When it comes to pizza, Kung Pao chicken and onion rings, it's true; you shouldn't be sharing high-fat, spicy or potentially toxic foods with your pet.
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.
Vets say that the biggest concern with feeding pets ‘people food' is that most people feed too much and create an unbalanced or incomplete diet. It should only account for about 10% of their total calorie intake.
Of course, 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
- Corn cobs
- Avocados
But feeding a dog or cat from the table? That's definitely a no-no, experts agree. It takes only one time to create an obnoxious beggar. Trust me, I have two of them at home :-)
For more information please contact Lara O'Keefe at 972.838.9156 or visit Hunter's Creek.
