Here are the foods to AVOID giving to your dog (human foods that are poisonous to dogs), as well as those which are OK for pets.
Plus, what you should know if you decide to offer table scraps and other people foods to your dog.
First, An Overview
Yes, there are those who make a habit of feeding their dogs table scraps.
(We don't)...
But as a rule, most people generally stick to serving dog foods to their pets day in and day out.
Of those pet owners who choose to give their dogs HUMAN foods, most reserve it for "special occasions" OR times when you're nursing a sick pet back to health. (We do both.)
In fact, some people are dead set against it, citing a number of reasons that feeding human foods to dogs is inappropriate.
Others simply refrain from giving their pets processed foods, and choose to include only "all-natural" human foods in their dog's diet.
When Dogs Are Rewarded With "Human" Treats
Largely due to the rise in popularity of Kong toys, more and more pet owners are choosing to supplement their dog's diet with a variety of human foods these days.
Which "begs" (hehe) the question:
Which human foods are safe for dogs to eat?
Furthermore:
What do I need to know if I decide to give my dog foods that were originally intended for people?
Here's what I've learned...
You should always consult with a veterinarian before introducing your dog to any new food item.
That said, following are the best tips I've found with regard to feeding human foods to dogs...
Be Careful What You Feed Your Dog
Not all dogs are alike.
Just because someone else's dog didn't have an adverse reaction to a particular human food doesn't mean that your pet will behave the same way.
Your dog could react differently to the taste of the food, or he could even have an allergy to one or more of its ingredients.
Therefore, whenever you are introducing your dog to a new food (or combination of foods, such as those in Kong Recipes be sure to test it out while you are home so you can monitor your pet's reaction.
The odds are very small, but there's always the chance that your dog could be allergic to a particular food, or it just may not sit well with your dog -- causing upset stomach, diarrhea or vomiting. Sometimes, even the smallest change in a dog's diet can cause and adverse reaction.
Human Foods That Are NOT Safe For Dogs
I won't list them all here, because the links below provide all of the foods and other items that are indeed harmful to pets, and why.
At the very least, you should avoid feeding your dog human foods that are salty, sweet (high in sugar content), or fatty.
Be sure to check these lists, so you know which foods have been proven to be dangerous to dogs:
- Human Foods You CANNOT Feed To A Dog
- Foods Potentially Poisonous To Pets
- Dangerous Foods For Dogs - Your Questions Answered
- Foods & Things That Are Harmful To Dogs
- Grapes And Raisins Are Off-Limits
- People Foods That Can Kill Your Pet
- Foods & Other Substances That You Shouldn't Give To Dogs
- Artificial Sweeteners Are Harmful To Dogs
- Foods To Avoid Feeding Dogs
On the flip side, here are some safe human foods that dog owners frequently give their dogs.
A Word Of Advice About Trying New Foods
Before you introduce a new food to your dog, there's one other thing that you should take into consideration:
...the "begging" factor.
In our household, we've noticed that our dogs tend to "beg" for people foods any time they smell something they're familiar with. On the other hand, if they've never had it before, then they don't beg for it.
For that reason, we have only introduced 2 human food items to our dogs: peanut butter and bread. (And bread is only for very special occasions!)
To give you an example, any time we crack open a jar of peanut butter (...wait, I mean move the peanut butter jar from the pantry to the counter!) or open a loaf of bread, our dogs start salivating and licking their lips in anticipation of getting some. Yet we could hold a big 'ol steak in front of them, and they wouldn't blink an eye!
So just remember, once you introduce a particular food to your dog, there's no going back. They'll always want some of yours whenever you're eating it in the future.
When it comes to filling Kongs, we layer ingredients inside the Kong toy using various combinations of those two human foods and other dog foods, treats, and Kong-friendly products made specifically for dogs.
We've also reserved a handful of other human foods for times when our dogs have various ailments (like diarrhea) or need to take pills.
Those foods are: rice, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, and plain yogurt.
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I just wanted to let you know that I got a kick out of the the photo of the dog in front of the refrigerator as well as the photo of the dog with the loaf of bread. I can't stop laughing...
