Should I give my dog leftovers?

Although we are careful and analyze what we can give him and what not, many times we are giving our best friend some food that can be harmful to his health and create unwanted behaviors in him . We tell you everything below!

Can I give my dog any leftover food?

Many times we give the leftovers of our food to our dogs thinking that the food we have cooked or prepared is good for them. But on many occasions our food can cause digestive problems in our best friend. Some of our dishes can be very heavy for a dog and cause vomiting, diarrhoea, irritation and flatulence.

In addition, some foods can cause some intolerances to gluten or lactose and even some dogs can develop pancreatitis due to excess fat consumption.

Another reason why we should not give our dog our leftovers on a regular basis is to avoid possible overweight. This, in addition to the calories in our food, happens because we do not measure or know the ideal amount that our dog should eat. On many occasions we make the mistake of giving him most of the food that we have left over, thus exceeding the recommended amount of daily food for our dog.

What other dangers does giving our leftovers to our dog have?

Once we understand that it is very important not to give our leftovers to our dog frequently to avoid health problems, there is another behavior to avoid that is just as important: getting our dog used to eating food that is not his.

If it is usual for him that you always give him what is left of your food, it will also be a routine to ask for food when you are eating . Everyone knows that dogs are animals of customs, so if it is already a tradition to give him your food or your leftovers, it will also be tradition for him to ask you for it. The ideal would be to avoid these moments by educating him to be somewhere else while he eats and not give him the leftovers as soon as you finish eating, but at his usual time and in his usual bowl.

Another problem faced by owners who have made this a common practice is that the dog rejects its feed or food . And who doesn't? Our food is more tasty and appetizing and if our dog eats it frequently, he will not want anything else.

What kind of leftovers should we never give our dog?

It is important to analyze the food that is left over to know whether or not it will be harmful to our dog. Although some foods such as coffee, chocolate and sugar are banned and we all know it, there are other foods that are very common in our leftovers that we should also avoid:

• Cooked bones or leftover fish: they can splinter and cause injuries and choking.

• Dairy products: they can cause discomfort when ingesting them, especially in lactose intolerant dogs.

• Onion and Garlic: They can be toxic and damage your digestive system.

However, there are foods in our leftover food that our dog can eat , such as: some fruits, cooked vegetables, pasta and rice without seasonings, red meats without salt and seasonings, bread. It is recommended not to mix the leftovers with their feed or food, since the digestion times are different and this could create some type of gastroenteritis in them.

As you can see, giving your dog leftovers in the usual way is not a good idea. In addition to causing illness or discomfort, it can create behaviors in him that cause stress or even make him never want to eat his food again. Our recommendation is that you give your dog leftovers very punctually, always controlling what food you are giving him and always in his bowl and at his usual time.