# Human Food For Dogs - Is It Safe?



## dogfood_admin (Jun 16, 2008)

Most dog owners form a strong bond with their pet, and take every measure to ensure that their dog feels like it is a part of the family. However, a recent topic that has been discussed among many pet care experts is if *human food scraps for dogs* is safe. The answer to this question isn’t a simple “yes” or “no”, since it depends on the type of food, and type of dog. However, there is some general information about human food that every dog owner should be familiar with, in order to ensure that the proper steps are taken to ensure their dog’s good health.
*OBESITY*

A common problem among dogs that are fed table scraps on a regular basis is obesity. Most humans consume a high-carbohydrate, high-sugar diet that includes many different processed ingredients. Because of this, it is estimated that approximately 45% of the pets in the United States are currently obese. Diet plays a huge role in pet obesity, since many pets have different nutritional requirements than humans do. Because of this, it’s possible that a dog that is constantly fed human food can eventually become obese.

*PANCREATITIS*

Pancreatitis is a condition in which the pancreas of a dog becomes inflamed to the point where it no longer functions normally. In dogs, this health condition can be  caused by a one-time ingestion of a high-fat meal, or ingestion of a high-fat diet over a long period of time. Many human table scraps (chicken skin, leftover meat, bacon grease) are extremely high in fat, though some people choose to feed these foods to their dogs. It’s essential that you remember that pancreatitis is a sometimes irreversible condition, which can be caused by your dog only eating a high-fat meal once. Avoid giving your dog high—fat human foods at all costs.

*SAFE HUMAN FOODS FOR DOGS?*

In general, it is best to use common sense when feeding your dog human food. Dogs are not designed to consume a high percentage of simple carbohydrates, such as those found in white flour, white rice and pastries. In addition to this, it’s best to avoid feeding your dog any food substance that contains artificial colors, artificial flavors, chemical preservatives, steroids or artificial growth hormones. This eliminates a majority of human food, and only leaves some food substances. In addition to this, there are many human foods (garlic, onions, raisins, avocados, chocolate) that can potentially cause serious health problems in dogs.

*SHOULD I AVOID FEEDING MY DOG HUMAN FOOD?*

It’s generally best to avoid feeding your dog human food on a regular basis. Because of the ingredients that can be toxic to your dog, as well as the chance of your dog developing a health condition, it’s advised that you stick to your dog’s regular diet. While it is possible to give your dog a “treat” (such as a small cube of cooked, deboned chicken or steak) every so often, it’s best to avoid feeding your dog human foods if they are being fed a commercial diet.

If you do decide to feed your dog human food, the key is to make sure that you are not over-feeding your dog, and the foods that you give them are unrefined whole foods that contain no preservatives etc.

*Do you feed your dog anything other than commercial dog food?  Tell us your thoughts on feeding your dog human food...*


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## dogfood_admin (Jun 16, 2008)

Jess makes a good point. Most healthy food that we eat is fine for your dog (with the exception of certain foods that are poisonous to dogs ). The key is that you only ever feed your dog natural, whole foods (those that are not packaged), and make sure that you do not over-feed your dog. The problem is that very few people consume a healthy diet these days (too much fast food, refined foods etc.). So the foods that the "average" person consumes is probably not fit for your dog.


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## Mark3 (Nov 25, 2009)

There's also the issue of the additives that go into commercial dog food. I make my own dog food from human ingredients, but at the right ratio so that it's healthy and I know that there's no nasty preservatives. I completely agree with the fact that our pets reflect our own diet and health. Healthy dog food is a vital part of keeping your dog free from disease.


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## Rawfeederr1 (Nov 28, 2009)

I think it depends on the food.
Most table scraps shouldn't be fed, unless it is un-seasoned meat.

I feed raw, and so I think that it's fine for dogs to eat this kind of people food. It's FAR better than even the best brand of dog food.


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## Jennye (Jan 12, 2010)

There are only so many doves that people are willing to prepare and cook around here so I find that at the end of the season I can stock my freezer. I cook the breast meat for my dogs and make broth with the bones/scraps. I feed mixed with dry food and the dogs get a great treat and quality protein. Talk to the hunters you know and you might find many that don't use all the game they kill and are so happy to have someone use it so it does not go to waste.


