Human Foods Dogs Can and Can't Eat. Dedicated dog lovers tend to be very kind people. We share our hearts and homes (and for some lucky pooches, even the foot of our beds) with our canine pals. Surely there is nothing wrong with sharing our favorite foods with them too, right? Many of the foods, such as fruits and vegetables, that humans digest just fine can wreck havoc on a dog's body, causing severe health problems. However, some of the foods people eat can be introduced to a dog's diet just fine, providing health benefits such as joint strength, better breath, and allergy immunity. Before giving your dog foods that you crave, keep reading to learn which foods are safe and which can send your dog straight to the vet. Chocolate – No. This isn’t just an old wives’ tale. Chocolate contains a very toxic substance called methylxanthines, which are stimulants that stop a dog’s metabolic process. Even just a little bit of chocolate, especially dark chocolate, can cause diarrhea and vomiting. A large amount can cause seizures, irregular heart function, and even death. Do not have chocolate in an accessible location. If you're dog does ingest chocolate, contact a veterinarian or Pet Poison Helpline as soon as possible. A few shrimp every now and then is fine for your dog, but only if they are fully cooked and the shell (including the tail, head, and legs) is removed completely. Shrimp are high in antioxidants, vitamin B- 1. Eggs – Yes. Eggs are safe for dogs as long as long as they are fully cooked. Cooked eggs are a wonderful source of protein and can help an upset stomach. However, eating raw egg whites can give dogs biotin deficiency, so be sure to cook the eggs all the way through before giving them to your pet. Turkey is fine for dogs as long as it is not covered in garlic (which can be very toxic to dogs) and seasonings. Also be sure to remove excess fat and skin from the meat and don’t forget to check for bones; poultry bones can splinter during digestion, causing blockage or even tears in the intestines. Cheese – Yes, in small to moderate quantities. As long as your dog isn’t lactose intolerant, which is rare but still possible in canines, cheese can be a great treat. Many cheeses can be high in fat, so go for low- fat varieties like cottage cheese or mozzarella. Just like whole peanuts, peanut butter is an excellent source of protein for dogs. It contains heart- healthy fats, vitamins B and E and niacin. Raw, unsalted peanut butter is the healthiest option because it doesn’t contain xylitol, a sugar substitute that can be toxic to dogs. Unsalted, unbuttered, plain air- popped popcorn is OK for your dog in moderation. It contains riboflavin and thiamine, both of which promote eye health and digestion, as well as small amounts of iron and protein. Be sure to pop the kernels all the way before giving them to your dog, as unpopped kernels could become a choking hazard. Cinnamon and its oils can irritate the inside of pets’ mouths, making them uncomfortable and sick. It can lower a dog’s blood sugar too much and can lead to diarrhea, vomiting, increased, or decreased heart rate and even liver disease. If they inhale it in powder form, cinnamon can cause difficulty breathing, coughing, and choking. Pork / ham – Yes. Pork is highly disgestible protein, packed with amino acids, and it contains more calories per pound than other meats. Pork also may be less likely to cause an allergic reaction in some pets compared to meat. Corn – Yes. Corn is one of the most common ingredients in most dog foods. However, the cob can be hard for them to digest and may cause intestinal blockage so avoid giving them corn on the cob. Consider a few things before feeding your dog oatmeal. Obviously, it should be cooked. Choose a pure oatmeal with no artificial fruits or flavorings. Although there are many who still believe high protein can be a health problem for puppies, more recent. Fish – Yes. Fish contains good fats and amino acids, giving your dog a nice health boost. Salmon and sardines are especially beneficial – salmon because it’s loaded with vitamins and protein, and sardines because they have soft, digestible bones for extra calcium. With the exception of sardines, be sure to pick out all the tiny bones, which can be tedious but is necessary. Never feed your dog uncooked or under- cooked fish, only fully cooked and cooled, and limit your dog’s fish intake to no more than twice a week. Small amounts of plain bread (no spices and definitely no raisins) won’t hurt your dog, but it also won’t provide any health benefits either. It has no nutritional value and can really pack on the carbohydrates and calories, just like in people. Homemade breads are a better option than store- bought, as bread from the grocery store typically contains unnecessary preservatives, but it’s best to avoid it all together. Plain yogurt is a perfectly