Pet Lovers

[Carmie]

@KingstonsMom   Thank you for mentioning that. My dogs do not eat people food at all, except for a few veggies occasionally.  One of my dogs has heart disease. So I am careful with her diet.

[KingstonsMom]

This is a list that's easy to copy/paste/print out, to keep on your fridge (like I do), for quick reference.

It just doesn't list what problems these foods could cause to your pet like the ASPCA article does.

From the Humane Society:

Some foods that are considered good for people can be very dangerous for pets. The list below highlights some of the most common foods that can be dangerous to animals.

This is not an exhaustive list, and any decision to provide your pet with food not specifically intended for animals should be discussed with your veterinarian or pet nutritionist. For more information on foods that could be unsafe for pets, visit the ASPCA's "People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets" page.

The following foods may be dangerous to your pet

• Alcoholic beverages 
• Apple seeds 
• Apricot pits 
• Avocados
• Cherry pits
• Candy (particularly chocolate—which is toxic to dogs, cats, and ferrets—and any candy containing the toxic sweetener Xylitol) 
• Coffee (grounds, beans, and chocolate-covered espresso beans)
• Garlic
• Grapes 
• Gum (can cause blockages and sugar free gums may contain the toxic sweetener Xylitol)
• Hops (used in home beer brewing) 
• Macadamia nuts 
• Moldy foods 
• Mushroom plants 
• Mustard seeds 
• Onions and onion powder 
• Peach pits 
• Potato leaves and stems (green parts) 
• Raisins 
• Rhubarb leaves 
• Salt 
• Tea (because it contains caffeine) 
• Tomato leaves and stems (green parts) 
• Walnuts 
• Xylitol (artificial sweetener that is toxic to pets)
• Yeast dough

This information was compiled from various sources.

https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/foods-can-be-poisonous-pets

[KingstonsMom]

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@Carmie wrote:

@KingstonsMom   Thank you for mentioning that. My dogs do not eat people food at all, except for a few veggies occasionally.  One of my dogs has heart disease. So I am careful with her diet.

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@Carmie 

Kingston loves his veggies!

And of course cooked chicken and beef liver, as additives to his kibble LOL!

Like you, we don't give him 'table food', mainly because of the salt and spices.

Sending (((Hugs))) to your baby with heart disease, I dealt with that with my Sheltie that crossed the Rainbow Bridge a few years ago.

Meet Harley:

[gunnergab]

My little dashound loved cooked old fashion oatmeal. He liked it with "I can't believe it's not butter" and a little sugar. When we would have it he would cry and whimper until we would feed him some. He also would only eat any food off a spoon. We had the soft baby spoons that we would feed him with. We also had a Dalmatian that would eat corn on the cob if you would hold it for him. He would eat it from one end to the other in a straight line. When he was ready for you to turn the cob , he would just look up at you and give a little huff so that you would know to turn the cob. Our babies had us trained !!!

[eddyandme]

@KingstonsMom @gunnergab @Carmie 

Yes our furbabies rule!  But, what a fun way to b ruled!

Just wanted to mention Harley is a real beauty - stunning!

Also had a question about liver.  I don't eat it, but fixed it for Eddy once and he really enjoyed it.  But then I read somewhere that liver is not good for dogs which totally surprised me.  Anyone know the pros and cons of liver, i.e. what's too much or none at all?

Thanx!

[KingstonsMom]

@eddyandme 

Thank you so much for Harley's compliment! He was a real loverboy and I miss him immensely!

Beef liver is great for dogs!

It’s Tasty Not Nasty

Most people make an “ewww” face when you bring up the topic of eating liver. Many of us did not grow up eating this strange but powerfully nutritious food.

Luckily, dogs don’t have the same reaction. Liver is an instant hit with most of them!

What’s so great about liver? For starters, it contains 10 to 100 times the nutrients of muscle meat. You know—the stuff that’s normally eaten such as hamburger, chicken breast, etc. It has a large amount of vitamin A, several B vitamins, iron, trace minerals, and CoQ10. It’s also a good source of protein.

Grass-fed and pasture-raised animals produce liver with a better nutrient profile, but that doesn’t mean you should skip using liver if you can’t find grass-fed products.

Although the liver does clean toxins from the body, it is not a storage organ for those toxins. If all you can get is conventionally-produced liver, it still has great nutritional benefits.

Eating Liver Benefits the Liver

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, liver from different animals may have slightly different properties, but many of them are “sweet” in flavor, benefit the Liver, benefit eyes/vision, and tonify Blood. It may be used in cases of “Blood deficiency,” and “Essence deficiency.”

Even if you don’t have any knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine, it’s easy to understand how eating liver might help a debilitated, fatigued, possibly anemic animal, when it has such a high nutrient content.

Something to keep in mind if you decide to feed your pets liver: it’s very rich and may cause loose stools if too much is fed.

Start with about half a tablespoon every few days for a medium-sized dog and watch the stools. If they get loose, decrease the frequency of feeding and/or the amount given each time. To learn about treating your dog’s diarrhea, click here.

There are a few dogs who have problems with copper metabolism. Beef liver is fairly high in copper. If your dog has copper issues, discuss it with your veterinarian before feeding it.

  Different Ways to Serve Liver to Your Dog

If your pet tolerates it without developing loose stools, you should consider feeding up to 1 oz. of liver per day for a medium to large dog, and up to 0.5 oz. per day or small dogs.

Feeding double that amount of liver only 2-3 times a week is another good strategy. Just to be safe, don’t exceed those amounts as there is some possibility of vitamin A overdose if large quantities are eaten.

Liver is readily available in most grocery stores. Look for plastic containers of chicken livers in the meat department. Beef liver is often found in the freezer section.

If you are at a butcher shop or farmer’s market, just ask if they have any liver for sale. Sometimes they don’t display it, but have it available on request.

Liver may be served lightly cooked or raw if you have a trusted source and your dog is accustomed to raw foods. I use dehydrated beef liver for treats.

They’re affordable, store well, and are very popular with my patients. If your dog is extremely reactive to new foods and you want to start very slowly, you can even purchase liver tablets or capsules at health food stores or online.

https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/why-you-need-to-feed-your-dog-liver/

[eddyandme]

Thank you, @KingstonsMom !  I try to give Eddy extra protein due to the injury he sustained when younger and liver will help!

You've told me so many interesting things about liver.  I remember as a child my mum got on this liver kick.  Fortunately, my dad, like me, hated lfried liver and onions, so that phase finally ended - although we both knew it was good for you!

I did find a piece of liver, quite expensive imo, last year and fried it up for Eddy.  He loved it (yuck!).  I was totally shocked 'cause if took a few tries at a couple of grocery stores before I snagged a liver!  

Now that I know how good it is for my boy, I'll go on a hunt for a liver again!

I can relate to how you feel for your beautiful Harley:  although we know they are close by, we miss those hugs, kisses and snuggles they so often gifted us with.

[Drlinda]

Too funny Krypton.  We love them.

[KingstonsMom]

@eddyandme 

I hear ya', my mother used to make liver and onions for herself, but the rest of us refused to eat it, LOL!

I buy beef liver in the frozen section,  it comes 4 slices individually wrapped in a package.

That way I can just take a slice out to cook as I need it.

Check where frozen turkeys, cornish hens, etc. are.

[shortbreadlover]

i had a bostonterier that would eat anythi ng except pasta.  she would like the sauce offand leave the plain pasta.  she loved salads a\ withj dressing.  her favorite was oil and vineagar.