Hazards of Table Scraps for Your Dog

My dog Pony helped find us food when we were both homeless. Now that we both are homed, it's incredibly difficult for me not to share my food with her when she looks up at me with large, brown eyes and sad face. When Pony and I were first homed in September of 2005, I always saved her at least one bite of whatever I was eating because she shared her food with me when we were homeless. But in January of 2006, I soon changed my tune.

Pony suffered an attack of acute pancreatitis, brought on by too rich of a diet. The last food she ate before her attack was mashed potatoes, sausage and gravy. She began vomiting immediately and by the next day she needed emergency medical care. She was in the clinic for two days and one night because of my habit of giving her table scraps.

Other Problems With Human Food

Processed or restaurant human food is full of fat, sugars, artificial ingredients, and salt. Since pet dogs do not exercise as much as they did hundreds of years ago, they can pack on pounds pretty quick. A 2011 survey done by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention found that 55% of American dogs were "obese or overweight." Overweight and obese dogs are at risk of developing heart disease, arthritis, and diabetes.

Some dogs, like some people, are allergic to certain food ingredients. But dogs will still eat what they are allergic to. Dogs do not seem to mentally connect what they eat with how they later feel. Dogs can be allergic to corn, soy, wheat or obscure items like artificial flavorings.

Some foods are potentially poisonous to dogs or can get them sick. These include:

• Chocolate (the darker, the deadlier)
• Onions, garlic or chives -- raw or cooked
• Grapes and raisins -- can also be a choking hazard for small dogs
• Any part of an avocado
• Anything with caffeine
• Alcoholic beverages
• Anything containing the artificial sweetener Xylitol
• Raw eggs
• Yeast dough
• Very salty snacks
• macadamia nuts or anything containing macadamia nuts

Signs of food poisoning in dogs include:

• Vomiting more than three times in 12 hours
• Diarrhea
• Distended abdomen
• Trembling or seizures
• Loss of coordination

Contact a vet immediately if your dog shows these symptoms or if you know your dog got into a large batch of potentially dangerous human foods.

Dealing With Begging

Most human food is so bad for dogs that I wonder why people eat it. Partially because of Pony's pancreatitis, I became a vegetarian. But I also had to stop ordering take-out Chinese food and lowered my intake of processed foods such as boxed macaroni and cheese. It was just easier for me to not eat these foods anymore than to deal with Pony's begging.

But dogs can learn new habits. Pony used to get some of my cereal milk before her attack. I could cut out Devil's food cake or egg rolls but not breakfast cereal. I have my limits. As I ate my cereal, I ignored Pony and refused to look at her when she begged. Within 10 days, Pony stopped begging whenever she saw me eat cereal. She learned that begging for cereal milk was a lost cause.

References

Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. "Fat Pets Getting Fatter According to Latest Survey." Dr. Ernie Ward, et al. February 23, 2011. http://www.petobesityprevention.com/fat-pets-getting-fatter-according-to-latest-survey/

ASPCA. "People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets." http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/people-foods.aspx

Author's personal experience