acceptable snack for dogs. It is rich with protein and calcium. The active bacteria in yogurt can help strengthen the digestive system with probiotics. Be sure to skip over yogurts with added sugars and artificial sweeteners. In moderation, cooked fresh tuna is an excellent source of omega- 3 fatty acids, which promotes heart and eye health. As for canned tuna, it contains small amounts of mercury and sodium, which should be avoided in excess. A little bit of canned tuna and tuna juice here and there is fine – prepared only in water, not oil – as long as it doesn’t contain any spices. Honey is packed with countless nutrients such as vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and K, potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper, and antioxidants. Feeding dogs a tablespoon of local honey twice a day can help with allergies because it introduces small amounts of pollen to their systems, building up immunity to allergens in your area. In addition to consuming honey, the sticky spread can also be used as a topical treatment for burns and superficial cuts. Garlic – No. Like onions, leeks, and chives, garlic is part of the Allium family, and it is five times more toxic to dogs than the rest of the Allium plants. Garlic can create anemia in dogs, causing side effects such as pale gums, elevated heart rate, weakness, and collapsing. Poisoning from garlic and onions may have delayed symptoms, so if you think your dog may have eaten some, monitor him or her for a few days, not just right after consumption. As mentioned above, fully cooked salmon is an excellent source of protein, good fats and amino acids. It promotes joint and brain health and gives their immune systems a nice boots. However, raw or undercooked salmon contains parasites that can make dogs very sick, causing vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, and, in extreme cases, even death. Be sure to cook salmon all the way through (the FDA recommends at least 1. Fahrenheit) and the parasites should cook out. Ice cream – No. As refreshing of a treat ice cream is, it’s best not to share it with your dog. Canines don’t digest dairy very well, and many even have a slight intolerance to lactose, a sugar found in milk products. Although it’s also a dairy product, frozen yogurt is a much better alternative. To avoid the milk altogether, freeze chunks of strawberries, raspberries, apples, and pineapples and give them to your dog as a sweet, icy treat. Coconut – Yes. This funky fruit contain Lauric, which strengthens the immune system by fighting off viruses. It can also help with bad breath and clearing up skin conditions like hot spots, flea allergies, and itchy skin. Coconut milk and coconut oil are safe for dogs too. Just be sure your dog doesn’t get its paws on the furry outside of the shell, which can get lodged in the throat. Almonds may not necessarily be toxic to dogs like pecans, walnuts and macadamia nuts are, but they can block the esophagus or even tear the windpipe if not chewed completely. Salted almonds are especially dangerous because they can increase water retention, which is potentially fatal to dogs prone to heart disease. Read More > Peanuts – Yes. Unlike almonds, peanuts are safe for dogs to eat. They’re packed with good fats and proteins that will benefit your dog. Just be sure to give peanuts in moderation, as you don’t want your dog taking in too much fat, which can lead to pancreas issues in canines. Also, avoid salted peanuts. Make your own tasty homemade dog food recipes. Learn how to make your own dog food and how much you should be feeding to your dog for optimal health and longevity. Five things to do to improve your dog. By Mary Straus Whole Dog Journal readers have learned how to identify the best commercial foods when they. Learn why a species appropriate, raw diet is essential in preventing and treating liver issues and liver disease in dogs. Read More > Macadamia nuts – No. These are some of the most poisonous foods for dogs. Macadamia nuts, part of the Protaceae family, can cause vomiting, increased body temperature, inability to walk, lethargy, and vomiting. Even worse, they can affect the nervous system. Never feed your pets macadamia nuts. Cashews are OK for dogs, but only a few at a time. They’ve got calcium, magnesium, antioxidants, and proteins, but while these nuts contain less fat than walnuts, almonds, or pecans, too many can lead to weight gain and other fat- related conditions. A few cashews here and there is a nice treat, but only if they’re unsalted. Are Raw- Fed Dogs a Risk? Features. July 2. Issue A major therapy dog registry has banned raw- fed pets. Pet/handler teams – known as Pet Partners – brighten lives in hospitals, nursing homes, group homes, schools, pre- kindergarten programs, libraries, jails, women’s shelters, homeless shelters, senior centers, adult day programs, and a host of other facilities. But on May 1. 