Myth or Fact?
I had always heard that one should not give people’s food to pets, but had never thought much about it till I got my own dog: a new puppy that I named Suki. Then I started reading about it, and talking to other pet owners. The opinions vary, but my conclusion was that when it comes to pizza, chicken wings, French fries, and the like, it’s true; you shouldn’t be sharing high-fat, spicy or potentially toxic foods with your pet, especially puppies. But cantaloupe, crunchy raw or lightly steamed vegetables, and meat with fat and gristle trimmed off are favorites of many animals and shouldn’t be off limits. For instance, baby carrots, apples and popcorn are excellent low-calorie treats for dogs. And as long as you’re using high-quality ingredients and a good recipe that meets a pet’s nutritional needs, “people food” is perfectly healthy as a regular meal for your dog or cat. I still struggle a bit with this concept, but that is what the experts say.
According to veterinary nutritionist Sally Perea, “The biggest concern with feeding (pets) ‘people food’ is that most people feed too much and create an unbalanced or incomplete diet. As a rule, treats or human foods fed to a pet on a commercial diet should be limited to no more than 10 percent of their daily calories.”
Fact: there are some foods you should never feed your pets:
· Chocolate
· Onions
· Grapes
· Raisins.
· Yeast dough
· Alcohol
· Tobacco
· Marijuana
· Moldy or spoiled food
· Wild mushrooms
· Large amounts of raw fish
· Potato, rhubarb or tomato leaves
· Large amounts of raw liver
· Large numbers of macadamia nuts
· Fruit pits
But feeding a dog or cat from the table? That's definitely a no-no, and no matter how much Suki begs, she won’t get any. Be careful: It takes only one time to create an obnoxious beggar!