PET OF THE WEEK: Minie is a 12-year-old tortie who is looking for a home to spend her golden years. She’s a gentle, chatty girl who loves to show how much she cares with lots of affectionate headbumps and lap time. Minie is looking for a quiet home, maybe one with older kids or teens. Ask for Minie, ID# A828055. Adoptable pets are available at Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA’s Tom and Annette Lantos Center for Compassion, 1450 Rollins Road, Burlingame. Call 650-340-7022 or visit www.phs-spca.org. (Hiromi Motojima / Peninsula Humane Society)
Dear Miss Behavin’: My husband loves to feed our dog everything but her kibble. He gives her scraps at the table, lets her lick his dishes, and even shares sweets with her in the evenings. How can I convince him to stop?
Reply: Many of us express our love through food, and this can be especially true for pet owners. The downside to this type of love is that human foods can pose various risks for our canine companions.
Not only are certain human foods poisonous to dogs, such as chocolates, certain nuts, raisins and caffeine, but other scraps and treats can also a risk to your dog’s long-term health. Maybe your husband knows better than to feed dark chocolate to your dog, but perhaps he doesn’t realize that letting her lick the ice cream dish every night or feeding the crust from his sandwich can lead to dental disease, upset stomach, or obesity.
If the cost of a dental prophylaxis, or teeth cleaning, does not dissuade your husband from feeding the dog under the table, perhaps a conversation about her lifespan and general wellbeing might. If he insists on sharing the love via food, try preparing dog-appropriate snacks to keep in the cupboard or refrigerator such as carrots or boiled chicken that he can give her instead.
In addition to physical side effects, feeding human foods to our dogs can cause a variety of unwanted behaviors. Some dogs get a taste of the “good stuff” and decide that kibble doesn’t cut it. You might find yourself having to convince your dog to eat their food at every meal, which becomes increasingly difficult to manage.
In addition to becoming a picky eater, many dogs become experts at begging, which can be a hard habit to break. Feeding scraps from the table can quickly become a nuisance when guests or children are present. If you your husband is going to give out scraps, he should deliver them via the dog bowl to prevent begging.