Imagine – you and your family have just sat down for dinner, when your dog sits down next to the table, expecting to be fed along with the rest of the family. This scenario is played out in houses around the country, but it’s not something that’s recommended by veterinarians. “People food” is too rich for dog’s stomachs and can cause several serious health problems for them. It’s hard to look into your dog’s soul-filed eyes and not give them a handout from the dinner table, but you’ve got to refrain if you want your dog to stay as healthy as possible.
Many people assume that a dog can safely eat what humans eat without any side effects or repercussions. They’ll argue that if it’s good enough for us, why shouldn’t it be good enough for the dog as well? Well, dogs don’t have the same anatomy as humans. As much as we would like to think of our furry four-legged friends as members of the family, the truth is that they’re biologically different from us. This means that they can’t enjoy the same foods as us without consequences. For example, dogs can have extremely bad reactions to dark chocolate and onions.Other “human” foods that dogs get from the dinner table can cause severe digestive problems like diarrhea, gas, bloating, nausea, vomiting, and constipation. Granted, this can happen to humans as well, but when we’re sick we have the ability to speak out and let someone know that we aren’t feeling well. Our dogs can’t. Dogs can suffer the side effects of a meal from the dinner table for days before the owner notices and takes them to the vet. By then, a small case of constipation can lead to a more serious problem in the intestine.
Finally, one of the most important reasons why you shouldn’t feed your dog from the dinner table is the fact that their metabolism is extremely different from yours. They don’t process and digest food the same way we do, so caloric intake and fats in food has a whole different meaning for them. Dogs that are fed from the dinner table are far more likely to experience canine obesity and eventually diabetes as a result. If your dog gets diabetes, he or she will need to be treated in much the same way as a human would, with dietary restrictions, monthly veterinarian check-ups, and possibly even twice daily insulin injections. The expense involved in this kind of care isn’t small, so don’t take these problems lightly. In fact, many dogs die of complications from canine obesity and diabetes every year.
The next time you sit down to dinner with your family, try to remember this – dogs eat dog food and people eat people food. If you need to, try taking your dog to another room or even outside while you eat, removing the temptation you feel to feed him or her. It may seem cruel, but it’s actually thinking very consciously about your dog’s health – and that’s something that can make the difference in the long run.
