Human Foods That Are Safe for Dogs

Sharing food with dogs has acquired something of a bad reputation, and not without reason. Plenty of things we eat are unsuitable for them, while some everyday foods, including chocolate, grapes and raisins, onions and garlic, macadamia nuts and anything containing xylitol, can be dangerous.

But that doesn’t mean everything from the human side of the kitchen is off limits.

Dogs can eat more of the foods in our kitchens than we sometimes realise. Blueberries work well as tiny treats, plenty of dogs happily crunch their way through carrots, and things like plain pumpkin can be added to meals in small amounts. The important part is knowing what’s safe, how it should be prepared and how much to give.

These foods are extras rather than things dogs need added to an already complete diet. Fruit and vegetables aren’t required alongside a complete dog food, and adding more of something simply because it’s nutritious doesn’t necessarily make a dog’s overall diet healthier. As a general guide, treats and extras should make up no more than around 10% of a dog’s daily calorie intake.

So, with that in mind, here are a few human foods you really can share with your dog.

Blueberries

Blueberries are perhaps one of the easiest human foods to turn into dog treats. They’re naturally small, relatively low in calories and provide fibre as well as vitamins and antioxidant compounds. More importantly from the dog’s perspective, they are exactly the right size to mysteriously fall from your hand while you’re making breakfast.

They can be fed fresh or frozen, used individually as training treats or scattered over a lick mat with other dog-safe ingredients. Their small size makes them convenient, although even blueberries should be given in proportion to the dog eating them. Twenty blueberries mean something rather different to a Chihuahua than they do to a Labrador.

Blueberries contain naturally occurring sugars, so there’s no need to give your dog handfuls at a time. Think of them as a treat rather than something that needs to become a regular part of their diet.

Carrots

Dogs can eat carrots raw or cooked. They’re low in calories, contain fibre and are a source of beta-carotene, which the body uses to make vitamin A.

They’re also satisfyingly crunchy, which is probably of considerably more interest to your dog. Chop them into small pieces for training or serve them plain as a snack. If you cook them first, skip the butter, oil, salt and seasoning.

As with anything firm, think about the size and eating habits of the dog in front of you. A dog who carefully crunches their food and one who attempts to inhale it are not necessarily candidates for the same-sized piece of carrot.

Broccoli

Broccoli is another perfectly ordinary vegetable that dogs can eat, either raw or cooked. It provides fibre and several vitamins and can be chopped into small florets and given plain or lightly steamed.

This one is best kept to small amounts. Too much broccoli can upset a dog’s stomach, so a few small pieces are plenty.

There is also no particular benefit in persuading a dog who regards broccoli as a personal insult to eat it. If they like it, great. If they spit it onto the kitchen floor and look at you accusingly, there are plenty of alternatives.

Plain yoghurt

Plain, unsweetened yoghurt is fine for many dogs in small amounts. Check the ingredients before sharing it, particularly for xylitol, which is highly toxic to dogs and can cause dangerously low blood sugar as well as liver damage.

Yoghurt provides protein and calcium and is easy to use as a small topper or on a lick mat. Not every dog handles dairy well, however. Some struggle to digest lactose and may end up with an upset stomach, so start with a very small amount if it’s something they haven’t eaten before.

Pumpkin

Pumpkin has become something of a celebrity ingredient in the dog-food world. You’ll find it in treats, supplements and complete foods, and plain pumpkin is commonly used as a source of fibre.

Dogs can have plain cooked pumpkin or pure pumpkin purée. What you don’t want is pumpkin pie filling or a prepared pumpkin mixture containing sugar, spices or other added ingredients.

A little can be mixed into food, spread onto a lick mat or frozen into small portions. Pumpkin powder made specifically as a dog-food topper can also be convenient, provided you follow the product’s feeding instructions.

Pumpkin is often suggested for dogs with digestive problems because of its fibre content, but it shouldn’t become the answer to every dodgy stomach. If diarrhoea persists, or your dog is vomiting, passing blood or seems unwell, speak to your vet rather than trying to manage it with food at home.

Sardines

Sardines are a source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, and a small amount can be mixed into your dog’s usual food as an occasional topper.

The simplest option is sardines in water with no added salt. Avoid varieties packed in sauces or seasoned with other ingredients. Oily fish is also much more calorie-dense than the fruit and vegetables on this list, so you really don’t need much.

A few rules make sharing much simpler

Most of the safety around feeding human foods to dogs comes down to fairly unexciting things: what the food contains, how much you’re giving and how you’ve prepared it.

Plain is generally the safest approach. Vegetables don’t need butter, salt or seasoning to make them interesting to a dog. Fruit should have problematic stones, pips, cores and rinds removed where relevant, and food should be cut into a size that makes sense for your dog.

If you’re trying something your dog hasn’t eaten before, give them a little rather than a lot. Dogs can get an upset stomach from a sudden change in food, including foods that are perfectly safe for them to eat. Trying one new thing at a time also makes life much easier if something doesn’t agree with them.

Portions are worth keeping an eye on too. The usual guideline is that treats and extras should make up no more than around 10% of a dog’s daily calories. It’s easy to forget that the spoonful of yoghurt at breakfast, training treats on a walk and sardines added to dinner are all part of the same day’s food.

Safe doesn’t mean suitable for every dog

Lists of foods dogs can and can’t eat are useful, but dogs themselves stubbornly refuse to be identical.

Safe for dogs doesn’t necessarily mean right for every dog. Allergies, intolerances and conditions affecting the digestive system can all change what an individual dog should eat. If your dog is on a prescription diet, it’s particularly important to check before adding extras, as even seemingly harmless foods may defeat the purpose of the diet.

If your dog is healthy and has no dietary restrictions, small amounts of suitable foods can simply be another way to add a bit of variety. They don’t need them, and there’s no prize for getting as many different fruits and vegetables into their bowl as possible.

Blueberries, carrots and broccoli are all very well. Most dogs would still vote for the roast chicken.