What happens if my dog ate grass? Is it poisonous?
Destiny,
Here's the information about dogs eating grass that you asked about:
http://dogs.thefuntimesguide.com/2006/08/dogs_eating_grass.php
Hey, is it okay to feed your dog boiled eggs?
Yes, Destiny, it is OK for your dog to eat hard boiled\boiled eggs. They will quite like them. My two certainly do.
And grass will not poison your dog, though I am sure there are some weeds that look like grass that may not be so good for them. My two eat grass all the time, usually when they have upset tummies.
Hey KaratKoaMom, thanks for your comment on my question.
I give my dog foods that are good for her like lean meats and peanut butter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
my dog ate beef steak cooked with onions...the onions were removed...tomorrow morning she was vomiting...what is the first aid if its onion poisoning?
My 7 year old cairn terrier started to have trouble using her rear legs. Trouble getting up from lying down or going up stairs she would get stuck. I recently stopped giving her a daily carrot and find she is getting better-little to no sign of week legs.
To me it seems the carrots were the problem, does this make sense?
Hi All;
I came onto this forum with the question being, "How can dogs like eating the same food all the time?" We add healthy meats and vegetables, that are part of our personal dinning, into our dog's food, in small quanities, so that she has a variety and enjoys her meals like any living thing would. We freeze small containers of meats and bring them out to mix with her dry food.
It's so easy to mix a small clump of chicken, salmon or beef in warm water with Willow's food to make it taste good. She eats it with vigor rather than simply eating it to stay alive. When reading the ingredients of even the really good dog food that we feed Willow, I find it hard to believe that it's something that dogs would 'totally love' to eat twice a day, day after day. An added note is that 'begging and hanging around the fridge' is not allowed. We love Willow and she's a very healthy, happy and smart little pal..But even I'm not allowed to do that!...Bill
hi.. need some help. I have a shuitzu who had puppys about a week ago, I have been feedin her puppy food and a scrambled egg in the morning, and cottage cheese for the other two meals, she is not gaining any weight, and I can feel and see her ribs, puppys are big and healthy. what else can I feed her that will help to give her an extra pound or two, as well as the protien and the calcium that she needs for her pups? thanks for any info u have!
Are you actually increasing the amount of food that she is eating? She may need to be fed 4x/day rather than just two. You are feeding her appropriately, but a bitch who is feeding puppies is basically allowing food go into her, taking it and making it food for the puppies. She needs LOTS of food!!! Try just giving her more...
Cooking food for dogs removes nutrients. Carrots are high in sugar though, so it suprises me that anyone would recommend this for your overweight dog. A dogs digestive tract is very short and they cannot break down the whole vegetables to obtain the nutrition. Most dogs barely chew their food so you can see what they didn't digest in their poop!It is recommended to put veggies in a food processer and pulverize them to make them easier to digest. There is a huge amount of information on the BARF diet for your dog. Look into it! It is terribly interesting. I have fed my two mini schnauzers a raw diet since they were 8 weeks old. It takes me about 2-3 minutes to whip them up a meal. I make a veggie blend that will last 2-3 days with 2-3 ingredients: broccoli, carrots, apple, banana, yams, yellow squash, zuchini, peaches, plum. Only use one fruit in the blend. I give them each a heaping forkful of veggie blend, I add about a tablespoon of cooked brown rice and add 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup raw ground turkey. I add half a hardboiled egg to their food 4x a week or a small forkful of natural peanut butter(ingredients: peanuts, salt. No sugar!), or 2 teaspoons of cottage cheese, or a drop or two of raw honey, or 2 teaspoons plain yogurt. The key is variety. I also monitor their weight by the rib test: I can feel them but not see them. Feed them less if they get fat enough that you can't feel their ribs. I give them raw bones a couple times a week when they are in their kennels when I go to work. Anyway, look into real food for your dog if any of this interests you!
