Can I Give Leftovers to My Dog?

All of us with family in some small town know dogs have always been fed leftovers from food humans don't eat.

However, it's not as good an idea as many think, implying that being natural food makes it better than prefabricated kibble.

Let's look at the benefits and possible dangers this practice involves, what type of food leftovers we can give them and which we can't. Ready?

Types of Leftovers a Dog CAN Eat

Setting aside sick, puppy, and elderly dogs, most dogs tolerate eating human food leftovers well, as long as they're healthy leftovers.

As we all know, there are many foods dogs shouldn't eat, so we should focus on foods they can eat:

• Leftover plain yogurt
• Grilled, steamed, or boiled meat with no spices (or salt)
• Bread (stale bread is better)
• Grilled, baked, or steamed fish with no bones or scales (avoid heads even if cooked)
• Rice/pasta boiled with no salt or spices (and no sauces)
• Cooked vegetables
• Fruits (apple, melon, watermelon, peach, blackberries, pear, banana)

These foods are generally well tolerated, causing no digestive upset and providing beneficial nutrients for our dog.

Types of Leftovers We Should NEVER Give a Dog

Not all food scraps work, no matter how much they give us puppy eyes wanting to eat it all. Since many of them can cause serious digestive disorders and even intestinal blockage.

These are examples of leftovers a dog shouldn't eat:

• Cooked bones
• Sauces
• Fried food
• Food with leftover oil/frying residue
• Fish heads, scales, or bones
• Raw vegetables
• Spoiled products we were about to throw away
• Cured/processed meats (pâté, chorizo, salami, etc...)
• Some fruits (grapes)

Any of these foods can cause diarrhea, vomiting, and even serious digestive and/or general health problems. Don't risk your dog's health for some leftovers.

Can I Mix Leftovers and Kibble?

You can, but it's not the most recommended. You can mix, for example, boiled rice and kibble, since they don't directly interfere with the type of digestion.

However, if you're going to give a large amount of home-cooked food, even if it's suitable leftovers for dogs, it's best not to mix with kibble and give one meal of leftovers and the next of kibble.

Or a couple of days of leftovers and, when there are none, kibble. Leftovers generally provide most of the nutrients a dog needs, as long as given in an appropriate amount.

This means a dog can indeed live eating only leftovers. Though if what you want is for it to eat well, the best option is giving it natural BARF food, which contains all the benefits of fresh food.

Dangers of Giving a Dog Food Leftovers

Actually, the dangers are the same you or I could have — choking from eating too fast. Or if we eat something we shouldn't, having a bad case of indigestion.

The most serious danger occurs when cooked bones are given, since these are harder than raw bones and splinter easily. In addition, they're more difficult to digest.

Generally, only some diarrhea or vomiting occurs when they eat something that upsets them, like sauces or sautéed dishes. Though sometimes they may suffer more serious problems needing veterinary attention.

As an example, our dogs eat leftovers whenever there are any — if not, kibble or BARF (depending on the time). Nothing has ever happened to them, but that doesn't mean it can't happen. That's why we care about assessing which leftovers they can or can't eat.