We only want what is best for our canine companions, but oftentimes, we are faced with the tough task of figuring out what is safe to give to them as treats, and what’s not. Surprisingly, many human-friendly food items are harmful to pets, like chocolate, for instance.
The old saying that you should never give your dog chocolate is true, because of the compound theobromine, which dog physiology does not recognize or need. Give your dog enough chocolate, and he can die from it in a day or two. If you have smaller dogs, the path to mortality if no first aid is given is shorter. But what about strawberries, broccoli, almonds, and shrimp? Are these food items safe for your dogs?
Can Dog Eat Strawberries?
Fortunately, yes, you can feed your dog fresh strawberries. Strawberries are an awesome source of fiber, vitamins, and other healthy compounds required by canines for a healthy body. Along with fruits like bananas, strawberries can be given as treats with no risk of nasty symptoms afterward. Just watch out for fruits that are drenched in syrup as these may give your dog a stomach upset, and the extra sugar doesn’t give their teeth any break, too. Too many calories from treats can also make your dog overweight, so watch out for that, too.
High-magnesium fruits like strawberries are also exceptionally good for dogs because this trace nutrient is necessary for metabolizing and utilizing protein from the diet. Fruit supplementation is an easy way to make sure that all the protein that your dog is getting from his regular meals is being utilized by the canine efficiently for growth and healing.
Some fruits can put your dog in the danger zone, though: tomatoes, oranges, grapes, and raisins should all be avoided. Tomato is technically a nightshade fruit, and it naturally produces a compound called solanine that is dangerous for dogs. Fortunately, solanine is concentrated in the leaves, but this becomes a problem if you have a tomato plant in the garden that your dog can get to. If your dog eats one tomato, he’s probably going to be fine, but if he munches on the leaves, too, there’s going to be a problem.
Oranges, on the other hand, are to be considered poisonous for dogs as they can cause unrest or breakdown of the dog’s central nervous system. Large quantities of oranges can cause lasting damage, so it’s best just to avoid giving oranges as a treat as you have other choices, anyway.
Grapes and raisins are to be avoided as well. Raisins are just dried grapes, so the concentration of the toxic compounds are heightened. Grapes are not good for dogs because they cause kidney problems that can maim or kill a canine if the canine ingests enough of the compounds.
Can Dog Eat Broccoli?
Broccoli can be given as a snack in small quantities, but do so only in the interest of increasing your pooch’s fiber intake. Otherwise, skip to safer choices in vegetables. Too much broccoli may cause muscular tremors, vomiting, and diarrhea. If you want a vegetable that is generally neutral and will not cause any symptoms at all, go for boiled sweet potatoes.
The raw ones are not appropriate for dogs, but cooked sweet potatoes are close to dog food perfection. Be sure to cut up the sweet potatoes so your dog noshes on small, manageable bites. Aligned with the nutritional benefits of sweet potatoes is zucchini. Zucchini can be cooked and cut up so your dog can eat it easily.
However, if you have a dog with special medical conditions or if you have a senior dog at home, you may want to consult with your veterinarian first just to make sure that this diet change won’t be problematic.
You can also add items like green peas to help reduce your dog’s caloric intake. Some dogs are just overweight, and strategic substitutions with their daily diets can help cut down the calories and fat over a period. The resulting weight loss can help reduce the impact of rheumatism and organ problems. However, take note that such vegetable substitutions should only comprise 10% of your dog’s diet.
Can Dog Eat Almonds?
Almonds, in general, are not poisonous to dogs, but they may cause some undesirable symptoms such as vomiting and stomach upset.
If you want to give your dog some almonds, test with a few pieces first and see what happens. If you have a large breed dog (heavy one), then a couple of almonds will probably not hurt him. However, small dog breeds may not be able to tolerate more than a handful, so be careful.
In general, nuts should be limited in a dog’s diet because it contains a lot of oils and fats, and these can be sufficient to trigger symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting, and even pancreatitis. Nuts should be sparingly given. Macadamia, despite its luxurious texture and taste, can cause your dog a lot of grief: general muscular weakness, depression, muscular tremors, and hyperthermia.
These symptoms can occur within 12 hours of ingestion of macadamia nuts if nothing else is done to expel the toxins from the dog’s digestive tract. The symptoms can last for as long as 48 hours. Larger dogs may be able to wait it out, but smaller dogs may not. The risk is too high, so macadamia should be slashed from your dog’s treat list.
Can Dog Eat Shrimp?
Cooked shrimp is ideal for dogs, and are full of nutrients that are good for canines. The next time you eat some shrimp at home, consider saving a handful for your canine companion. What’s more is that shrimp is low in fat but is nutrient-rich, naturally. Do not give your dog raw shrimp as fatal microbes may be hiding in the flesh of uncooked seafood. Uncooked shrimp are also harder to chew and swallow, and may pose a choking risk to dogs in general.
