I don't have a dog, but if I did I would probably feed it a few meat scraps from time to time...no chocolate though...I heard that's really hard on their stomachs. I'm sorry that happened to you, Yum...it's always sad to lose a family friend like that.

I try not to becuase my golden retriever had to have a bone removed from his butt.

eh why?

Whatever I have for dinner that is left over. I mix it with the dog food and give it to my Frida! She loves it all!

I give my dog cheese... she loves it!!! If you even say the word cheese or open the door with the cheese in it she comes running. We also give her little bits of left over meat, and sometimes cereal... peanut butter crunch is her favorite (but we only give her cereal if someone spills some). so I would say we are fair with what we give her... never too much and never directly from the table (even though she tries).

my greyhound loves all food (she has not rejected a thing yet!)...so i give her certain things i know are ok for greys. a big treat for her is whipped cream...she only gets it once in awhile. she even loves carrots but doesnt get people food all that frequently because her stomach is so sensitive.

Well then again, if one did want their dog to be really long lived you could do what this owner does for her now 27 year old dog, Bramble, who was raised on a human food vegan diet!

http://www.fruitnut.net/index2.htm?PAG=64brambles

Being interested in the raw food diet myself, I have also read about raw food dogs (not vegetarian) that live for a really long time to.

i don't have a dog, but i have a bird. and i feed him only fresh vegetables, fresh lettuce (kale is his favorite), and fresh sprouts that i grow for him. he also needs grains, so instead of feeding him fatty bird seed i give him rolled oats or unsalted crackers, and sometimes i'll make him brown rice or couscous. he is only rarely supplemented by the traditional "bird food" such as dry seeds or pellets. so would i feed my dog people food? yes, if it was a healthy, balanced diet. if you can consider that people food. i would rarely feed my dog gross, fatty dog food. i'd probably make something for him myself so i can control what's in it. or i'd buy organic dog food or something.

when feeding your pet, imagine what they eat in the wild as wild dogs or wolves. they eat whole bodies of animals. they eat bones and brains and marrow, and they need that. i find it hard to believe all that stuff would be in a cheap dry dog food. but, i'm not a vet and i don't have a dog. i would do research for my own pet.

I don't think there's anything wrong with it, so long as the food doesn't contain chocolate or too much dairy.

I don't think there's anything wrong with it, so long as the food doesn't contain chocolate or too much dairy.

Damn double-posting!

Actually a lot of dog food (especially all the regular grocery store stuff) comes from rendering plants. It's were they take pretty much anything that is dead, that can't be fed to humans & usually gross & diseased, cows, chickens ('chicken meal' as a pet food ingredient means mostly, but not soley, chickens were rendered in that particular firing), euthanized animals & spoiled meats, backed good & general garbage from the grocery stores, and burn/cook it all (pet colars, and styrofoam from expired grocery store meats, and all that) in a big furnace. They put THAT in dog food (and cat food).

So lol, in a way katie225, they do eat whole bodies of animals, just that's not all, in our comercialized society!

Okay here are some links for further info!

http://www.homevet.com/petcare/foodbook.html

http://www.naturalrearing.com/J_In_Learning/Diet/Food/InTheBag.htm

We give our dog little tastes of things, but never chocolate or dairy. His diet is mostly dog food, but it's useless to even try to bring Chinese food in the house without planning to give him some. He goes nuts at the smell alone, and his favorite is lo mein.

No never..... he's a little dog with a sensitive stomach so he'd probably throw it up anyway.........

I don't have a dog but I have 2 cats that I sometimes give shrimp. We cleared it with the vet and she said a couple of shrimp a day won't hurt them.

My dog is a cockerspaniel cross poodle and he'll eat anything and everything. The only thing he doesn't really like are pickles...but if I'm eating one as he takes a piece he'll eat it. If it's the last piece and so he doesn't see me eating the exact same thing he won't eat it.

We don't give him chocolate or any candy like that. Also spicy foods or if something is iffy whether he can handle it, he won't get any.

Wait - why no dairy? I never heard that before. I normally don't give my dogs people food maybe a scrap her or there, but I will give the my letover cereal/milk. My grandmother gave it to her dogs - so I assumed it was okay.

My dog is just fine, and she is almost 16 years old. I feed her normal dog food but, I also give her a little of what I eat too. I would hate to have to eat dog food every day without any treats...where's the quality of life in that?
I do respect what other people feed their dogs...as long as it's not harmful..chicken bones, etc. My sister doesn't feed her dog people food, and I respect that. Moderation is the key to food, in my opinion...and, life.

The only food my dog really gets is cheese..sometimes other foods if they accidently fall on the floor but for the most part she only gets dog food!

We only give things like carrots and green beans, some fruits that they can digest and aren't toxic, and some dairy like yogurt or goat's milk. Occasionally chicken and rice if they need a bland diet for whatever reason. No table scraps though. If I give them human food, it's not from my plate. We're pretty neurotic about the type of dog food they eat too.