9, Delta Society triggered a firestorm of controversy, complete with conspiracy theories, angry denunciations, frustration, and confusion, when it announced that effective June 3. Delta Society Pet Partner.”Delta’s Raw Protein Diet Policy raises serious questions about the safety of feeding raw food regardless of an animal’s pet- therapy status. Are raw- protein diets truly dangerous for dogs and the people who touch them? Should responsible owners reconsider their feeding plans? Here’s why. Author CJ Puotinen’s six- year- old Labrador Retriever, Chloe, has been a Delta Society Pet Partner since her first birthday. She can no longer participate in the Pet Partners program due to her raw diet. Delta suggests that even a dog or cat who eats a conventional commercial diet and shares a household with a raw- fed dog or cat may be ineligible to be a Pet Partner. Inadvertent eating of raw meat or cross- contamination is very real.”Delta’s board of directors believes that raw- fed animals pose a serious risk of infecting clients with zoonotic pathogens. Certain individuals are at increased risk of disease if they encounter various pathogens, particularly people that are immune- compromised, very young, or elderly. This basically describes most of the individuals Delta Society Pet Partners visit: Patients in hospitals, senior centers, nursing facilities, hospice care, rehabilitation facilities, and schools involving young children, among others.”Delta acknowledges that dogs fed commercial or home- cooked diets can shed pathogenic bacteria, but believes these dogs pose a lower risk of bacterial shedding. Delta Society volunteers who feed commercial pet food or a home- cooked diet are unaffected by the organization’s new policy – but those who feed their animal companions raw protein must either change those diets or leave their Delta Society- sponsored volunteer work. If a Pet Partner does switch to a cooked or commerical diet, Delta suggests suspending therapeutic visits for a minimum of four weeks, because dogs can shed pathogenic bacteria for a variable amount of time. The new policy. Delta’s policy change caught its many raw- feeding volunteers by surprise. How did Delta Society decide that raw- fed animals pose a health risk to the clients served by its program? On its website, Delta Society explains the rationale for its policy change: “Over the past few years, the increasing use of raw protein diets and the health concerns and controversy generated have grown, not only between the public and veterinarians, but often within the veterinary profession itself. After careful consideration of all of the known scientific facts, and on the unanimous advice of the Delta Society Medical Advisory Board, made up of internal medicine and public health experts from North America, the board of directors voted to preclude animals eating raw protein foods from participating in Delta Society Pet Partners program.”Some raw feeders see an ominous connection between the development of the policy and the fact that Delta Society receives financial support from Purina. One of its Medical Advisory Group members, Deborah S. Greco, DVM, Ph. D, DACVIM, works for Nestle Purina Petcare in St. Delta acknowledges Purina on its website, displaying the Purina logo under the statement, “Thank you to our incredible partner, the passionate pet lovers at Purina!”Apparently anticipating that some would blame Delta’s link to Purina as the cause of its ban on raw- fed animal partners, Delta clarified: What was the role of pet food manufacturers in the adoption of the Raw Protein Diet Policy? As board members learned of medical professionals’ concerns about the increased risk of the spread of pathogenic bacteria to humans by animals fed raw protein diets, it was determined that this was an issue that needed review. As many of our Pet Partners visit in hospitals, assisted- living centers, and other places where people’s immune systems are compromised, it was decided that implementing this new policy was the responsible action. A look at the pathogens. Delta Society’s Raw Protein Diet Policy explains, “Since many studies have shown pets fed such diets shed a significantly higher number of pathogenic bacteria, the risk is too great for inadvertent, but avoidable infection.” Here’s a look at the bacteria of concern. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, foodborne diseases cause approximately 7. U. S. According to the CDC, 1. Americans contract Salmonella each year, but because mild cases are often dismissed as “stomach flu” and go unreported, the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) estimates that the annual number is more likely 2 to 4 million. About 1,0. 00 people in the U. S. No one knows how many Americans are asymptomatic carriers at any given time, but the number discovered by fecal testing is significant.