"Real" Food that are ok to feed dogs

[NS]

Hi, I was wondering if there is a list of foods on DK that some started that lists foods that are ok to give our dogs?  I tried giving our puppy yogurt and he threw up a few hours later, I mentioned this to our local pet store and she was horrified that I would give my puppy yogurt.  I know many of you regularly give your dogs yogurt for the probiotics and pumpkin for the fiber. Are there any other "clean, nutritious" foods that you give your dog?? 

Thanks!! 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The Food Group is full of suggestions about "real" food you can give your dog. There are actually very few foods that you can't give your dog, in moderation of course. Don't give chocolate, onions or anything in the onion family, raisins or grapes, anything sweetened with xylitol, and it's best to stay away from packaged processed foods with lots of preservatives, corn syrup, sugars, salt, etc. But just about any fresh food is fine. Almost any animal protein is fine, eggs, most fruits and veggies, peanut butter, cheese....lots of fresh wholesome foods. Cooked foods should be given without butter, extra, fat, salt or seasonings, etc.

Some "real" foods that our Food Group dogs love include green beans, carrots, melon, apples, lima beans, peanut butter, scrambled eggs, yogurt with a few dried cranberries added, sweet potatoes, canned salmon, canned tuna, and of course any kind of plain poultry or meat.

I don't know what planet the person at the pet store is from, but there's no reason to be "horrified" that you gave your dog yogurt. Lots of people give their dogs yogurt every single day. The probiotics are beneficial for them, especially when they are on antibiotics. Of course it has to be plain unflavored fat-free yogurt, not the stuff with sugars and added flavors, vanilla, etc.

 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I thought that was what I said. Plain unflavored fat-free yogurt, no sugars, added flavors, etc. .

[Jennifer and Jack]

Somehow I missed the total last line of your post, my apologizes. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

No need, lol :)

[Julie and Charlie]

Red, or ripe, tomatoes are OK. Just not the green parts!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I should add, though, that a new puppy's diet should not be changed at all for at least two weeks after he comes home, for many reasons which are explained in TFG. And Even after two weeks, I would add new foods one at a time. Dogs who are older and have been eating a wide variety of foods for a while can handle just about anything, but not a young puppy who hsan't even been eating solid foods for more than a month or two.

[Cathy McCann]

Our puppy was having loose stools, so we gave her natural unflavoured yogurt. She really enjoyed it and her stools became normal. Now every morning she gets fruit (berries and bananas) with about 2 tbsp yogurt. We started giving it to her when she was around 6 months.

[NS]

Do you give your puppy the yogurt, berries, banana's and dog food for breakfast?

We are feeding our puppy 3x a day, I am not sure when we switch to 2x a day.

Thank you EVERYONE for responding!! This is so helpful.

 

[Cathy McCann]

We tried to feed her 3 times a day when we first got her. But found out she is a grazer. She only eats a couple of mouthfuls at a time. So then we changed our feeding. We put the days worth of food in her bowl and she nibbles all day at it. Most times she doesn't eat all of the recommended daily allowance. I thought maybe she didn't like the food, so we even switched it, but she still grazes.  After we put her food down in the morning, we also put a bowl with the berries, bananas and yogurt. Of course she eats all that at once. LOL

[Julie and Charlie]

Sometimes your dog will let you know when it's OK to move to two times a day. Charlie just stopped being interested in food 3 times a day at about 5-6 months, so I stopped feeding him so often. In addition, that's the time that he started going to day care and being gone all day, and we didn't want to deal with eating there. (Although day care will give a "parent" provided meal at my request, it just didn't seem necessary at that point).

[Oliver & Elizabeth]

This isn't a human food but Oliver is obsessed with Nature's Variety Sweet Spot peanut butter frozen yogurt for dogs. It contains probiotics but is formulated for dogs (lactose free, I guess). Oliver was indifferent towards yogurt but runs to the freezer every time it opens in hope of getting a cup of this stuff! Naturally, it's very hard to say no with puppy eyes looking at you! :)

http://m.naturesvariety.com/products/treats/SS/peanutbutter

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

There is some scholarly disagreement as to whether our domestic dogs are carnivores or omnivores at this point in their evolution.