The holidays are an exciting time. This is especially true for kids and puppies around the dinner table, as kids of all ages want to play and feed the puppies. But it is important to share with your kids what is safe and what is unsafe for puppies to eat.

Did you know that dogs are actually omnivores? An all-meat diet would be unbalanced and would not meet all of a dog’s nutritional requirements as VCA Animal Hospitals explains in their General Feeding Guidelines for Dogs.

The six basic nutrients dogs need are water, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins. They need these essential nutrients as part of a regular diet.

The biggest concern for puppies this holiday is the dinner table. Use caution when feeding dogs food from your table. The wrong foods can cause long-term health problems and even death. In effort to help you understand what’s safe and what’s not, we share a few common holiday foods with you below. You may find the full list on the American Kennel Club website.

SAFE foods to share with your puppies:

  • Turkey without garlic and seasonings is safe to share with dogs. Remove any bones, excess fat and skin beforehand.
  • Dogs may consume cheese in moderate quantities. In fact, cheese can be a great treat but go for low-fat options such as cottage cheese or mozzarella.
  • Pork/ham packed with amino acids and easily digestible for dogs.
  • Corn is a common ingredient in most dog foods and can be shared from the table as long as it is removed from the cob.

UNSAFE foods to share with your puppies:

  • Macadamia nuts are poisonous to dogs. They can cause vomiting, increased body temperature, inability to walk, lethargy, vomiting and affect the nervous system.
  • Cinnamon is irritating to the inside of pets’ mouths. Not only that, it can lower a dog’s blood sugar and lead to diarrhea, vomiting, heart problems and even liver disease. It is also dangerous in powder form because if inhaled, dogs can experience difficulty breathing, coughing, and choking.
  • Garlic, onions, leeks, and chives are all off limits to dogs. Garlic is the worst among them because it can create anemia in dogs, causing side effects such as pale gums, elevated heart rate, weakness, and collapsing.
  • Do not give you dog chocolate. Even just a bit of chocolate can cause diarrhea and vomiting. A large amount can cause seizures, irregular heart function, and even death.

Don’t leave your pups out of the gourmet fun this holiday season! Reward them with tasty treats that are safe and nutritional. They can be straight from your kitchen! You may be tempted to share scraps from your family’s feast with you four legged friends.

Instead of sharing from your own table why not make treats especially for dogs? Lola The Pitty has a bunch of cute doggy treat ideas that are easy to make and delicious. Our favorites are Frozen Pupcakes with peanut butter, yogurt and banana, Mint Buckwheat Dog Biscuits that freshen doggy breath, and Doggy Egg Nog that is a frothy treat for pups to drink.

We’d love for you to share your recipe ideas or would like more information about special treats for your dogs and puppies, please contact us.