How do treats translate nutritionally for dogs?

 

 

Most people are fairly set in their ways when it comes to their dogs diet but not all agree that all table scraps are bad.

We don’t begrudge anyone treating their dog but before you toss that ‘treat’ ask whether this food is for dogs?  If it’s just human food that a dog likes to eat, such as a potato crisps or a bikkies, it may even do harm. Some foods which are fine for humans can cause vomiting, diarrhea and even pancreatitis in dogs. If the leftover meat has gravy on it, the gravy contains more salt than a dog needs. Anything with onions (cooked, raw or powdered) it can be highly toxic.  Chocolate is also toxic and grapes or raisins can cause kidney failure. Then there are portion sizes to think about. E.g. feeding a single cookie to a 10Kg dog is like a human eating a cookie the size of a dinner plate.  If you have a large family, you might be surprised what a dog eats in a week if you saw every treat delivered from family members combined.  How hard is it to resist that ‘pleeease’ look from your dog? Umm, very. 

Hillspet have created a few tables to illustrate equivalents of dog snacking versus human snacking including the one pictured here which is a handy tool.  But it is difficult for folks to make the comparison between a chunk of cheese and an entire cheeseburger, especially if their dog is not overweight. Kristina Johansen (Canine Dietary Consultant) from Elmo’s Kitchen promotes both raw and cooked foods for dogs but impresses the importance of a diet catering to your dogs’ individual nutritional requirements. Breed, age, existing health conditions and activity are some factors to be considered when building a custom designed canine diet.

While some are strong advocates for raw feeding, others argue that some cooked meat is fine. We do support raw feeding but most importantly, we support giving your dog food specifically for canines.

Your dog won’t expect table scraps if you don’t start the habit. Sharing a little can be ok, just make sure it’s safe. Have some dog-friendly treats put aside and stick to those.  It’s a lot easier to keep track of how much they’re getting each week.

You can find an example of a translator here…

https://www.hillspet.com/pet-care/nutrition-feeding/human-food-treat-translator

Leah & Angela OMeara

Hound Dog Day Care (Specialists in Dog Minding & Dog Boarding, Pet Sitting Brisbane & Doggy Day Care Brisbane)