Pet parents regularly introduce their common food ingredients to their pets, ensuring dogs feel energetic and active. Pet owners offer food items to pets with no intention of harming their overall health. Although owners are cautious before giving any food to dogs, yet they can feed some harmful ingredients unwillingly. Broadly, healthy food is not harmful and harmful food is not healthy for pets. Generally, dog lovers buy dog-friendly treats made from dog-safe ingredients from online pet bakeries. But dogs should be fed with human foods that they can digest. Dogs don’t have the same digestion ability as human beings have. There are three top categories of foods dogs can eat.
- Plain-cooked meats (chicken, beef, and turkey),
- Vegetables (carrots, peas, pumpkin, and green beans), and
- Pet-friendly fruits (banana, apple, and blueberry).
This blog highlights human foods that dogs can eat and people foods that should be avoided.
Pet-friendly Human Foods for Dogs
According to an article from Medical News Today , the following ‘people foods’ are safe for your furry buddy. These safe human foods for dogs can be given to pets in their regular meals.
Apples | Bananas | Blueberries | Carrots |
Chicken | Coconut products | Cucumbers | Dairy products |
Fish | Green beans | Peanut butter | Plain popcorn |
Pork | Turkey | Watermelon | White rice |
Fruits for Pets
Apple, bananas, blueberry, and watermelon are the most common fruit choices that dogs can eat. They are a healthy treat if dogs get the right quantity. Filled with fiber and vitamin, apples are digestion and immunity boosters. Potassium-rich bananas are a good energy source. In the same manner, blueberries own antioxidant properties. They simply reduce inflammation. It is equally useful for brain wellbeing. Finally, watermelon is good for pet hydration.
Vegetables for Dogs
Vegetables are low-calorie snacks for dogs. Being nutrient rich, a carrot is good for dental and eye health. Low-calorized cucumbers keep your pets hydrated. Green beans boast of vitamin and fiber so that digestion can be managed.
Meats and Protein
Lean meats contain higher protein that helps muscle development and repair. Dogs easily digest turkey and chicken-based treats. Dogs get omega-3 fatty acids from fishes that improve their skin. Amino acids are acquired by pork.
Other Healthy Treats
Coconut products are known for fat and play a role in solving skin issues. Dairy products offer a big amount of calcium. But some dogs are highly intolerant to lactose. Check this scenario properly. When we talk about protein-support treats, it is peanut butter that catches all eyes. Moreover, crunchy popcorn offers lower calories. White rice ensures dogs make fast recovery from digestive shocks.
Toxic Treats Dangerous for Pets
Once you have a good idea of pet-friendly food, it is time to know what sort of human food should not be given to dogs to eat?” All human foods are not effective for dogs. That is why these highlighted toxic foods for dogs are categorized as highly risky to your pets’ health.
Alcoholic beverages | Apple seeds | Apricot pits | Avocados |
Candy (chocolate/Xylitol) | Cherry pits | Chives | Coffee (grounds, beans) |
Garlic | Grapes | Gum (sugar-free/Xylitol) | Hops |
Macadamia nuts | Moldy foods | Mushroom plants | Mustard seeds |
Onions (powder/flakes) | Peach pits | Potato leaves (green parts) | Raisins |
Rhubarb leaves | Salt | Tea (contains caffeine) | Tomato leaves (green) |
Walnuts | Xylitol sweetener | Yeast dough |
Fruits and Plant-Based Foods
Some plants and fruits are not useful for pets. Apple fruit seeds and apricot pits have cyanogenic compounds. These induce cyanide when pets chew them. Consumption of such fruits can cause multiple breathing issues. Persin is a toxin found in avocados, and it can make dogs suffer from queasiness and diarrhea. Dogs with kidney failure issues should avoid raisins and grapes. Oxalic acid in rhubarb leaves can deteriorate kidneys.
Vegetables and Herbs
Like plant-based foods, some vegetables and herbs can be fatal for pets. Sulfur compounds can be a cause of anemia in pets. It is an RBC disease induced by onions and garlic. Being rich with toxic alkaloids, tomatoes and green potatoes can be responsible for neurological disorders in pets. If you see a pet having gastrointestinal problems, it is likely it has consumed mustard seeds. The over consumption of salt may result in sodium poisoning.
Other Harmful Human Foods
Finally, we have some human foods that can be a bad treat to pets’ health. Theobromines found in chocolates are hard to absorb and result in heart ailments and seizures. Artificial sweeteners are a big threat to animals’ health. Unnatural xylitol, found in candies, can spike insulin, resulting in liver issues. Caffeinated drinks also put your dogs’ health at risk. Coffee and tea can cause impatience and a fast heart rate. Yeast dough is a big carrier of bloating issues. Macadamia nuts may bring weakness in pets.
Helpful Posts:
Best Dog-Friendly Fruits: Nutritional Paybacks and Practical Feeding Tips