Is It Time to Scrap the Table Scraps?
You love your dog, and you hate to waste food. Now there’s a dilemma. What to do with those table scraps when there’s still some nice meat on that bone, or the macaroni-and-cheese leftovers aren’t enough to make another meal? Fido’s one of the family, and certainly would appreciate a taste of what was on the dinner table. So what’s the harm in letting doggie, and not the garbage disposal, dispose of the table scraps rather than eat ‘traditional’ dog food?
Table scraps should not be the main source of dietary intake for your dog but may be fed as small treats here and there. Harmful table scraps like chocolate and bones, however, can cause extensive harm and even death to your pet. Digestive problems do occur when dogs eat table scraps that are too rich or that simply do not agree with their stomachs. Be wary of what table scraps you allow your dog to have and never overdo it.
But, you say, Buster won’t eat dog food. Oh really? Then what does Buster eat? You got it, table scraps and anything else it wants. Has the dog really succeeded in training YOU to give it what IT wants? And has its success meant that the dog is paying a physical price for its “victory?” Hard not to overeat when you’re getting the “select” goodies isn’t it? Remember this, it is NOT up to the DOG to choose what it eats in your house – it is up to YOU – the owner.
Table scraps, fed in small amounts, DO have their good points. There is an enormous difference between good quality leftovers and “scraps”. The quality leftovers are the pieces of steak (trimmed of fat), roast beef, chicken or turkey. Adding this to your dog’s bowl is fine, only when done IN MODERATION. In addition leftover both pasta and rice are good, so long as they are minus the butter or other fatty sauces and are plainly cooked.
Don’t overfeed scraps on a continuous basis. Your doing so will expose your pet to a diet loaded with fat and you’ll end up with a pet prone to stomach upsets, diarrhea and other potentially serious gastrointestinal disorders such as pancreatitis, which is life threatening. Even if your dog’s digestive tract can handle a diet full of table scraps, the chances of him or her gaining weight will increase enormously in proportion to the amount of scraps you’re feeding.
Now, there are many people who will claim that table scraps are deadly to your pet and should not be given as snacks. These people are only partially correct. While commercial snacks are formulated for the needs of your pet, there is no harm in allowing your dog some table scraps as long as it is not harmful to the dog and is not in excess. There are human foods that are harmful and deadly to your dog, but most human food is perfectly acceptable for dogs. The trick is research.
You should forget, for example, about serving your dog the leftover macaroni and cheese, even though pasta is OK and the cheese is low-fat. Dogs do not have the needed lactase to break up the lactose the result can be diarrhea.
Turkey, chicken, steak, or any other kind of cooked bones are no-nos, because they can splinter and pierce or obstruct the dog’s digestive tract.. Bones can also cut the roof of the mouth.
Leftover stew is OK, as long as you first discard the onions, and if your family loves sushi, Fido will have to pass Raw fish can create a thiamine deficiency in dogs. As a result the dog will suffer from seizures and possibly death.
Easily digestible foods such as cooked rice or chicken and turkey (boneless) will be fine to feed your dog. Even some fruits and vegetables are well received by dogs, though there are some types to avoid such as grapes. Feeding your dog grapes causes severe kidney damage. While some fruits are acceptable to feed your pet, avoid grapes at all times.
Fido, or Buster, or Sport knows all the moves when if comes to finagling you out of those scraps. So don’t let mealtime degenerate into a battle of wills. Know what are acceptable table scraps, and feed them in acceptable amounts, but never decide to save money and avoid wasting food by making then the main ingredients in your pet’s diet!
Sharda Baker has published several dog ebook and audios, including the internet best selling “Complete Guide to Your Dog’s Nutrition”.
Visit the link below now for Sharda’s Special Free Dog Food Report.
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