Are Table Scraps and Other "People Food" Bad for Pets?

The belief that people food is harmful for pets is fairly common. Pet owners, pet food manufacturers, and even some veterinarians claim that table scraps are very bad for dogs and cats, and that they should eat pet food exclusively. I do not have a degree in veterinary nutrition but as a concerned and responsible pet owner I have studied it extensively. My personal opinion is that the truth lies somewhere in the middle. In other words, some people food is bad for pets and should never be given to them, while some is perfectly fine and in fact, can be healthy for them. The key thing is to know which is which, and feed your dog or cat accordingly.

Just like humans, dogs and cats do not develop dietary deficiencies overnight but rather, from a long period of consistently poor nutrition. Consequently, our pets don't require a diet that provides the exact same thing for every meal, every single day. Healthy table scraps are an excellent natural supplement to your pet's regular food. In fact, most holistically trained veterinarians encourage the practice of feeding healthy "people food" to pets. Some diversity is actually good for them, as it can help to ensure they get different nutrients from a variety of sources.

If you want to feed table scraps and people food to your pets, there are three basic rules you should follow:

1) No junk food! In other words, don't feed your dog or cat things like potato chips, fries, candy or leftover pizza. It must be healthy for them, such as bits of cooked chicken or turkey, baked or steamed potatoes, oatmeal, plain rice, steamed or finely chopped veggies and fresh fruit. In moderation, these people foods can be a healthy addition to a pet's regular commercial fare.

2) If you give your pet people food, remember to factor it into their daily calorie needs and feed them less of their own food so they don't gain weight. Moderation is the key here - your pet still needs its regular food, just a little bit less of it on days when you are supplementing with healthy table scraps or other people food.

3) Avoid foods that are known to be toxic to pets, such as grapes, raisins, chocolate, onions, cooked bones, fruit pits and walnuts. You can find a complete list of foods dogs and cats should not eat on pet education websites like the Responsible Pet Ownership blog.

While it is true that some pets experience loose stools after eating healthy table scraps, this is usually because they've been eating primarily processed pellets their entire lives. As a result, their bodies are unaccustomed to digesting a variety of nutrient-rich foods. For those animals, a transition period is necessary to acclimate their digestive systems to the addition of fresh people food and table scraps. Once they're used to eating healthy people foods on occasion, they will usually tolerate them quite well. Not only that, they will love eating them!

Another way to incorporate healthy people foods into your pet's diet is to cook something for them, following a recipe developed specifically for pets. You can find some good recipes for home-cooked pet food in books on natural health for dogs and cats, as well as on websites devoted to home-cooking for pets. Most are quite easy and do not require a large investment of your time. You don't have to cook every meal for your pet in order for them to benefit from the fresh, non-processed food. A good home-cooked meal once a week (or even once a month) is still a healthy addition to your pet's regular commercial food.

If you follow the three rules laid out above, your dog or cat should be able to eat healthy table scraps and other people foods in moderation. They will love the taste of these healthy "treats" and be none the wiser that the food is actually good for them.

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