Can My Dog Eat It? Popular Food Questions Answered

Dogs can eat all sorts of things. In fact, they’re not picky at all! They’ll eat just about anything that you give them, from a slice of pizza to a fresh-from-the-oven chocolate chip cookie to a tasty piece of chicken. Dogs can be trained to instinctively avoid dangerous foods and learn which ones are OK to eat, but there are some foods that they simply should not eat.

Well, it depends on what you mean by “can.” For most people, this means, “Is it poisonous?” or even, “Is it poisonous for my dog in particular?” These are two very different questions that require two very different answers.

Dogs have specific dietary requirements not dissimilar to our own dietary requirements. They are omnivores, so they can eat meat and vegetables. However, the meat has to be limited to small amounts of lean meats such as beef or poultry, with all fat trimmed off before feeding it to your dog. Dogs cannot eat fatty foods because it will cause them to have pancreatitis which is very painful for dogs. Vegetables need to be limited too, but there are some that are safe for dogs to eat in limited quantities.  Broccoli  is one example, along with  carrots and cucumbers . Be careful though not to feed your dog anything spicy or salty because these foods may upset their stomachs.

The same goes for fruits – your dog can eat fruits, but be careful with what kind of fruits you feed your dog. There are some that may be bad for their digestive system and cause a lot of gastric distress. A few examples of safe fruits to feed your dog include  apples, bananas and blueberries .

Properly cooked bones from beef or poultry  can also be fed to dogs as some sort of treat. Just make sure they’re not sharp enough to hurt your dog’s mouth as it chews on them, and never cook the bones yourself at home because cooking will make the bones brittle and dangerous for your pet to chew on.

Chocolate and cocoa  ( found in baked goods, candy, ice cream, etc. )  is one of the most well known toxic foods for dogs. This compound can cause vomiting and diarrhea as well as severe agitation and increased heart rate. It’s important to note that dark chocolate has a higher concentration of this chemical than milk chocolate. If you suspect your dog has ingested any amount of chocolate, it’s best to call your veterinarian or emergency veterinary services immediately. Even small amounts can be dangerous for pets! 

Another common food to  avoid giving your pet is garlic and onions  (generally found in dinner dishes such as meatloaf or fried rice). While these foods may not necessarily hurt yourself eating them, they can be dangerous for your dog and will make them severely sick, causing anemia and a decrease in blood clotting ability.

Other foods to avoid:  avocados  ( contain persin, which is toxic to dogs ),  grapes and raisins  ( can cause kidney failure ),  macadamia nuts  ( cause vomiting and diarrhea in some dogs ),  yeast dough  ( causes expansion of stomach or intestines when ingested by a dog ).