Jk Boogie- he had to have it removed cause it was blocking his poop shoot. The vet took it out and then banged it against the table. It was gross.

My dogs will get eggs occasionally because it is good for their coats. If they are good then they will occasionally get left over chicken or steak (pieces that dont have a lot of seasoning). Or sometimes if we cooked with a crockpot then the dogs will get a little of the juice over their food. If we do this it is usually on cold days when they really do not want to eat their food. All food they get is in their bowls so they do not learn to beg

You want to stay away from feeding dogs raisins or grapes. Both can put your pet into renal failure. Even tiny amounts. I learned this the hard way, as I used to feed my dog frozen grapes in the summer. He got really sick from just a few (he is 90lbs) and ended up in the hospital.

My pup, Sophie, doesn't get people food and won't touch it if I drop it on the floor either. I don't know how it happened but she doesn't even beg...amazing. I hope my new puppy will be this good! My cat on the other hand would eat anything you give him, too bad he's diabetic!

I feed my dog a lot of human food but i always know what is good and bad to give him.

I don't have a dog now, but when my husband and I do finally get one, we plan on feeding it the things it would eat if it were in the wild: meat, meat and meat. Dogs are carnivores, so they need meat, not some dried up version of what people think dogs would eat otherwise.

When I have owned dogs before, I also gave them eggs periodically to keep their coats shiny. It really helped!

themexcellentone- if you are going to do a do it yourself meat diet for your dogs you NEED consult a vet first and get their suggestions. You are going to have make sure that you give your dogs vitamins and minerals also. Also you need to remember that not all dogs can eat the all kinds of meat. There are a lot of great websites out there with really good well balanced recipies for dog food. You do need to give them some type of veggie because even though dogs are carnivores they do still need veggies- my dogs go through my moms gardens and pick out veggies and eat them.

There are a lot of good dog foods out there. One of the best is Nutro. When buying dog foods make sure that the first ingredient is a real meat not a by-product. Also avoid foods with corn products because dogs can not digest corn.

Also dogs dont know to beg if you dont hand feed them. It really is as simple as that

Also another reason dogs need veggies is to aid in digest. Every dog eats grass to help with that. so really make sure you do have veggies in their diet. Please for the health of your dog dont just give them meat.

Oh yeah if you are going to do a meat diet make sure you give them a high quality meat preferably from cows that have not been given hormones

the raw food diet for dogs aren't really categorised as "human food" cos its..well..raw! lol. vets advise not to give them food that we eat, cos it changes the moment we add stuff to the food or cook it, and tts what leads to complications cos its too complex for them to digest!

Our Jack Russell, Petey, gets small bits of the good stuff we eat.
Things like mashed sweet potato, fresh corn off the cob, bits of lean meat, natural applesauce, fat-free cheese, cooked carrots & peas, stuff like that.
He gets very little though....and has been on Science Diet since he was a pup. We keep his weight at a good level, as well. He's never been overweight.

i heard on the radio once that it's a good idea to feed your dog a whole chicken. and when i say "whole chicken" i mean it. the beak, the feathers, the feet, the eyes, everything. apparently, they love it and have really shiny coats. the idea of sticking a whole chicken in a food processor, however, kind of disgusts me!

Ewww...I don't think I could do that to a chicken!!!

I'll just buy it at the store already dismembered.

JessNess, we were planning to consult with a vet prior to putting our someday dog on a raw foods diet. Even if little Fido lived in the wild, he'd still need fiber and would still eat it so we'd feed veggies too, but we're planning on asking a vet what sorts of veggies to feed along with the meat.

We've got a grocer that sells meat that sells meat that hasn't been raised with hormones or antibiotics. It's what we buy for ourselves, so we'd just buy a little extra for the dog too.

thats good. Too many people are ignorant about what they are feeding their dogs- specially store brands (there are good brands out there though)

Wow...this is a one of those questions that points to the huge cultural divides between France and the USA. In restaurants, you can order a chien plat du jour...a plate of food specifically for your dog, who is most definitely in the same restaurant as you, sitting under the table, waiting to dine on some gorgeous French cuisine, just like a person (except the under the table part!) LOL!

I guess the question one has to ask is what exactly did dogs eat before humans saw fit to invent dog food. LOL Of course "people food" is ok for dogs, just not all of it. Not all "people food" is ok for all people either, after all.

I don't feed my dog scraps but in a house with 3 kids, she ends up getting some stuff that hits the floor. Our dog is a rescue dog and they were feeding her Walmart dog food. I switched her to Nutro, Nutro Max, then Nutro Ultra. The Ultra is a holistic dog food. I feel like it is the best thing I can give her without cooking her meals myself. It has 3 proteins (chicken, lamb and salmon) along with several grains, and fish, flaxseed and sunflower oil. I grew up in a house where my parents bought the cheapest dog food but I've learned that spending more money on the food can mean fewer vet visits and better health in the longrun.