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## harry2 (Jan 30, 2010)

i have a yokie-po,and she will not eat dog food canned or dry .
icook her plane chicken breast in the oven , thats made everyday

i give her a nutritional gel daily

any help . 

thank you 
harry


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## Catherine2 (Feb 4, 2010)

On occasion I give my dogs cooked carrots or green beans. It is good for them & they love it. About a tablespoon chopped up on top of their dry food. Also in place of dog treats thy get a slice of cooked carrot.


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## Jennifer3 (Feb 16, 2010)

Our two dogs eat after we do. Should we be eating a food that they can have, like plain baked or grilled chicken or fish, safe vegetables, and so on, we take what would have been someone's last bite or two, cut it up fine, and add it to their food. Besides meats, they like when they get a bare taste of plain mashed potato or fat-free refried beans. Chloe kept an eye on me while I was cooking and did her obedience and assistance-dog training when I cut up the carrot or a few other safe veggies. Pupper likes his cooked so it's in his bowl. But never in fat, and since only low-calorie veggies are given outside of their meal I know which of the mix of foods I give to cut back or cut out.


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## nolan (Mar 9, 2010)

I have been feeding my dog human food for 10 years and he has never had a problem there are only a few foods you have to watch out for


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## jim_baker (Mar 24, 2010)

It is ridiculous to think that dogs can not consume so called people food. First of all there is no such thing as dog and people food, dogs foods are primarily grains highly processed with very low quality meats, mostly meats that are not fit for human or dog consumption. Why do you think on dog food it states not for human consumption. Would you eat dog food? I didnt think so. Than why should your dog. Common sense prevails, no sugars, real spicy foods, grapes, raisins, chocolate. But any kind of meat all veggies are just fine for Fido.


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## Azra_Borcilo (Jun 7, 2010)

i cook once a week for my dog...every sunday i place in a big pot,1.5kilos of either chicken, beef, lamb together with brown rice, carrots, pumpkin, spinich. from the butchers i get pure chicken fat, i put a few peices of that for the natural oils to come out instead of bottled oil, i also add a little bit of caltex salt which you can get from a health store it is great for many minerals, i also add one sweet potato and sometimes other vegetables. i put it to boil after it boils i leave it to simmer for about 20min. every night as i warm up a bowl for my boy my heart is full knowing what is going into his stomach....ALL vets ask me for my seacrets to my boys health. for breakfast i altenate either....egg omlet with veggies and salami or organic rolled oats boild then some fresh apple and 2 almond chopped up in there with one teaspoon of Manuka Honey. or for a little junk food i boil 2min noodles (dont put the liitle satchay in it) once cooled i add one can of tuna in olive oil. or around 6 chicken necks or 4 chicken wings or one lambflap. before bed time he gets a snack wich is either 1tbl spoon of natural yhoghurt or some bannana, or some cottage cheese or a little bit of beanutbutter with either carrot or some vegetables or a bolw of soup that i make for him. on the weekends he gets afternoon snacks which are a recriational bone to exercise the jaw and clean the teeth. other dinners that i give once a week is a mixed bowl of chicken heart, gizzards a little liver or i do the same with a mixture of lamb kiddneys and lamb liver. organ meats in small porportions are extremely important for a dogs health and long life. i also dont vaccinate my dog yearly after the puppy vaccinations i do tarter testing i refuse to put drugs into my dog that WONT help him instead will kill him faster. tarter testing is a little dearer but all it is, is once a year the vet will take a blood test send it to the USA to test for your dogs antibody levels. so far my dog is perfect and like i said the vets ask for my secret. Good luck all, but i am very please to hear that so many are feeding their furry kids real foods


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## bob4 (Dec 8, 2010)

i feed my pit all raw meats. steak,rabbit,deer,bear,chicken,ect.


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## Joyce_Singer (Dec 10, 2010)

My dogs eat just about all vegetables, only organic kibble and wet food, and some fruits. I eat very little meat and use few spices and add sea salt AFTER I cook. I eat no white flour - whole grains, and brown rice pasta. The dogs love it. Any problems - canned pumpkin is good for dogs digestive systems. Many commercial dog foods are UNSAFE for dogs. Read the labels. If you see tons of preservatives, artificial coloring and animal by-products, you need to ask yourself: why is THIS dog food? It's a scam. My dogs have been at a perfect weight all of their lives.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Costco upp'd their price on the roast to 2.15 a pound, but they had brisket for 1.90 a pound. It looked like there was an awful lot of fat on it. Has anyone ever bought one of these? I have no problem with some fat, but this looked like a little much.


