Feel Like a snack and want to share ?
Hmmmmm...what do I feel like?????
We have all stood in front of our pantry wondering what we can snack on. For ourselves and maybe what we can share with a best Bud…Our Beloved Fur baby. Well not everything we can eat they can…sure you think we all know what’s on that…….
NEVER GIVE YOUR DOG LIST.
But do we really know?
There are so many great and amazing things in our pantries we can give our fur babies. But and yes there is always a BUT …there are a few hidden dangers we don’t even think of.
Some of Great Things…
Parsley is an herb that is loaded with nutrients, including vitamins A, B1, B2, C, and K, as well as calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorous, and iron. Parsley is known to help freshen breath for both dogs and humans.
Mint Including peppermint or spearmint. Mint is a natural flea repellent, makes a great breath freshener and in small amounts, is good for your dog. You can mince a couple of leaves and sprinkle them into their food -- mint inhibits bacteria growth in his mouth. As well, it can settle an upset tummy and help with travel sickness.
Basil and Oregano add much more than flavour to your dog’s and your food. Carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and even fibre and protein contribute valuable nutritional components to balance the diet.
Enough of the Herbs...
Tin Sardines Besides being packed as we know with omega 3 and 6 They are a great source of lean Protein. If on a dry food diet these will aid in replacing the Taurine that is lost in the making of dry pet food.
Desiccated or Shredded Coconut – Besides the fact your pet loves the taste. Coconut is Antibacterial, Anti-fungal great for skin and coat and best of all fantastic for Hydration.
Cottage Cheese has live bacterial cultures i.e. probiotics. These live bacteria cultures can help and encourage good digestive health. It is rich in calcium, protein and a number of key vitamins that pets need to have strong bones and great for muscle development. Low in sodium.
Plain Greek Yogurt It contains more concentrated levels of probiotics which do great things for your pets’ gut. This particularly helpful if you pet has been ill, especially if on antibiotics, which kill off some of the good bacteria in your pets’ gut, these probiotics help fight yeast infections also. Just be sure to avoid flavoured or sweetened Greek yogurt as your pet doesn’t need the added sugar.
Cucumbers Low in calories. Packed with vitamins and minerals. Antioxidants preventing disease and illness. Can help prevent and aid in illnesses such a cancer, arthritis and heart disease. They aid in weight loss. The vitamin C content will strengthen your pets immune system. Helps with kidney and liver issues in aiding them to function more efficiently. Promotes production of red blood cells and maintain normal brain function. The silica content will also strengthen and improve the flexibility in joints and connective tissues. Helps freshen breath
NOW Some of The Hidden Dangers…
Peanut Butter Most peanut butter is safe, but some can be deadly. Recently, some peanut butter manufacturers switched to using the sweetener xylitol. Xylitol is a sugar substitute often found in sugar-free products like chewing gum, toothpaste, breath mints, chewable vitamins and baked goods. BUT TOXIC TO PETS
Vegemite it’s not recommended to feed your dog Vegemite. Vegemite is not toxic to pets in the smallest amount, but it’s not good for them either. The Main Problem is the salt content, even the reduced salt version is too high for your pet. Yeast extract one of key ingredients of Vegemite can be problematic for your pets as well. Some consider it to be an excellent source of Protein and B group vitamins, therefore some pet owners believe it is good for them. Even though yeast extract can be good for pets, it’s not always. A lot of pets are allergic to yeast extract and this allergy can cause Bloat. Bloat is a very serious condition that can lead to death, so it should not be taken lightly. Of course, not all pets are allergic to yeast extract BUT why take the chance. So add these two issues together and its really not adviseaable.
Dates & Prunes Non-Toxic and whilst low in fat and cholesterol free, they are extremely high in sugar. One Date contains 16 grams of sugar, besides making them extremely hyperactive you might be watching the scales go up and more importantly there is the dehydration factor..
Cheese High in Fat and protein. So, if your pet is already overweight or is prone to putting on weight quickly, not the best choice of treat. You can choose lower fat cheeses in the place of full fat offerings, but generally, pets that are overweight should not be given cheese. In any case excess fatty foods for any pet is not good, these fats will accumulate just like in humans on organs and cause health issues and shorten their life span. Most pets are lactose intolerant, which means that they are sensitive to dairy products, and cheese may give them an upset tummy or diarrhoea. But if you must give cheese. Cheddar is the way to go. Parmesan, soft cheeses and cheese with other ingredients are a NO!
Walnuts Much like cheese High in fat and can upset your pets’ stomach.
Bread is not beneficial for your pet. Bread breaks down into sugar, which breaks down into fat. If your pet is already overweight, bread will only cause more weight gain as well as the risk for diabetes.
Frankfurts/Hot Dogs Yes, they will go mad for them. But 100 grams of hot dogs contain 330 calories and 30 grams of fat. High salt content. The digestive system of your pet will go into over drive attempting to purge the excess food containing salt. This is upsetting to your pet gu,t as all foods with high salt content. They are also high in preservatives. Sodium nitrate is a certain chemical that is found in hot dogs and other processed deli meats. Nitrates grant a distinct flavour to the meat and offer the food a particular pink colour. These preservatives can cause many deficiencies in your pet making them ill and if too much is ingested it can be fatal.
These are just some of the Great and some of the nasties lurking in your pantries and fridge. So please think carefully before sharing.