This site is amazing! i learned a lot from it. I have a purebreed saint bernard, he's only 6 weeks old and i feed him iams puppy food for puppies of large breeds mixed with pedigree lamb and rice soft food for puppies since saint bernard are proan to bloat. I feed him three times a day half a cup each time. What human food can i make or feed him? i know meat is good for him but his mother is allergic to meat so im afraid he could be allergic to it too. I'm going to have to feed him soft food for the rest of his life since it keeps him from bloating, anyone knows whats a good substitute?
Thank you everyone!!!
St Bernards do have a high predisposition to bloat but not all die from it. And just because you are feeding him a soft food, it does not prevent bloat from happening. That said, please take a look at the ingredients in the foods you are feeding - MEAT (poor quality meat) is one of the ingredients. The best way for you to lessen the odds of your dog having an issue with bloat is to feed a raw natural diet that is balanced over time. The pup will have variety and fresh whole nutrients which will help his bones to grow appropriately, keep his teeth sparkling clean, and allow his body to function at optimal health. Find yourself a good holistic vet, keep vaccinations to the minimum, and love him every day of his life. There are NO guarantees as to how long each of us will live with our furkids, but live each day like it could be the last. My neighbor recently lost her youngest dog - 3 yo to bloat and not even a breed with high susceptiblity to the problem. If you stay with a kibble diet, then switch brands to one that has better quality ingredients - look up the Whole Dog Journal list in the Feb 2009 - it will save you money in the long run to have your dog eat a better quality food - that is, unless you would rather keep your vet in business.
I have 3 dogs at my home- 2 beagles and one dachshund. Apart from the dog food i feel like giving them something extra coz i feel they get very bore with there food. Can we give food like - cheese, milk,curd,wheat bread,rice, soyabean etc..
i have a very small maltipoo. when we first got her, she preferred her mother's milk and looked at her dog food as though they were rocks. we thought that she would get over this phase, but not once has she looked at her dog food as though it was edible. we sampled many different brands and tried wet dog food, but she just gave it a sniff and walked away. we tried moving her food to different places in our house, and leaving the food out hoping she would be hungry enough to eat it. and we tried hand feeding for hours, without her even having one bite. she starved herself for a week and a half before we gave in and had to give her human food. its the only thing she eats now, and she still eats it 75% of the time. but she doesnt have any diarrhea or sickness or anything. she's completely healthy. but will feeding her like this shorten her lifespan, and how can we convince her that dog food is edible? help!
My mother in law feeds her 2 dogs a chesapeake retriever and a greyhound and my pitbull rice and beef every night. is this safe for the dogs?
My vet suggests this when my dog has been ill or won't eat. He loves it! It is a good option I think.
I found this website and everyones comments to be very interesting. I just adopted a ChiHuahua and he doesnt eat his doggy crunchys unless he has to he prefers chicken or beef broth over his food. I have a Golden and a Beagle Collie Mix as well and would like to start feeding them natural wholesome people food. I see that some people prepare the foods once a week, I too would like to do this but what do I prepare?, how do I know it wont spoil?, and how much is enough to give each of my dogs? If someone could let me know what their weekly procedure is like I would have a better idea on how to prepare each week, and how much and of what. Is there a good site with Recipes on it? Happy Spring! Nick
I have a golden retriever and the vet suggested carrots as treats as he tends to be overweight. Someone told me only cooked carrots should be given to dogs - does anyone know if raw carrots are ok? I cannot find anything to indicate otherwise?
yeah, raw carrots are perfectly fine. when you cook the carrots, it pretty much just adds a different taste. but, overall. it has the same things in raw. and i'd say it's better for their teeth, also.
what was the recipe?could you share it with me?
