Feeding table scraps to dogs

Some pet owners enjoy feeding their dogs and cats "people foods" for the same reasons that they like to give them treats and snacks. Providing a special treat is a way of showing affection and love, and adding table scraps and other choice food items to a pet's diet is believe to enhance the pet's enjoyment of the meal. Although some human foods are unsuitable for companion animals and should not be fed at all, others only become detrimental if they make up too high a proportion of the pet's diet.

The amount of table scraps that are added to a pet's diet should be strictly limited. Although the owner may eat a very nutritious and well-balanced diet, the nutritional requirements of dogs and cats are not the same as for humans. In addition, most owners add only the choice scraps from their meals to their pet's dinner bowl, such as fat trimmings and leftover meat, and they leave the vegetables and grains behind. The table scraps that end up in the pet's bowl may be very tasty (and much appreciated), but they usually do not provide balanced nutrition. If table scraps are fed to pets, they should never make up for more that 5% to 10% of the pet's total daily caloric intake.

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