People Food: Do's and Don'ts

   
    I am absolutely guilty of feeding my dogs table scraps... sometimes. It is not an every night, or everyTHING kind of thing. In all actuality, my dogs are on a high protein, grain free diet, and all four have delicious, lustrous coats that make you want to put your face in them. But sometimes, when they've been exceptionally good, I'll slip them a little somthin' somethin' as I'm clearing plates after dinner.
    I also sometimes add goodies to their food, people foods as a special treat, that are so good for them, how could you possibly pass up the opportunity to add awesomeness in the form of goodies to their meals?
    This all has to be done carefully, however. There are so many foods that are great for us that are terrible for our dogs, some of my favorite things, in fact, cannot be shared with our canine counterparts, and its important to know what's good and what is an absolute no go. So, Let's start out with some canine friendly superfoods and why they're great (and an idea each on how to creatively incorporate them), then we'll move on to the no-no list, and I'll explain each one.

Without FURther ado,

The Doofy Dog Blog Presents:

People Food: Do's and Don'ts 

The first is my absolute favorite superfood, both for people and for dogs. Pumpkin is an incredible source of fiber, beta carotene, and MAGIC. 

Ok, no seriously, this awesome squash is the best thing ever for a dog with an upset belly - if you're changing foods, you can add it into the mixture to make the transition go more smoothly and quickly, if your best buddy is constipated or has diarrhea give him some plain pumpkin in a dish to gobble down - pumpkin fixes poop. What what?

My favorite way to use pumpkin, when not as a medicine, is to sprinkle strips of pumpkin with cinnamon and salt and dehydrate them - these are yummy for people too (though I would add some sugar to the sprinkle mix.) 

(Don't even act like you don't love my {horrible} paint drawings!!!)

    Turmeric. This stuff is like the miracle that the government is hiding from us. This superspice is great for detoxing the nasty out of your dogs body (and yours!) its amazing for the heart, and may even prevent certain kinds of cancer. It can also, when mixed with honey, promote the healing of open wounds, and one more thing - if your pet suffers from chronic joint pain, this beautiful little orange spice can help alleviate that pain. How awesome is it? Incredibly. 

    Outside of sprinkling McSuperspice in my dogs' food, its great baked into any of your favorite treat recipes (remind me that I need to do a treat recipe blog in the near future!)

(I put it in a genie type bottle because it's clearly magical. LOL)

Then there's yogurt. Plain old yogurt, or even Greek yogurt is fantastic for your dog! Pick something that has live bacteria, it's good for them for the same reason its good for us - probiotics. Its also a great source of calcium for the pooch who isn't getting enough, and also great for settling icky bellies (like pumpkin!)

My favorite way to give this to my dogs is actually to make pupsicles, I add a tablespoon of honey, and some of their regular food, or dog safe fruits, mix it up really well, and then freeze it. It's a great snack in hot weather!

(Even I have to admit, that looks pretty yummy!)

Flax seed. I can't say enough about flax - it doesn't even have to be seeds. They sell it in oil, powder, ground, however you can think of it, they probably sell it in a snortable form (though I wouldn't do that. Painful. Ouch) Flax is fantastic for helping with dry skin and coats - its an incredible source of omega 3 fatty acids and therefore basically makes your dog sparkly. 

I like to use flax oil mixed into their peanut butter filled kongs.

 (I tried to draw this one... No. Just no. Photo credit to avalonaviary.com)

Last but not least, blueberries! I can't buy these without my dogs (and my three year old) begging for them. These things are a cancer fighting superfood that are full of tannins that help prevent urinary tract infections, and help to prevent heart disease. Can I get a what-what? Yum!

Blueberries are a great training treat, especially when frozen! 

(yes, that's totally supposed to be a blueberry)

     Now, its no-no time, and these are serious, never ever, don't even think about it no-no's, and I'm going to list every single one I know, but I'm not posting pictures. I will, however, tell you why they're on the no list! Please also feel free to add anything I've left out in the comments section!