i am interested to know.i may want to let him eat that on a special occasion
i do the same! i give my dog both but he prefers human food. He leaves his dog all the time in the bowl unless really hungry he will eat it.. so with the boxes which rare i prefer to give him dry food and then add rice or even rice n beans. i will give him a potatoe here n there. He would eat peanut butter with apples hehehe. I alternate when i give him human food of course he gets rest of chicken, meat so i keep doggy food balance with human. as for the begging factor, He loves to eat, so even food not introduced he already like lol. Except that he did not like fish before now he is crazy. I give him tuna at times or other fish for lean muscle mass as he is a mix bouvier- smaller version. He drinks milk but i will not give him a full glass. sometime i would put just a bit mix with cornflakes so he leaves me alone in the morning we eat the same thing. Now some doggy love right there°°°° He is a very active dog about 10 and acts like he is a puppy. really I dont think we would like to eat the same thing everyday. Just like our food needs to vary dog needs to eat different things. My dogs like chicken n dumplings lol he evens eats the celery and carrots in there and begs for it. He would eat half a banana. I just wont feed him chocolate and other junk food human eats, real food yes. I think those boxes dont have enough protein when you read them. 4% Ha° its a waste of cash plus they put loads of preservative in there. My dog is like its owner we are both food lovers. He is not fat. just very hairy with a heavy coat. he does have a lbs tow more than he should, but is not endangering his health. Vet thinks he should lose a lil bit but she didnt say to put him on a diet. I cut the Frolic and he loss a lb and we stop there.
Brian, that is no reason to put your dog down. I have 6 dogs and they are all on an exclusively homemade diet- (vet approved). I have one girl who has very bad stomach problems as well no matter what kind of dog food she would get. The problem has been solved on the hommade diet and all of my dogs are so much better because of it. If you want some recipes, email me lasvegasdoglady@yahoo.com
Our 6 year old yellow Labrador has had some extreme digestive problems for the past year. Started vomiting on his Purina food that he grew up on, so we switched to IAMS but that didnt help. Took him to the vet and he thot everything was fine and sold us a bag of expensive vet food. That food didnt help either. He did go about a month without vomit, but in the last 5 months it has gotten worse. I have tried alot of different kinds of dog food and none keep him from vomitting. It has gotten to the point that we are thinking about putting him down. OUr last hope is this recipe i found on the internet which includes meat, rice, veggies, and cottage cheese or yogurt. So good so far, im praying this will digest for him. If this does work, im kinda worried about the long term effects of giving my dog real meat.
Brian, Why would you be afraid to give your dog meat? That's what they are suppose to eat,think about what they would eat in nature. The dog food industry wants us to be afraid to feed them what nature feed them for thousands of years. Even most vets are acting like the pet food companies,guess why they are in with them! What do they sell right in there own offices? I'll tell you,high priced junk!!!Love your pet by feeding him what mother nature would.
I don't like to give my dog "human food" unless like this article says he's sick. The problem I'm having is my boyfriend. He gives my dog his food when I'm not looking. He knows about chocolate, raisins etc, but we eat diet food with olestra, splenda, etc in them. I also worry about the begging factor.
Does anyone know of a good article I can print for him that clearly states my point. (If it matters I have a 20lb Carin Terrier.)
Krislin,
try mixing human food with dog food.
That way, your dog can get the nutrients it needs while indulging in some of its preferred food too.
i do that too
my 2 month old terrier puppy doesnt want to eat his dog food but rather want to eat human food... any advice on what to give my puppy human food??? tnx.. help please..
HEY I HAVE A MIN PIN AND WE WERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT SHE CAN AND CAN NOT EAT IN HUMAN FOOD.SOME SAYS THIS AND SOME SAYS THAT SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO BELIEVE. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COMMENT ON ANYTHING AND CONTACT ME WHEN ANY1 FINDS OUT ANYTHING I FOUND OUT ALOT ON THIS SITE THANKS TONYA
Jean
Start feeding your dog raw chicken or turkey, rice and steamed vegetables. That is what our dogs get every night for dinner. Our vet told us to start our dogs on a raw diet. They absolutely love it.
Kelsey, you should stop feeding Cody grapes now. We had a dog for almost 17 years until we had to do the humane thing for her. We used to peel grapes for her as she would not eat them with the skins on! We had no idea that grapes were not okay to give to dogs and she developed tumors. When she was younger, we had the vet do surgery to remove them, but the older she got, the vet said more harm than good could come out of surgical removal. When she passed, she had a tumor the size of a half-inflated football and she was a little thing, only about 20-25 pounds. We don't know if the grapes caused these tumors, but I'd rather you be safe than sorry. I have 4 dogs now and they don't get any raisins/grapes. Hope all is well. Diana
My dog suffered a stroke recently and the Vet said to give her human food. I was glad to see this site. However need some more foods she can eat. She can not walk on her hind legs, so I need some musle building foods. Please give me some ideas. Thanks
i have a 4 month cockapoo, my vet told me never give dogs peanut butter not good for them, chicken lunchmeat is best he said!
