Even though you are well aware of keeping dietary regulations of your pooch in line, still you end up giving table scraps to him every now and then. We understand it is difficult to say no to those lovely puppy eyes, but you have to find out ways to not make it harmful for your pet. The seemingly innocent leftovers can have serious impacts on the health of your dog and thus should be avoided as much as possible. We do have alternative measures and ideas to solve this issue, so just go ahead and read this one.
Health implications of feeding table scraps
Obesity- As you go on to lovingly drop your meal bites to your fur friend sitting under your dining table, you do realise that this counts as overfeeding. They have already had their meal potions and anything extra means ingesting extra calories. Obesity is a growing concern among canines and leads to a lot of serious ailments like arthritis, kidney disorder among others. To keep your dog fit, you need to avoid feeding him your meal bites more so because your meals may have higher fat content than their body can ingest. Eating fatty food can also cause Pancreatitis which can sometimes take a serious turn.
Toxic food- There is quite a few food items that are normal in our daily diet but can be toxic for the canines. Human foods that contain chocolate, raisins, grapes, xylitol, onions etc. can be very toxic and life threatening to the canines. These foods may be introduced in seemingly harmless ways that may or may not occur to you about checking the contents. Raisin bread, soups, brownies contain these toxic combinations in a disguised manner and you might end up feeding those to your dog without much thought.
Gastrointestinal issues- The fast food combinations like burgers, pizzas and more contain high quantity of fat content which is not digestible by the canines. They also contain high salt or sugar content which again has serious implications on the health of dogs. When given even in small quantities, this may result in stomach aches, vomiting, diarrhoea and other gastrointestinal problems. Other than this there is the potential risk of ingestion of bones and splinters that are a part of our food in a very normal way. Peach pits, corncobs can create a lot of problems if eaten by the dogs accidently.
Ways to solve this
It is easier said than done to stop feeding your dog when they look at you so expectedly throughout the course of your meal. If you find it practically a little difficult to say no to your dog while taking your meals even after being aware of the potential risks, we have ways to resolve this.
Engage your dog while eating- During your meal times; try to engage your pooch in something that he loves to do. Give him his favourite chew toy and reserve that only for your meal hours, so that he knows that he has a limited time playing with it and he cannot miss that. This way he will not be around you while you are eating and the problem to say no does not arise. It is like prevention is better than cure.
Keep some healthy snacks- If nothing works to keep him engaged and he ends up sitting at your feet asking for meal scraps, be prepared for it beforehand. Have some healthy snacks ready for him like maybe a fruit or pumpkin stick or boiled broccoli pieces to feed them while you are having your regular food. This way it is a win-win situation for both as you are now not feeling guilty either about saying no or about feeding him wrong.
At Waggfluence we understand the intricacies of being a pet parent and always find ways to fix this as a practical solution. For more questions it is best to consult your vet in order to keep your pet safe and happy.