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## benmo (Feb 11, 2011)

Please allow me to make a few remarks
Until 70-75 years ago we didn’t have any can dog food, after 1945, the meat plants had tens of millions of corn beef can rations surplus so they start advertized it as dog food for a penny a can, imagine success, rest is history.
Dogs are with as for over 12,000 years and they were perfectly fine with scraps, there are still places were dog food doesn’t exist. I remember in the old country (East-Europe) we had dogs and as a rule we are not worry about their health until they were 15 years old, my last one over there (Snooky, I am not joking) was 18 years old and he died in an accident, he was haft blind.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

This is a gotta watch video

http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/dog-feels-guilty/2050thx4?q=Dog+viral&rel=msn&from=en-us_msnhp&form=msnrll&gt1=42010%0D%0D


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## Junie (Sep 23, 2011)

Most dogs get bored with their usual diet and some variety to their usual food is something nice for them to keep them happy and eating well.


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## Susan_Tschider (Oct 19, 2011)

When I grew up there was no such thing as dog food. Our family pet ate the scraps left from our meals. Of course, we raised our own chickens, vegetables and bought from local farmers. It is sad that we eat so poorly that our food is toxic for our dogs. More than likely our food is toxic for us. Natual, organic dog food is healthier than what most humans eat.


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## Nancy10 (Nov 17, 2011)

I have an obese shih tzu and one of normal size. The vet told me to feed him tofu and vegetables. It's not working and is expensive. Do you have any other ideas?


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## Jezzri (Dec 31, 2011)

I find it logical that actual food is far more nutritious than even the highest quality kibble. I agree you must educate yourself on the nutrition requirements of your pet, but that doesn't negate the benefits of actual food. It says here on this very site that you can't trust or know what terms like "Chicken By product" actually mean in kibble ingredients. I so prefer advice based on reason and sensibility not on fear or habit. If a food company or doctor told you that your 2-5 year old only needed one very processed food all the time and variety is unnecessary even harmful to your child, you would laugh in their face and find a new doctor. Does the same sensibility not apply to your dog?


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## Jerry2 (Feb 5, 2012)

You people are obviously being aid off:" by the pet food industry to write this bullshit.Its a big lie to not tell the truth about the shit the pet food industry puts into their food..Jerry


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## claude_carpentieri (Mar 7, 2012)

It is true that dogs get bored of their food and appreciate variety (can you blame them...) but watch out as giving them sauces and oily/elaborate stuff can do more harm than good. Difficult to gauge as you do it, given that it may look like you're doing them a favour, but really...just don't! Remember their digestive system isn't the same as a human's.


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## LindsayMaryland (Jan 4, 2012)

I generally don’t give my dog table scraps, I just don’t want to deal with what could happen if they have a bad reaction to something. Believe me, once it happens once and you have to clean up some bad diarrhea, you don’t want to do it again! Once in awhile I may give them a little tiny piece of raw carrot or a tiny piece of my banana, but generally I stick to a healthy dog food with a lot of omegas, antioxidants, and great ingredients. We do grain-free Alpha (natural balance) on our dogs, which is another reason I don’t give them people-food, since gluten is in everything these days and I can be sure this food is holistic and safe.


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## Molly-Joy (Jan 5, 2012)

Hi, is anybody feeding a dog with gall bladder issues? I am and I would like a few tips on what to feed, raw, cooked, bagged kibble, what works best, supplements, etc. Thnks.


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## Jerry Pardue (Jan 13, 2012)

I can't believe you would take up print inches talking about high carbohydrate levels in rice which are only 42% of the carbohydrate level of corn. The combination of high carbohydrate levels like the 2200 carbohydrate levels per pound in corn combined with the high protein levels makes dogs grow entirely too fast and this causes later problems like hip dysplasia and arthritis. These dogs grow to adulthood long before their skeletal system matures. It is not corn per se, it is high carb formulations that are destroying our precious dogs. Yes, they grow faster but, not with an adequate skeletal system.


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## Todd2 (Oct 22, 2013)

Jerry you are partially correct, but carbs are not as big an issue as calcium, during the high growth period. Having had 9 German Shepherds threw my life, both hip dysplasia and arthritis are breeding traits and dogs well get both no matter what you feed, just like humans. 

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2084&aid=444

Table scraps are fine in moderation as long as the spice levels are on the very low levels. It's the spices the bring the nasty issues.


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