Are Table Scraps Okay?

Whether or not dogs should be fed table scraps is an on-going debate which usually is based purely on personal opinion. Owners being educated on dog nutrition feels like a new field, but actually dogs use to be fed whole, natural food long before kibble was invented. In fact, kibble has been our dogs main staple diet only for about the last 60 years.

So what were household dogs fed before kibble?
Table scraps.

The main argument against table scraps these days is that it will create an "unbalanced diet". Dog food companies claim that their food is 100% "balanced" and that no added nutrition is necessary. I beg to differ. Even if the dog food WAS completely balanced (which I have a tough time swallowing), do YOU eat a 100% balanced diet every day? A few days here and there of extra meats, fruits and veggies are NOT going to hurt your dog.

What could hurt your dog is the types of foods you are feeding him. Not everything you can eat he can eat too! Raw meats are always better for dogs than cooked. If you're worried about bones splintering or bacteria in raw meat, you can feed your dog cooked meat without the bone. Cooking may kill bacteria, but it also depletes nutrients and dries out bones making them weak and brittle, much easier to splinter when your dog chews on them. Dogs have a short digestive track which means meat does not sit in their stomachs and rot for as long. Their saliva and gastric fluids are also highly antiseptic. These carnivore aspects give them an advantage over us when it comes to eating raw meat. While you shouldn't go out of your way to feed your dog spoiled meat, or meat from a sick animal, they ARE able to digest bad meats. They ARE also capable of contracting salmonella and other bacterial diseases from eating raw meat if they are immunocompromised or are suffering from some other medical problems. Eating raw meat is also something you need to slowly adjust your dogs immunity to, especially if he's been eating  kibble based diet for many years.

I expect your left-overs off your plate are well cooked though, and there should be no worry of bacteria. Just remember to remove the bones from the meat, as cooking will cause them to be more likely to splinter. This especially applies to pork and chicken bones. A large steak bone can be given to dogs who are "smart chewers", it is best to know if your dog is the type who will devour a bone or chew too hard.

Vegetables are most easily digested by dogs when they are puréed first. Cooking vegetables also makes them easily digested (dogs can have trouble breaking down the cell wall) but will remove a lot of the nutrients. Below is a list taken from the Organic Pet Digest of vegetables that are best cooked, raw and those that should be avoided for dogs:


hese are the most nutritious raw vegetables for your dog:

• Alfalfa sprouts
• Bell peppers
• Carrots (can be cooked as well – also gives ‘em something good to chew on!)
• Chopped parsley
• Finely grated beets
• Finely grated carrots with peel
• Finely grated zucchini and other soft squash with peel
• Fresh corn
• Lettuce and mixed greens

…these are the most nutritious cooked vegetables:

• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Corn
• Green beans
• Hard winter squash
• Peas
• Potatoes

…and these should be avoided:

• Onions
• Rhubarb
• Spinach
• Swiss chard
• Tomatoes

The things to avoid with fruits are their seeds. Apple seeds are downright poisonous to dogs as they contain a small amount of cyanide. A general rule for apples is to remove the core all together.

When feeding your dog, avoid dangerous foods, remove bones, and if you're ever unsure of whether or not your dog can have something look it up first, or avoid the food all together. If you think your dog may have eaten something unsafe make sure to call your nearest vet as soon as your dog starts to show any signs of illness.

For more foods to avoid visit this Unsafe Food List
Symptoms and Treatment of Poisoning in Dogs