Picking what snacks to share with your dogs can be a dilemma. While you enjoy chocolates, grapes, and avocados, they can cause serious health complications for your dog. So you don’t harm your most loyal pal, here are 20 things you can add to your dog’s diet instead.
Peanut Butter
Dogs enjoy peanut butter a lot, and you can add it to their meals to give them a little flavor. You should avoid giving them too much, though, as peanut butter contains a lot of fat, which can be unhealthy for your dog. Also, ensure any peanut butter you feed your dog doesn’t contain the ingredient xylitol, as it is extremely toxic to them, VCA shares.
Eggs
Hard-boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, and any other form of cooked egg are nutritiously beneficial to your dog. To stay within safe consumption levels, avoid feeding your dog eggs every day, and also avoid eggs entirely if your dog has conditions like acute pancreatitis or diabetes.
Bananas
Bananas are sweet, and we love them. Thankfully, your dog can also enjoy them with you. You, however, want to only give your dog thin slices as snacks once in a while. Large chunks can choke your dog, and consuming too much can put it at risk of sugar-related health conditions. Also, avoid giving it banana peels.
Salmon
The omega-3 acids in salmon are excellent for reducing inflammation, strengthening your dog’s immune system, and even keeping its fur and coat shiny. With this, you’ll want to only feed your dog salmon that’s been cooked well, avoiding raw salmon as it may contain poisonous parasites that are bad for your dog.
Oatmeal
One of the healthiest human foods you can give your dog is oatmeal—plain oatmeal, to be exact, according to PetMD. Plain oatmeal has enough iron, zinc, and B vitamins good for your dog’s heart and coat, as well as high amounts of fiber to help your dog with digestion. Avoid adding ingredients to it to keep it healthy.
Apples
When it comes to apples, it’s all about giving your dog sweet, dietary fiber that’s low in fat, rich in Vitamins A and C, and gets your dog filled up. To keep them within healthy calorie limits, avoid feeding your dog the skin, core, and seeds of an apple.
Blueberries
Just like apples, blueberries have dietary fiber with vitamin K and C that can fill up your dog. They are tasty, low-calorie treats with antioxidants that help against cell damage in your dogs, as the AKC says. Be careful not to feed them too much, though, as blueberries have a lot of sugar. Eight to ten per day is okay.
Popcorn
If you aren’t sure if it’s safe to toss your dog some popcorn during movie night, we’re here to say yes, you can. However, make sure any popcorn you feed to your dog doesn’t contain additional ingredients like salt, oils, and butter. Also, provide only fully-popped corn to prevent kernels from getting stuck in your dog’s teeth.
Pineapple
Small amounts of raw-cut pineapple are safe for your dog. They contain great amounts of fiber, vitamins, and minerals that can keep the dog healthy. Avoid canned pineapples, as they typically contain syrups with too much sugar for your dog to handle.
Carrots
Carrots are another excellent choice for dogs, and with them, you don’t have to worry about overconsumption. They are low in calories and come packed with vitamins your dog will need. Be careful not to give your dog large chunks of carrot to prevent any possibility of choking.
Bread
Plain white or brown bread is another excellent, stomach-filling food for your dog. Bread with raisins, garlic, seeds, and chocolate should be a total no-go area, and avoid giving your dog too much bread as it contains a considerable amount of calories. Also, ensure bread doesn’t cause your dog an upset stomach.
Green Peas
Green peas, or any other peas like white peas, snow peas, or garden peas, are low in calories. They can be used as ingredients to give your dog’s meals extra protein, fiber, minerals, and flavor. Avoid canned peas because the salt and preservatives in them can harm your dog.
Broccoli
Broccoli is another low-calorie option to add to your dog’s diet, whether raw, frozen, or cooked. Treat them as occasional snacks, though, as the isothiocyanates in them can affect your dog’s digestive system when consumed in high quantities. Purina says they shouldn’t be more than 10% of your dog’s daily calorie intake.
Chicken
When it comes to meat diets, chicken is perfect for your dog. Thanks to its proteinous benefits, it’s even one of the most used ingredients in dog food and can be fed to your dog alone. Ensure it’s well cooked to prevent salmonella infection, and also remove bones from meat to avoid digestive tract injuries and choking hazards.
Sweet Potatoes
Another human staple with great benefits for your dog are sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are easy to digest and contain immune-strengthening vitamin A. As long as they’re peeled, cooked, and plain, you can serve them in any form you wish. Ensure not to feed them in excess, because too much vitamin A can cause bone and muscle problems.
Brown Rice
Although white rice is also good, brown rice comes with more nutritional benefits for your dogs. Brown rice is a carbohydrate that’s easy to digest and rich in minerals and B vitamins. It can even be part of your dog’s daily diet, as long as it’s fed in moderation.
Watermelons
Dogs can eat watermelons for hydration and also for their low-calorie, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin B6, and vitamin C benefits. It’s important to remove the seeds before feeding them to your dog, though. Watermelon seeds put your dogs at risk of intestinal blockage.
Coconut
With coconut, your dog gets lauric acid in its diet, which the AKC says helps against bacteria, bad breath, and skin conditions. Keep consumption moderate to manage high-calorie intake and avoid the possibility of your dog munching on coconut shells to prevent throat-related complications.
Honey
Vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and K aren’t close to all your dog gets from honey. Natural honey contains healthy amounts of calcium, potassium, and antioxidants and can help your dog with coughs and digestive issues. Honey can help build immunity against pollen-related allergies.
Quinoa
The seeds of the quinoa flower can be used as dry food for your dog thanks to their protein, calcium, and nutrient-rich content. They are often found in kibble, and the AKC says they can be used as alternatives for corn, soy, and wheat.
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