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Question:
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"What table food should I not feed my dog? My vet said feeding her table food was OK, but I'm sure there are things she shouldn't have."
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My opinion on feeding table food to dogs is evolving. I used to think it was a terrible idea, certain to make dogs sick and/or fat. Now I think there may be a place for lean meats, grains, vegetables, and fruits as perhaps 25% of a dog’s diet, with 75% of the diet being a well-balanced commercial dog food.
My previous strenuous objection—and that of many vets—to feeding table food to dogs is based on the rampant abuses we see in our offices. Hugely obese dogs who “just won’t eat dog food” and so are fed sticky buns, spaghetti and meatballs, fried chicken, and cookies; dogs who have bacon for breakfast, pepperoni pizza and potato chips for lunch, kung pao chicken for dinner, and a visit to the emergency clinic at midnight; and so on. Frankly, a lot of the food we eat isn’t particularly good for us, much less for our dogs.
However, I think some dogs can do well with the addition of some healthful “people” foods to their diet. Remember, though, that some dogs have very “sensitive stomachs” and develop gas, vomiting, and/or diarrhea at the most minor change in their food. These dogs are not good candidates for a more varied diet. Also, slipping food to your dog while you’re eating your own meals is a surefire way to create a begging nuisance, so feed your dog only from his own dish at his own mealtimes.
Below is a list of foods you should definitely avoid feeding your dog, and one of foods that are probably OK for most dogs. Remember that even “safe” foods may disagree with your particular dog, so if your dog gets diarrhea when he eats broccoli, don’t feed him broccoli!
Foods That Are Dangerous for Dogs
Some of these foods are outright toxic to dogs, and others are unhealthy for the reasons given.
1. Chocolate. Yes, chocolate in large doses is toxic to dogs and can cause tremors and heart arrhythmias. For more about that, click here. But chocolate in any dose—even a single Oreo cookie—is junk food pure and simple, and there’s no sane reason to feed it to your dog.
2. Macadamia nuts. Bizarrely, these have been shown to cause temporary paralysis in dogs that eat as little as an ounce or two, so don’t feed them to your dog. For more about macadamias, click here.
3. Tomatoes and tomato plants. These contain atropine, which can cause dilated pupils, tremors, and heart arrhythmias. The highest concentration of atropine is found in the leaves and stems of tomato plants, followed by unripe (green) tomatoes, followed by ripe tomatoes. So if you have the good fortune to have a tomato plant or two on your stoop, be sure your dog doesn’t nibble on it, and it’s safest not to feed him tomatoes either.
4. Onions. Onions contain a compound that dogs don’t metabolize well, and eating large amounts of them can cause hemolytic anemia. A trace of onion probably won’t harm your dog, but don’t cook him up a batch of sauteed liver and onions or give him food that’s heavily seasoned with onion.
5. Any food that has mold on it or may be even slightly spoiled. When dogs get outright food poisoning, slightly spoiled or moldy food is often the culprit. This is sometimes called “garbage-can toxicosis.” Dogs can develop severe vomiting, diarrhea, and shock after eating spoiled food. So when you’re cleaning out your refrigerator, don’t use your dog as a four-legged garbage can. Any food that’s not fresh enough for you to eat isn’t fresh enough for your dog either.
6. Raw meat, raw bones, and cooked bones. For more about the bones-and-raw-food (BARF) diet, click here.
7. Cookies and other sweets. These have no nutritional value. You’re doing your dog no favors by giving him junk food.
8. Fried, greasy, or fatty foods. Fried chicken, French fries, potato chips, and other high-fat foods can trigger pancreatitis in dogs. Pancreatitis causes severe abdominal pain and vomiting, and dogs often require hospitalization on IV fluids for several days to recover.
9. Beer or other alcoholic beverages. Giving alcohol to a dog is animal abuse, pure and simple, and if you do this, you should be mightily ashamed of yourself.
10. Corncobs, peach pits, wood grilling skewers, and similar indigestible food accoutrements. Dogs will gulp down the most amazing things, but unfortunately, those things can get stuck in the esophagus, stomach, or intestines, and surgery may be required to remove them.
Foods That Are Generally OK for Most Dogs
1. Cooked lean meat and eggs.
2. Raw or cooked vegetables other than tomatoes and onions; and raw or cooked fruits. But remember that not all dogs can tolerate all fruits and vegetables, so watch for foods that give your dog an upset stomach.
3. Rice and other cooked grains.
4. Plain low-fat yogurt.
5. Small amounts of bread. I say “small amounts” because most bread contains carbohydrates and very little else, so it’s not a particularly healthful addition to a dog’s diet.
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