scrap food........?

Question

we were given a 5 or maybe 6 months puppy , and we bought him the best of food with vitamins & minerals and for his bones & hair coat . but is it ok to give him scraps from the table once in a while or it be best not too. does that causes worms in their intestines or have trouble with digesting food or bowl movemonets ?

Answer 1

It's ok to give your dog some table scraps - just depends what it is. Most dogs love vegetables, just don't give them any corn or onions - mine love squash, beans, carrots, peas, turnips. It wouldn't hurt them to give them a little meat either, or some rice, cottage cheese (low-fat) or yogurt (good for the digestion). Don't give your dog chocolate, grapes or raisins, or anything spicy, fatty or sugary.

Answer 2

The best thing for your dog is the dog food!!! If you feed him table scraps then he will always want them and scraps are not good for their digestive system because it is much different than humans. Some table scraps can cause them to have troulbe going. I suggest that if you want to give them a treat now and again go to your local butcher and get some BEEF bones and let your dog chew on that OUTSIDE. Pork bones are good for them too but those have to be boiled in water until cooked completely.

Answer 3

It won't hurt. Along with what the other person said about foods not to give. Do NOT give any cooked bones. They can easily splinter and cause problems for your dog.

Just to double check your food, since you don't say what brand you're feeding here's my article on choosing a dog food.
Nothing you find at a grocery store is going to be a good food. High quality foods can be found at large pet store chains, or online. A couple of foods I like are Nutro Natural, Innova, and Cannidae.

There are other high quality dog foods. Here's how to spot them:

A high quality food will have little or no fillers such as corn, wheat or soy. These aren't very digestable for dogs, and are common food related allergens. Since you were seeing corn meal in the first few ingredients, those are not high quality foods. Foods list ingredients by content, with the ingredient it contains most of at the top.

A high quality food will not contain BHT, BHA or Ethoxyquin, these are all chemical preservatives that have been linked to cancer.

A high quality food will not contain by-products of any kind. Meat meals are ok as long as the source of the meat is listed, such as Chicken Meal.

A high quality diet should have meat as at least the first ingredient., and be made from human grade ingredients. Foods that don't use human grade ingredients often get their ingredients from less than desirable sources, such as meat from animals that were diseased, or euthanized.

There is another diet option other than dog food. Some people choose to feed a raw diet. This involves feeding the dog raw meaty bones and organ meat. However it is not as simple as throwing a couple chicken bones in a bowl everyday. If you wish to feed this type of diet, do lots and lots of research first. Switching to this diet without knowing what your doing can lead to nutritional problems for your dog. I'll give you some links as a starting point in research if you are interested in this type of diet.

http://www.willowglen.com/barf.htm

http://www.bestfrisbeedogs.com/diets.html

http://www.rawlearning.com/rawfaq.html

http://www.rawfed.com/myths/index.html

http://www.rawdogranch.com

What's Really In Pet Food
http://www.api4animals.org/facts?p=359&more=1cat=286

Answer 4

It is best NOT to give dogs human food, especially human food that is not healthful for us humans. Carrots are okay to use as treats for dogs, in fact given the choice between a milkbone and a carrot, go with the carrot.

But giving him scraps also rewards him for bad behaviour- begging. He will learn that if he sits there long enough, drools enough, looks at you with big wide eyes long enough, then he will get a treat. This teaches him that he's the boss and that he can get anything from you if he tries long enough. You need to enforce that you are the alpha and you are his boss ... but his best friend at the same time :o)

Answer 5

I say don't start a bad habit...my dogs get scrap and it gives them gas with occasional diarrhea and taught them to beg. The begging gets really really old after awhile but breaking them is hard and I can't get everyone in my house on board with it...

My friend's dogs have never been given people food and they never beg...it is nice to go over there and eat dinner quietly without being molested by a dog's nose and paw.

Answer 6

Table food is not good for dogs. They gain weight and expect the extra food. It does not cause worms but will change bowel movements. Stick to doggy treats.

Answer 7

Although dog food is always best for dogs, it is fine to give him table scraps every now and then. These common foods are toxic or potentially harmful to dogs:
-Onions
-Cooked bones, especially chicken
-Chocolate
-Grapes and fruit seeds, raisins
-Nutmeg
-Wild mushrooms
-Walnuts
-Tomatoes
-Xylitol (in sugar free food)
-Uncooked potatoes
-Caffeine & alcohol

Answer 8

its ok to give your dog scrap food... I am argentinian..(live in the states) and in argentina most people dont have enough money to buy there dogs special dog food.. they give them there scraps.. and i have to tell you ive seen dogs over 16 surviving and in perfect condition for there age. so unless your dog has some kind of illness.. then go ahead and give it what you want.. my baby was 15 and she ate anything i gave her before she passed away

Answer 9

I agree with the first responder -- and to add to that, make sure you check with your veterinarian to get a list of foods that are okay for human consumption, but bad for dogs.

For example, strawberries, chocolate and mushrooms are lethal for dogs, as are onions.

Be careful!

Good luck!

Answer 10

I wouldn't recommend table scraps as it will make your pup a picky eater.