Dogs and Human Food: Why You Shouldn’t Feed Your Dog Leftovers from Your Table

When a dog starts to beg, it’s hard not to give him a piece from his plate. But do you know exactly what exactly can be given to a dog from human food?

Can dogs eat human food?

Here are a few reasons why you shouldn’t feed your dog table food.

Problems with digestion

The digestive system of a dog is different from ours. Normal human food is too high in fat for a dog’s body to digest properly. Its use can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, and even more serious conditions, such as pancreatitis. Many human foods also contain excess sodium for dogs.

Poisoning and toxicosis

Human food often contains ingredients that are toxic to dogs. Chocolate, raisins, grapes, macadamia nuts, almonds, onions and garlic are dangerous to these animals. If you don’t know exactly what’s in the leftover food you brought home from the restaurant, you could unintentionally harm your pet by giving it a delicious bite. Many processed foods contain artificial sweeteners, such as xylitol, which are extremely dangerous for pets.

Weight gain

As a rule, dogs that are fed table scraps regularly eat food. It can be assumed that a dog will not get better from a couple of pieces, but in fact it is not. For a 9 kg dog, 30 grams of cheddar cheese is equivalent in calories to one and a half hamburgers for its owner. Small snacks can add up quickly. This will lead to weight gain and can cause a range of health problems for your pet, such as diabetes or heart disease. Under no circumstances should a dog consume more than 8-10% of its daily calorie intake in the form of treats.

Unwanted Behavior

Another reason why dogs shouldn’t eat human food is that it reinforces begging. This may seem cute to the owners, but friends who come to visit are unlikely to like it if the pet drools looking at their plates. The dog may think that because he is being fed food from the table, he is allowed to grab a piece from the plate on the table. Some pets may even refuse their food when they are full of human food.

How to properly pamper your dog

The best way to treat your dog is to give him high-quality, healthy treats based on his daily caloric needs. But this does not mean that all homemade food is completely prohibited for pets. In moderation, they can consume many human foods. A few tips for feeding your dog human food:

• Semi-finished or processed products should be avoided. Even homemade meals can contain ingredients that can harm your dog. Preference should be given to one-component treats – unsalted eggs, pieces of fruit or unsalted vegetables.
• The number of calories must be taken into account. Before you give human food to a dog, you need to calculate how many calories it contains. This factor must be taken into account when making a decision. Your veterinarian can help explain your dog’s recommended daily calorie allowance. So you can calculate in advance what effect a piece from the table will have on the health of the pet.
• It is important to study foods that are harmful to dogs. Some of them are toxic, and it is necessary that the dog never comes near them.
• No need to feed the dog from the table or plate. Instead, it is better to give her a piece of a healthy treat as a reward for obedience or following a command. You can not treat the dog when he is begging. You can put a piece of treat in her bowl so that she understands that she should only eat in her usual place.

The importance of choosing the best food

Dogs are not good at regulating the amount of food they eat. Many of them do not know the measure. It is necessary to monitor both how the dog eats and the number of calories consumed. Feeding your dog a complete, balanced diet that is optimal for its age, size and specific living conditions ensures that it receives the nutrients it needs for good health. If the dog looks with his big pleading eyes, you need to remember that the food that he eats every day is more than enough.

So, what can dogs eat from human food? Your pet will be happy to eat a variety of foods, but this does not mean that they will benefit her. Being a responsible owner, it is necessary to protect the health of the dog, including limiting it in food. It can be hard to say no to your dog, but it’s important to remember that it’s for their own good. A healthy dog ​​is a happy dog.