P.S. This is my first non-cocker spaniel dog (German Short-haired Pointer). Cockers are such horrible beggers and they have the cute pookie faces that just melt your heart.

I feed my dog scraps, but only in her bowl. My girls on the other hand feed her all the time. Since having kids, my doggie has put on quite a few pounds. Kind of ironic?

I use to feed a dog I had a little bit of people food, like if there were some left over steak or ribs, chicken basically left over 'meat'..........the vet about chewed my head off and said, 'you are killing your dog, that's why there is dog food'.......so I stopped!

Mme Hart- how cute! I love France! And as for me & my doggies (I have two vizslas) I will give them any kind of lean meat leftovers. Of course I don't give it to them right off of my plate, I save it until it is time for their dinner then I put it in their bowl as a surprise...They eat very well with this system...filet mignons, lump crab meat,etc...

it's the salt and fat content and 'human' additives that don't mix with dogs' systems'., and they often become overweight and moody. Any vet will tell you that if you wan't your pet to live a long time, stick with what is made for them and that is DOG food! Just because it doesn't look appealing to 'humans' don't mean it's not appealing to the dogs. I understand people 'feel sorry' for their pet while their pet is staring at them eating a steak or whatever....but for a longer life span on your pet, dog food is the best bet.

We try not too but she sometimes steals stuff from the boys leftovers.

We feed her an expensive, human-grade quality, organic food that is pretty much all meats and veggies - so she really doesn't need it. She does get Frosty Paws, treats, etc... so the only other things we give her is peanut butter in her kong, sometimes we'll scramble her an egg or give her yogurt since it's good for their coats, sometimes marrow bones from the deli, but that's about the extent of it.

i feed my dog Nutro Ultra for sensitive stomachs...it is wonderful. and she loves it. i usually top it off with some canned food from eukanaba (spelling?) or nutro

themexcellentone, because you said you would use whole body meat for your animals...I think (humble opinion) you should look into going to a small family farm to get the meat! Some place that raises it, kills, & prepares it right there to order. That way you can actually get the whole body, slaughtered and dismembered (brains & all)1, not to mention fresh!

Grocers can't get the meat as fresh, even if they are actually cutting the bodies themselves, it still took a day or two to get there, & they don't always have access to selling you the "whole body". Also with grocery stores in general....that meat is usualy totaly rancid! Millions upon millions of pound of meat are recalled yearly from grocers & grocery stores, because of the rampant rancidity & people do get sick from it a lot! It's a bit under cover because that kind of knowledge coming through mainstream channels to the public would hurt "the bottom line"...that being money.

Anyway get it killed fresh at a small, clean, liscensed, family farm that does such things to order....that is what my family did for meat.

Also people some of you are bringing up Science Diet like it's a good brand...well it's not...think euthanized dogs & cats.

Basically any ingredient that says 'meal' after it...i.e. 'lamb meal', 'beef meal', 'chicken meal' can be like 20% lamb or chicken, & then something like 15% dead dogs, 15% dead cats, 15% cow by product, 15% grocery store waste (think styrofoam & shrink wrap), 15% percent restaurant oil, 5% other things (i.e. general trash & dog/cat collars from euthanized animals ect...)

It is very tricky how they label dog food/pet food, & if you do a general search about comercial dog food ingredients & rendering plants there are experienced professional people that are saying they would not recommend any comercial pet foods.

I don't currently have a dog myself, but I've helped a few pet owners understand this kind of stuff (including currently helping a cat out that is really full of toxins & was in great pain), after their pets were sent home to die (not to mention after spending thousands of dollars on vets who sometimes recomend this sh*t for petfood).

Okay soooo sorry to keep going off here! I've just seen to many animals in pain & I have also gotten to be a part of relieving their pain here & there, so it's something I am passionate about.

actually these are good brands. I got this list from a holistic vet who I talk casually with about these issues & these companies claim to use healthy natural fresh ingredients.

Flint River Ranch, Natural Pet, Wysong.

Mme Hart- This may be totally random, but...

In America, we live in a fear-based society that's hell bent on political correctness and a pretentious sense of morality.

Don't smoke, you'll get lung cancer. Don't go out in the sun, you'll get skin cancer. Don't drink, you'll become an alcoholic. Don't hug your children too close, they'll think you're a child molester. Don't let your friend sit on that broken chair, she'll sue. Don't acknowledge racial differences, you'll be labeled a racist. Don't feed your dog table scraps, he could die. And on, and on, and on.

France is much more laid back. Much more innocent, and genuine. -So says my good friend who lived in Paris. I wish we could learn that here.

My husband is a veternarian and he would kill me if I fed our dog or cats food. Their tummies cant handle most people food or even worse they become obese from overeating junk. We have a lab and we feed him two cups of healthy dog food a day and that is it. One in the morning one at night. By they way she is thirteen years old and lookin good.