I give my golden all kinds of treats, i prepare homemade meats cooked in no salt or spices. i didnt know however that those meats should be almost raw! i use to give him a little milk and yogurt sometimes but found out later by the vet that a dogs stomach is basically lactose intolerant so although it never had a negative affect on his i stopped. same with the cheese. i now gove him fresh lettuce, raw baby carrots or cooked large carrots, he will get a raw egg every once in while to keep his coat shiny and the butt of the breads since we dont eat them and this way we wont over due it since there are only 2 butts on every loaf. we also purchase frosty paws found at publix in the freezer section or most grocery stores. very seldom does he get anything other than this but wen he gets it he truky indulges! im now considering making my own frosty paws with a recipe i found online with plain yogurt, 2 tbl. spns honey and peanut butter and a mashed banana. sounds good to me!
Hi Carrie, I'm a 45 year old mommy with 2 boys, 3 big dogs, 2 goats and 2 baby cats...
I have had dogs all my life growing...and had 7 rescued dogs a few years back...so I am very happy to put a comment on this..lol
I have 3 very nice pure dogs, berneese mountain, lab and a baby st-bernard...205 pounds, now...
I make my own dogs food everyweek and blend it in, with a top grade dog food...we have learn about the disease with our own food, hamburger, beef, eggs...chicken...so I COOK..THE SAME THING FOR MY DOGS AS FOR US...and for the yogourt, different doctors say different things, you be the judge...but I make yogourt pancakes to my animals, every week...made it all my life, the fist one goes the dogs, split in 3 or which everway, according to the animals I have, then the kids, then me and then they get 1 each...
wouldn't stop that, unless I would see, that they have a problem with it...have fun with the pancakes, be creative...lol
I am so thankful I stumbled onto this site> I learned so much about what NOT to feed your dog. ANd I am praying that what I have fed my dog in the past won't affect him badly down the line in anyway and I am so greatful I didn't have to learn the hard way and lose my best friend, Who knew that apples and peaches would be like feeding your dog cyinide????
Thank God. If anyone knows about anty other foods that can be toxic to dogs please let me know, I already know that chocolate and onions are NO- NOS. Thanks a bunch
Kim
Montreal. Canada
My dog (Pomeranian) will eat anything she can reach. She eats oatmeal, chicken, lettuce, raisins, anything she sees me eat, she'll eat it aswell. She seems fine after she eats them except her droppings will be runny, but after awhile it clears up. Is that ok?
My dogs have been eating raw chicken and turkey for years and they are the fittest and strongest dogs in the area. With the scare years ago with dogs dying from certain brands of dog food. I am glad that my vet told me about feeding my dogs raw chicken.
We didn’t know that dogs were not allowed to eat grapes but had no problem or situation with our dog, Cody. Could there be a problem later on for him? Or will he be alright eating only a few grapes? Should we take him to the vet if this is'nt alright?
Kelsey
100% beef hot dogs are a good training treat for dogs. I work at a kennel and that's what they get during training sessions. When they have upset stomach's they also give the dogs 100% ground beef and rice to soothe their stomach. I however give my dogs 1 heaping tablespoon of cottage cheese daily to keep them regular with their breakfest. THEY LOVE IT! However this makes them not want to eat dry food by itself so you end up with spoiled dogs! But we love them just that much so we can't help but to spoil them!
I am so thankful I found this page.
I have been making Homemade dog food and this page is really helpful. Chocolates are definitely bad for dogs!
