It’s common sense that if you’re being a cheapskate at a grocery store, in the best-case scenario, you’ll end up paying double as much at your doctor’s office. The same goes for animals. Saving on good quality pet food can have severe results in your pet’s health condition.
A well-balanced diet can not only make your dog’s fur shinier but also prevent the development of diseases of old age and increase your pet’s life span.
We’re getting a lot of questions according to how to feed dogs; should dogs eat dog food only? Why is avocado poisonous for them? Can dogs eat shrimp?
To put the knowledge in a clear order, we’ve prepared this list of tips on a healthy dog diet. Make notes!
1. Remember What Your Dog Can’t Eat
Setting aside the products that your pet is allergic to, there are foods that are harmful to all dogs generally. Here’s the list of the forbidden products:
Avocado — avocados contain persin. It’s a toxin that can cause fluids collection in dog’s chest and lungs.
Onion — consumption of onions by dogs can lead to anaemia. It’s because of N-propyl disulfide that damages their red blood cells.
Garlic — garlic contains thiosulfates which, just like N-propyl disulfide, can cause anaemia for the same reason.
Nutmeg — because of the presence of myristicin, nutmeg consumption by dogs leads to high blood pressure, the sense of disorientation, dry mouth, and stomach complications.
Grapes and raisins — we don’t know the exact reason why grapes (both fresh and dried) are so toxic for dogs. Eating grapes by dogs causes vomiting, acute kidney injury and anuria (ceased urine production).
Lemons and limes — not all citruses are harmful to dogs but you definitely should avoid lemons and limes. Psoralen contained in their skin can cause diarrhoea, vomiting, muscle and liver failures.
Fruit pits — fruit seeds not only are a choking hazard but also contain poisonous substances such as amygdaline and cyanide. Consumption of these toxins is also dangerous for humans.
Macadamia nuts — just like with grapes, the exact cause of macadamia nut toxicity is unknown. Dog’s reactions after eating the nuts can be vomiting, diarrhoea, muscle failures, hypothermia, and depression.
Chocolate — because of contained caffeine and theobromine, chocolate consumption can result in vomiting, diarrhoea, convulsions, and internal bleeding.
Coffee and tea — caffeine in coffee and tea can lead to the same symptoms as chocolate and nutmeg consumption.
Alcohol — consuming alcohol can immediately lead to severe alcohol poisoning which can be deadly.
2. Be Cautious with…
There are foods that dogs can consume in limited amounts. Or should we say — they shouldn’t eat these foods but they won’t die if they nick it from the kitchen the second you turn your back.
Tomatoes — red, ripe tomatoes will be fine as a snack now and then. However, green tomatoes contain tomatine which is toxic to dogs and can cause muscle and breathing failures and serious cardiac arrhythmia.
Almonds — almonds contain amygdaline which can be deadly toxic in high amounts, also for people.
Cashews and peanut butter — these treats are not toxic but really high in calories. Dogs are famous for their love for peanut butter but eating too much of it can easily lead to obesity.
Honey — even though honey is so healthy, it’s also a source of sugar. Because of that dogs shouldn’t consume too much of it. Otherwise, there can appear problems with hyperactivity and obesity.
Cinnamon — this spice is not toxic but can cause stomach and mouth irritation.
Dairy — cheese and milk are safe for your dog in small amounts (unless he’s lactose-intolerant or suffers from an allergy). Too much dairy can cause diarrhoea.
Cat food — dogs love to steal food. If you have both a cat and a dog you can expect them to keep stealing each other’s food. However, cat food is much richer in fat and proteins. High consumption of cat food can lead your dog to obesity.
3. Make Healthy Snacks
You can also give your four-legged friend human food in the form of a healthy snack. Below, you can find the products that are completely safe and nutritious for your pet’s health:
- Carrots
- Potatoes
- Cucumber
- Green pea
- Berries and cherries
- Watermelon
- Apples
- Popcorn
- Oats
- Eggs
- White rice
- Fish and meat
4. Don’t Neglect Your Dog’s Food Allergies
As a responsible dog owner, you have to watch your dog carefully. We’re not saying to get paranoid over vomiting on your carpet every once in a while — we all know that dogs wouldn’t be themselves if they weren’t doing it.
However, there are a couple of particular warning signs you should be especially alarmed about. Among the red flags are:
- Pruritus
- Ear infections
- Skin flaking off
- Skin odour
- Diarrhoea and vomiting
5. Change Your Dog’s Diet with His Age
As a child, you used to love warm cocoa but now your stomach gets crazy after drinking even a half of a mug of it. It’s a natural reaction of your organism. With age, our digestive system loses the ability to tackle with such substances as, e.g., lactose.
You can observe the same changes in dogs’ bodies. Their nutritional needs and their digestive system’s effectiveness change as they grow older. The division into food for puppies, adults, and seniors hasn’t come out of nowhere!
Dogs on different stages of their life need different amounts of crude proteins and fat. Pups need more of them to grow and develop healthily. In adults and seniors, too high consumption of these nutrients can result in obesity which leads to severe damages of organs.
It’s possible to overcome obesity in adult dogs as they still are active and eager to play. The situation gets much more dangerous in the case of seniors. Senior dogs are tired, their joints are stiff and very often aching. Their general condition makes it impossible for them to exercise intensively and that severely hampers the weight reduction.
6. Try to Cook Homemade Dog Food
Some dogs can be as picky as young children. You can spend hundreds of dollars on the most exclusive dog food and they still will turn away from the bowl and go rummage in the garbage. If this problem concerns you, as well, homemade dog food can be the answer!
It can also be a good, safe solution for dogs with food allergies — you can fully control the ingredients and observe your dog’s reactions for different products. Similarly to the exclusion diet used in humans to eliminate sensitising foods.
Homemade dog food can also be considered as a healthy snack for your pet’s diet’s variety!