Avocados: This includes the fruit, the plant and the pit! Avocado can cause pancratitis, breathing problems, and fluid build up in the chest cavity. 

Fruit pits / seeds- Some fruit pits actually contain cyanide and arsenic, and they're a choking hazard to boot! Also, if they're swallowed whole, they can cause a blockage. PLEASE keep these away from your pets - they're horrible! Keep in mind that MOST fruits are safe to eat without the pit.

Chocolate: Contains theobromine, which is a stimulant that is entirely too powerful for dogs. Because dogs can't actually metabolize theobromine, it will build in the system until it reaches toxicity level at which point, there is no going back. Baker's chocolate is the worst, while milk chocolate, if ingested by your 50 pound lab probably isn't going to kill him... right away. 

Grapes / raisins: Grapes are one of my favorite things ever, and my dogs would dearly love to try one, but they can cause renal failure. The reasoning for this is unknown, but the first symptoms of a problem are vomiting and diarrhea - this can show up within just hours of ingestion. 

Anything with Xylitol: This is an ingredient found in hard candies and gum. Xylitol causes blood sugar to drop which leads to hypoglycemia, which untreated, will kill a dog just like it will kill a person. It is unknown why Xylitol has this effect on animals and not on humans. 

Hops: This is an ingredient in beer, so seriously, if you have a dog with a penchant for beer, make it stop!!! This is not safe for your dog!  Hops can cause an increase in body temperature (Normal temp for a dog is between 100 and 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit) rapid breathing, increased heart rate, vomiting, anxiety, abnormal clotting, and death. Death generally occurs about 6 hours after ingestion. Please note that just because your dog hasn't had a reaction before doesn't mean he or she won't in the future, and that goes for ANY of the things listed here. 

Macadamia Nuts: can cause lameness, lethargy, increased body temp, vomiting and joint stiffness, and can also cause problems with nerve function. 

Onions, Chives, Leeks & Garlic: This is one of the worst ones, and probably the most painful death I can think of. Onions and garlic, when ingested by a dog, can cause Heinz Body Anemia (also called bite cell anemia). Symptoms include pale gums, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, abdominal pain, weakness, and more. Unfortunately, there is no cure for Heinz Body Anemia, and symptoms can take several days to present. 

Rhubarb leaves: This is usually found in larger animals, but I know plenty of people who feed their dogs greens they don't plan to use. Rhubarb leaves can cause drooling, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, weakness, tremors, bloody urine, and changes in thirst. 

Alcohol: Most people know better, but I know a few people who are dumb enough to think its funny to get their dogs drunk. It's not. Among other things, alcohol can cause bloat, a serious condition that is very painful for your dog, expensive to fix, and can cause death. The kicker is that the surgery isn't necessarily permanent and bloat almost never occurs just once. Dogs can also get alcohol poisoning just like people, but it takes far less for them than it does for us. 

Anything containing caffeine: Caffeine causes seizures and death in dogs, and caffeine overdose is far easier to reach in dogs than it is in people. 

Yeast dough: Can expand in the stomach and cause bloat. As mentioned above in alcohol, this is fatal. 

COOKED bones: Its a common misconception that you should never give a dog a bone... Truthfull you should never give a dog a COOKED bone. Cooked bones can splinter and become lodged in the dogs throat or digestive tract, which can lead to death, or an expensive surgery.

Corn on the cob: Corn has no nutritional value, to us or to our dogs, but the worst thing about corn is that the cobs won't digest and can cause a blockage or the dreaded bloat. 

All these things and more are seriously dangerous to your dog's well being, and your sanity. If your dog ingests any of the things mentioned here, contact your veterinarian, or the pet poison help line (found here) for advice as to what to do for your pet (in most cases you will be told to take him or her to the vet). The website I linked above also has a glossary of foods your dog shouldn't eat, along with other household items and medications, and can be easily searched for whatever it is your dog has eaten that is... questionable. Be advised that the pet poison help line charges a $39 fee for calls so they can continue to provide help and support to owners everywhere. 

Please be safe and not sorry, always check before you try a new treat - especially a human food!

All My Paws,

Annie