“Contamination most frequently occurs via the fecal- oral route when pathogens are present in the feces of ill, convalescent, or otherwise colonized persons,” says report author E. C. Some convalescing individuals excreted Salmonella for 1. Regardless of the origin of the contamination, pathogens are most likely to be transmitted through the hands touching a variety of surfaces, highlighting the need for effective hand hygiene and the use of barriers . Contaminated food manufacturing plants can spread the bacteria to all types of processed foods. Major Salmonella- related food recalls during the past six years involved almonds, Hershey and Cadbury chocolate bars, serrano peppers from Mexico, pistachio nuts, peanuts, peanut butter, Italian salami, and numerous products containing hydrolized vegetable protein (a flavor enhancer). All therapy dogs, not just raw- fed ones, may be agents of infection. We believe that the benefits they offer far outweigh the small risk they pose. Some pets are notorious carriers of Salmonella, especially snakes, turtles, and other reptiles. Salmonella- contaminated pet food has also sickened humans who handled the food. In 2. 00. 6, 7. 9 human cases of Salmonella in 2. Mars Petcare plant in Pennsylvania. Mars recalled 2. 3,1. Salmonella- contaminated dry dog and cat food, sold under 1. Other recent pet food recalls involved Salmonella in pig ears, cow hooves, beef treats, and dog treats made with peanut butter. In 2. 00. 8, when eight additional human cases of Salmonella were traced to dry pet foods, Dr. Pascal James Imperato, dean and distinguished service professor of the graduate program in public health at State University of New York Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, told reporters, “There is greater industrialization of the production of food products, both for humans and animals, and these are complex processing systems. Therefore, there is greater opportunity for contamination. We are likely to see many more of these problems in the future.”To help prevent infection, Dr. Imperato recommends regular washing of pet food bowls to prevent bacterial growth; the thorough washing of hands with soap and warm water for at least 2. Keep infants away from pet feeding areas and prevent children younger than age five from touching or eating pet foods, treats, or supplements. Escherichia coli (E. More recently, Consumers Union (publisher of Consumer Reports) announced that nearly half of the water and soda dispensers it tested at fast- food restaurants and 3. Salmonella and E. Clostridium difficile, often called C. Severe cases produce life- threatening inflammation of the colon. This bacterial infection commonly affects older adults in health care facilities and typically occurs after the use of antibiotics. In recent years, its infections have become more frequent, more severe, and more difficult to treat, making C. Sliced meat, puddings, pastries, sandwiches, and other foods have caused Staphylococcal food poisoning. The most famous member of this bacterial family, methicillin- resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA, pronounced MER- sa), is not considered a foodborne pathogen. This life- threatening “supergerm” is usually acquired in a hospital setting, though “community- acquired” MRSA is the more dangerous strain. Dogs and especially cats can shed Salmonella organisms in both their feces and saliva, meaning that transmission can occur via licking. Dogs and cats may suffer salmonellosis as a . Similarly, outbreaks of Salmonella infections in large animal teaching hospitals have been linked to the introduction of bacteria from infected human personnel, with subsequent spread to animals and then back to other human workers.” Although dogs can contract salmonellosis, healthy dogs usually remain free from symptoms of infection even when they ingest Salmonella bacteria. In a study reported in the Canadian Veterinary Journal in 2. Salmonella- contaminated raw food shed salmonellae in their feces the following week. The remaining nine did not shed salmonellae, and none of the dogs exposed to the bacteria exhibited any symptoms of illness. Although the study’s size was very small, it suggests that most healthy dogs effectively neutralize Salmonella without colonizing or shedding the bacteria. Delta Society Medical Advisory Board member J. Scott Weese, DVM, DVSc, DACVIM, of the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph in Canada, has co- authored several studies of zoonotic agents in Ontario- area dogs. A 2. 00. 6 cross- sectional study of 1. Zoonotic agents were isolated from 8. Clostridium difficile, which was present in 5. Two studies published in 2. MRSA and C. In one, both MRSA and C. In the other, the rates of acquisition of MRSA and C.
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