You can make sure your dog has a healthy, well-balanced diet by feeding him a quality dog food. But that doesn’t mean you can’t sometimes give your dog people food as a special treat. Only give him a little. Be sure the foods are cooked, pure, and not fatty or heavily seasoned. Here are some ideas.
Lean Meats
Most dogs are fine eating lean cuts of meat and fish that have been cooked well. Salmon, chicken, turkey, cooked chicken or duck eggs, bison, ground venison, chicken heart, liver and gizzards. Remove all visible fat — including the skin on poultry. Make sure there are no bones in the meat before you give it to your dog.
Some Fresh Fruits
Slices of apples, cucumbers, oranges, bananas, and watermelon make tasty treats for your dog. Remove all seeds first—seeds, stems, and leaves can cause serious problems. Fresh or dehydrated cranberries, blueberries, huckleberries, salmon berries, and raspberries are also favorites.
Some Vegetables
Your dog can have a healthy snack of carrot sticks, green beans, cucumber and zucchini slices, pumpkin, kale, chard, spinach, seaweed sheets cut into small pieces. Even a plain baked potato is okay. Don’t let your dog eat raw potatoes or any potato plants from your pantry or garden.
Cooked White Rice and Pasta
Dogs can eat plain white rice or quinoa after it’s cooked. A serving of plain white rice with boiled chicken can sometimes make your dog feel better when they’re having stomach problems.