe the dog will. Oatmeal is as good a source of fiber for humans as it is for dogs. Oatmeal is especially beneficial for senior dogs, but should always be cooked with no sugar or artificial flavors.
If your pet is allergic to wheat, oatmeal is a great alternative. Just make sure you don’t feed him too much of it. Half a cup of cooked oatmeal, up to two times a week should suffice.
Lean meats – Anything from chicken to beef and even fish is good for dogs. Lean meat is a great protein source, so if there are any dinner leftovers that you want to treat your dog to, you can so long as you don’t add too many extra calories to his diet.
Yogurt – There are many benefits to feeding your dog yogurt: calcium, probiotics, and zinc are just three. If your dog experiences gastrointestinal problems, yogurt will help alleviate that, but the only option you should feed your dog is no-sugar, no-additives yogurt, just the plain, natural one.
Not OK Foods to Share with Your Dog
Chocolate – Chocolate is extremely toxic for dogs to the point that it could actually kill them. The methylxanthines that chocolate contains can cause your pet abdominal pains, vomiting, muscle tremors and even death.
The darker the chocolate, the higher the chances for your dog to develop food poisoning, so if you know your dog has eaten something of the kind call your vet for instructions.
Poultry skin – The reason some people won’t eat chicken skin is that it is high in fats and calories, which is why you run the risk of your dog becoming obese if you feed him this every time you trim a bag of chicken.
You may feed poultry skin to your dog as a treat, but if he has a sort of serious medical condition, it’s best to avoid it altogether. Check with your veterinarian.
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Onions & Garlic – They can cause food poisoning when ingested in larger quantities. Some dog treats, for example, do contain garlic, but in such small amounts that it’s unlikely to lead to side effects. On the other hand, sautéed onions or garlic can represent a real threat to pets, so anything that you cook with a lot of onion and/or garlic, it’s best to avoid feeding it to your dog.