Should Your Dog Eat Table Scraps?
ian allen
It's a familiar sight to every pet owner who has sat down to a meal
with their dog in the room: Your furry friend scoots as close to the
table as he can get. His big, pitiful eyes stare longingly - first at
you, then at your plate. He licks his chops over and over again,
hoping to get just one bite of whatever you are eating. As hard as it
is not to give in to those sad, soulful eyes, there are many reasons
NOT to feed your dog table scraps.
The most obvious reason is because many of the foods that humans eat
are just not good for dogs. The best diet for a dog is a consistent
diet. Talk to your vet about how much food to give your dog, and then
feed the same amount at the same time each day. There are ways to make
his meals more interesting, such as adding gravy that is made for
dogs, without sacrificing his good health.
Dogs that eat a lot of table scraps tend to be overweight. If you are
eating a steak and want to give your dog a treat, what part of the
steak does he usually get? The fat. Eating pure fat isn't good for
your dog's weight. Dogs that are overweight have less energy and are
at greater risk for developing health problems such as cardiovascular
diseases....
http://groups.google.com/group/dogfoodmave
Dave Teetz
> The most obvious reason is because many of the foods that humans eat
> are just not good for dogs. The best diet for a dog is a consistent
I feed my dog exactly what I could eat. It's raw and nutritious and
very good for them. Notice I said "could." There are certain meats
that can be consumed by humans I simply will not eat.
> diet. Talk to your vet about how much food to give your dog, and then
> feed the same amount at the same time each day. There are ways to make
Vets are provided just a few hours of nutrition training throughout
the entirety of their schooling. This training is provided by the dog
food manufacturers, so they are biased processed, unhealthful foods.
The foods they tend to recommend are the brand(s) they sell.
Feeding should be done at varied times. By setting a schedule you set
yourself up for failure. Ever seen the bright yellow vomit? That's
the dogs stomach eliminating the digestive juices. The stomach is
anticipating food, doesn't get food and starts the elimination
process.
> his meals more interesting, such as adding gravy that is made for
> dogs, without sacrificing his good health.
I've never seen a dog whip up a batch of gravy. Food that challenges
the dog, physically and mentally, is far better than dowsing dry, over
processed food with an inappropriate human-made canine gravy.
> Dogs that eat a lot of table scraps tend to be overweight. If you are
That's because people who follow ill-advised dry feeding schedules
don't compensate for the extras the dog is given. An educated dog
owner will know to feed a dog a certain amount of food per day. If
that amount is exceeded, coupled with inactivity, the dog will
certainly gain weight. When fed anything extra, including treats
given while training, that amount needs to be deducted (approximated)
from the daily feeding amount.
> eating a steak and want to give your dog a treat, what part of the
> steak does he usually get? The fat. Eating pure fat isn't good for
> your dog's weight. Dogs that are overweight have less energy and are
You are correct here - pure fat is not good for the dogs weight. BUT,
fat provides the dogs energy and a healthy coat, among other things.
If the dog ONLY eats table scraps; therefore, only eating the fat, ye
it's bad. Otherwise, don't trim the fat off beef when feeding the
dog, don't take the skin off, etc.
What I've presented is not an advocation of a meat only diet. It
simply debates what was provided. To feed a dog healthfully, a
species-appropriate, raw-diet should be investigated.
Regards,
Dave