What not to feed pets?

[BucknellAlum]

Parade magazine this week has an article on feeding your pet. They have a sidebar on what to never give your pet. My dog occasionally gets some scraps as I am doing the dishes because he looks at me with those pleading eyes and I can't resist. I know not to give him chocolate or obvious choking hazards (raw carrot chunks, etc.) but I always wondered if there were other things that were toxic to dogs that I was not aware of.

Anyway, the sidebar article lists 20 things NEVER to give your pet including cheese, ham and tuna. I have given the dog cheese when he had to take a pill, I distinctly remember the vet suggesting I wrap it in cheese. And I thought ham and tuna would be okay, just as chicken and ground beef are. What am I missing?

I am not planning on setting down a whole meal of table food, but are there other "people" foods that I should not let him taste?

[mcgeiger]

*personally* I haven't heard the ham, cheese, tuna (no fresh tuna/fish for cats)...

I always reiterate no onion/garlic/shallot/leek (including garlic powder), raisins, no chocolate....
I'll post if I think of more (I just woke up, I so lover overnight shifts:rolleyes: )

[avariell]

expanding on mcgeiger's comment - also grapes (which is too bad since my dogs LOVE them)

i definitely give my dog's cheese on vet's rec for pills. i wouldn't worry about that one until someone gave me a better reason why.

[armel]

If cheese, ham or tuna were really bad, I think my dog would be dead by now. Many times when she loses interest in food, the only thing that can "jump-start" her appetite is something like a piece of cheese. So she gets far too much of that type of thing.

And I need her to eat because she is hypoglycemic and if she doesn't eat, then I have to force some syrup in her.

[foodfly]

*personally* I haven't heard the ham, cheese, tuna (no fresh tuna/fish for cats)...

I always reiterate no onion/garlic/shallot/leek (including garlic powder), raisins, no chocolate....
I'll post if I think of more (I just woke up, I so lover overnight shifts:rolleyes: )

No garlic powder???? I used to feed garlic to both our dogs to repel fleas, flies, & whatevers. The horses got it, too.

http://www.springtimeinc.com/product/35/2

[charley]

... (no fresh tuna/fish for cats)...



Why no fresh tuna? Do you mean raw?

[BucknellAlum]

Well, I realize now the article is titled what not to feed your PET, not DOG. So perhaps some of the items are okay for dogs but not cats, and vice versa.

Here is the list, in case anyone is interested:

1. Alcohol
2. Apple cores
3. Avocado
4. Bones
5. Caffeine
6. Cheese
7. Chocolate
8. Dough
9. Fat
10. Garlic
11. Grapes
12. Ham
13. Liver
14. Milk
15. Moldy foods
16. Mushrooms
17. Onions
18. Potato peels
19. Raisins
20. Tuna

[newcook]

13. Liver ?? I always give my little dog those dried liver treats. I need to find out more about this.

[armel]

Gigi gets a lamb liver treat every day.

[tea4one]

Here is a link to what I am assuming is the magazine article that appeared in print:

http://www.parade.com/articles/editions/2007/edition_09-02-2007/Feed_Pets

[Peweh]

I'm laughing on the cheese thing, because last night I made a Caesar Salad and grated fresh Parm Reg on it... then looked over a few minutes later and saw DH was grating some on the Dog's Kibble!! How spoiled is SHE?

[newcook]

The Parade article links to dog and cat treat recipes. One of the dog treat recipe ingredients is parmesan cheese.

[KristiB]

I don't like that article.

They author says don't go organic on pet food. I buy my Cat Blue Holistic dry food or the Merrick wet food. They're all natural. They were also among the few that weren't included in the Chinese wheat recall.

Also when I clicked on the recipe link I got an Iams pop up ad.:rolleyes:

On the rare occasion I open a can of tuna I let the cat have a nibble. I've given her nibbles of cheese too.

Dang Peweh you have a lucky dog!

[sparrowgrass]

I guess the thing that we all should take away from this thread is that Parade magazine is not a good scientific source of information. :rolleyes:

Ask your vet, go to a reputable source on the internet, but pretty much read Parade only for the latest celebrity marriage or other non-essential info.

[Natasha]

I'm laughing on the cheese thing, because last night I made a Caesar Salad and grated fresh Parm Reg on it... then looked over a few minutes later and saw DH was grating some on the Dog's Kibble!! How spoiled is SHE?

This is so funny! My dog (who knows the word "cheese" and comes running when he hears it, because he gets little bits of it as a training treat) doesn't get the good stuff. That being said... recently DH was all ready to give him a tiny smidge of some goat cheese a friend had brought back from Europe. Fortunately I was able to quickly convince him that the pup would be just as happy with good ol' Canadian cheddar! ;)

Now we're trying to teach the pup the word "fromage"... he does seem to know a word or two of French already so why not? :p

Natasha