Pet Food v/s People Food

Many of the foods we eat are excellent sources of nutrients—
after all, we do just fine on them. But dogs, just like us, need the
right combination of meat and other ingredients for a complete
and balanced diet, and simply giving the dog a bowl of
meat doesn’t provide that. In the wild, dogs eat the fur, skin,
bones, and guts of their prey, and sometimes even the contents
of the stomach.
This doesn’t mean your dog can’t eat what you eat. If your
dog is eating a commercial dog food, you can still give her a little
meat, dairy, bread, some fruits, or vegetables as a treat.
Fresh foods have natural enzymes that processed foods don’t
have. Just remember, we’re talking about the same food you
eat, not the gristly, greasy leftovers you would normally toss in
the trash. Stay away from sugar, too, and remember that chocolate
is toxic to dogs.
If you want to share your food with your dog, be sure the total
amount you give her each day doesn’t make up more than 15
percent of her diet, and that the rest of what you feed her is a topquality
complete and balanced dog food. (More people food
could upset the balance of nutrients in the commercial food.)
Can your dog eat an entirely homemade diet? Certainly, if you
are willing to work at it. Any homemade diet will have to be carefully
balanced, with all the right nutrients in just the right amounts.
It requires a lot of research to make a proper homemade diet, but
it can be done. It’s best to work with a veterinary nutritionist.