Raisin's are definetely NOT ok to give to your dog. In fact, they are poisenes to dogs. Milk on the other hand is not as bad but can cause some GI problems
try mixing little bits of human/table food with dry kibble. Eventually reduce the about of wet "human food" and replace with can/pouch dog food. Try Beneful dinners or purina 1 canned stew type. I have 2 huskies and they love the stews.
Good Luck
Amanda
Are raisins and or milk chocolate ok if they are baked in a cookie and given in very small quantities? Thanks Bob
what about smoked meats for human consumption and the effect upon dogs when fed to them (ham, smoked pork, smoked turkey, smoked chicken, etc.)? What about cured meats?
darby bemrose
I was just wanting to ask if it was ok for dogs to have hotdogs. I have been giving my dog hotdogs for about a year now and she has never shown any sign of getting sick. But I was talking to one of my co-workers and he said that I shouldnt feed her that at all. Please help me! Thanks,
April
I looked at this sight hoping to get help, I got my dog from the homeless shelter, but the problem is he won't eat dog food, he only wants human food. I don't want to not feed him, so I end up giving him human food. What do I do?
We cook mung bean soup at home, and we make it without sugar, salt or fat. Would it be ok to give the dog some mung bean soup? It's just mung bean boiled in water, and the water part is what I want to give him.
Hi Maggie,
I haven't fed my dogs bean sprouts before, but think I found some good info for you:
"Alfalfa sprouts or bean sprouts in small amounts (these have anti-protein compounds that reduce the protein value of other things fed to the animal)."
Hope that helps.
Is it safe to give our golden retrievers a little of our home-grown mung bean sprouts?
They seem to love them.
Thank you very much
they maked laugh those two. animal they have the same emotion then us we only dont understand the barking. but them they learn to communicate and to understand us, but we the human we see our self so superior we dont take time to understand them. i had 2 dogs they died long time ago, i thanks them so much they made me realize who and what they are trully, if we were like them life with others human will be so nice. oh yes, they are so kind and joyfull. we have to respect theire spaces. the only thing i have is those damn mousquitos
i have a pomeranian and i was wondering was it okay if i feed her chicken and rice and not the dog food chicken and rice because i think she is getting tired of it. also i have been feeding her hamburger meat that i have cooked on the george foreman and i wodering if that was okay?
Sometimes I thank that my two dogs need to eat they own food because they like to eat human foods.
Denise, heather, and others -
Check out these links to homemade pet food
--> Make Your Own Pet Food
I just found a dog behind my aunts house, and she seems to have been not well feed. She is skinny and starving. What can i feed her. She looks like a cross between a black and brown lab.
with the recent menu foods dog food scare i have decided to feed my dog people food. Any suggestions on what i can prepare for him for balanced meals?
my dogs LOVE veggies and fruit. My grandmother recently told me that she heard that dogs cant eat carrots. My 9mo pitbull puppy loves them but i have stopped feeding them to her just in case. Are carrots safe to feed to dogs? I have also heard conflicting things about garlic. some say it is safe some say it is not. I thought it was okay and have put small amounts in homemade dog biscuits for fleas.
my pomerian likes pineapple. she likes fresh pineapple i give her 2 small pieces in the evening for a treat is that good for her. what else is good for her in human foods she also likes plain rice and cooked vegetables thank you wendy buchanan
Jessica -
Try this list
As for puppy training treats... Biljac always worked best for us.
what types of human foods are ok to feed my dog, and what kind of treat should i use in my puppies training
Catlin -
Yep, normally cheese is okay with most dogs. Try a small piece and see how it goes. Then the next day, try a couple of small pieces. Slowly work up to an average treat-sized portion of cheese.
Noodles and rice seem okay, too.
Just remember... too much of anything can cause stomach upset or diarrhea in dogs.
And, some dogs are allergic to certain foods or ingredients. That's why you should only try small amounts at first.
For the best "people foods" to feed your dog, check out this list of what other people like to give their dogs.
Just keep in mind... all dogs my vary :)
My dog likes roast beef and teryiaki beef jerky. he also likes carrots and peas, when cooked. Would it be okay if he ate cheese? He likes noodles and rice, when warm and cooked, but is it dangerous if he ate a whole bunch of it?