You may occasionally want to see how your dog reacts to new flavors, or just want to mix up their diet a bit, whatever the reason, most of us find ourselves googling if our dog can eat x-“human food” or y-“whatever-dog-scarfed-out-of-the-trash”. While not completely expansive, here is a list of some of the common foods you can and cannot share with your fluffy buddy. There are also some treats, bones, etc. listed that should be given to your dog with caution and under supervision!
As with people, some dogs have food sensitivities or food allergies and they can’t tolerate certain food choices. This can result in an upset tummy with diarrhea and vomiting up to severe anaphylactic allergic reactions, like you think of with people and peanut butter. It is always a good idea and highly recommended that you consult with your veterinarian or an animal nutrition expert about food choices and dog treats (bones, rawhide, etc) for your dog before giving them something new.
Great Foods to Share with Your Dog!
Here are some of the common foods you probably have in your fridge that your dog will love you for sharing (and are nutritionally beneficial to them too!)
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Potatoes
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Seaweed
- Melons
- Pumpkin
- Rice
- Apples (no seeds)
- Oranges (no rind)
- Peanut Butter
- Bananas
- Coconut
- Corn (no cob)
- Cooked Eggs
- Honey (small amount)
- Quinoa
- Fish
- Plain Yogurt
Dog Sitting Lafayette: Food You Can Give to Your Dog With Caution:
The following items CAN be shared with your dog but in VERY small quantities or under direct supervision. Marrow bones can splinter and cause significant medical issues including upset stomach, broken teeth and full GI obstructions. Marrow bones should only be given in the appropriate size relative to the dog and with minimal extra dried skin/grease on them. Avoid the large knuckle bones with lots of additional skin left on them. They can break apart and dogs can eat pieces of bone that they can’t digest. The greasy part can cause an upset stomach. Rawhide should only be given if it is compressed, meaning it has been broken into very small pieces and compressed back together. Ask you pet store for compressed only. Dogs can get large pieces of raw hide broken off and swallow them. These pieces are not digested well and can actually cause an obstruction (blockage) in the digestive system that can lead to surgery!
Some dogs are lactose intolerant or have sensitive stomachs, so cheese may cause an upset tummy – it is highly recommended you try very small tastes of these.
- Raw Hide- ONLY compressed
- Marrow Bones ( DIRECT SUPERVISION AT ALL TIMES)
- Deer antlers (very hard to break off pieces, BETTER THAN BONE, but still supervise)
- Cheese
Foods and Items you Should NEVER Give your Dog!
- Grapes/Raisins
- Avocados
- Chicken Bones or any Bones from Home Cooking
- Chocolate
- Garlic
- Onions
- Nuts (particularly Macadamias, Walnuts, pecans)
- Raw Eggs
- Anything with Xylitol (sugar substitute found in gum, candy and even some sugar free peanut butter)
- Human medications (common medications to be avoided- aspirin, Tylenol, Advil, Aleve,etc) ALWAYS CONSULT VETERINARIAN BEFORE GIVING ANY MEDICATIONS TO DOGS!!!
- Alcohol
Are you going away for the weekend and looking into dog sitting Lafayette area? Off Road Paws trains all pet sitters on what food is safe for your dogs to enjoy. Our services take us all across the countryside, from mountain trails to neighborhood sidewalks. Whatever the location, we’re ready to make sure your pup’s adventure is always a tail-wagger! Contact us today!