[mah4angel]

Yes, yes, I know, feeding your dog table food is never a good idea. We should stick to our homemade, raw, dry, whatever dog foods and not feed our dogs table scraps.
However, my dog doesn’t understand that just because something fell on the floor, does not mean that he can pick it up and then growl at mommy when she tries to take it away from you and then eat it.
He did this with a feta cheese-stuffed olive the other day and today he stole a bit of my red baby bell pepper! The bell pepper was completely void of seeds, I checked about ten times before sitting down to eat it and my little guy snatched some up while I was at the stove and he ate it. I mean, I really didn’t expect him to want to eat my olive or my bell peppers. He doesn’t like Ziwipeak’s treats! He’s a very finicky dog. My dog is weird.
It’s not like children, where when they like a vegetable it’s really fabulous, I have no idea whether or not that but of bell pepper was good for him.
IF IT IS GOOD FOR HIM, should I give bell pepper slices to him as a treat as something low in fat, protein, and carbohydrates? I have no idea what kind of a monster I’ve created here…

[Hound Dog Mom]

Feeding table food is an EXCELLENT idea – as long as they’re healthy. The idea that table food is “bad” is just a myth. Unprocessed, fresh, human-grade food is an important component of a dog’s diet. Dogs should not be deprived of real food!

Any lean meat is healthy (just avoid high sodium/processed meats like deli meat and hot dogs or fried meat). Most dogs tolerate dairy products such as cheese and yogurt (plain) well. Fruits and vegetables are great. Grain products (like crackers, bread, etc.) won’t hurt a dog, but they aren’t healthy either so they’re probably best avoided. I’d also avoid anything high in sugar. Be sure to familiarize yourself with what foods are toxic to dogs as well – artificial sweeteners, onions, grapes, raisins, anything with caffeine, etc. are all toxic to dogs.

Just make sure to account for his “extras” when you feed him. Reduce his meal portion accordingly because the calories in treats easily add up and can lead to a pudgy pooch.

[mah4angel]

Okay! I know that table scraps every now and then isn’t a bad thing, but I always thought it should be avoided on a regular basis so that their diets maintain balance.
I also know that fruit and vegetable seeds are not good for dogs because they contain cyanide.
I’m glad he likes bell peppers, then! It might be a great alternative to traditional treats and a great source of vitamins 😀

[GSDsForever]

mah4angel,

If it helps to hear it from one more person, I agree 100% with everything HoundDogMom said in answer to you. And I think your doggie scored big time! Great canine taste in gourmet food that’s also good for him, seriously! Your little guy knows his stuff. LOL.

To answer your second concern, I wouldn’t worry about the balance issue when it’s a small amount of something, especially a veggie/fruit and in this case feta. And the seed-cyanide issue, I believe that’s mainly apples & pits of stone fruits (peaches, etc.).

[Hound Dog Mom]

As long as the “extras” are no more than 20% of the dog’s whole diet there won’t be any balance issues.

[mah4angel]

So much for me to learn! I’m actually really glad to know that I can feed him table scraps without worry. I’ve always wanted to give him little treats with real food but that stigma that it’s unhealthy held me back big time! I should go to the market after work and get some bell peppers 😀 I also love bell peppers and feta cheese-stuffed olives myself. It’s like we’re soul-mates ^_^

[GSDsForever]

LOL. I think I want to come eat at your house. Some yummy foods that are favorites of mine!

(In fact I have a favorite gourmet pizza place here with a pizza with 3 types of gourmet olives (including Kalamata and large green), roasted red pepper strips, artichoke hearts, and feta. You’re killing me with the feta stuffed olives!!!)

One tip: I really recommend, especially for a small dog, organic bell peppers when possible — because they’re on the top ten list for pesticide/fungicide/etc contaminated foods. What I do is try to save my money for organic for just the top ten lists in veggies/fruits. Apples, strawberries, bell peppers, leafy greens, etc.

[mah4angel]

I really wish I wasn’t allergic to gluten because OH MY GOODNESS I want that pizza NOW!! Hahaha 😀 I love artichokes and AHHHH roasted red pepper! I miss my pizza-eating days!
Thanks! I probably wouldn’t have considered that 🙂 I need to do my research! Phew!

[theBCnut]

I have a friend who is gluten intolerant and they made pizza just the other day with my picky daughter, so there must be a good gluten free something that works as pizza dough.

[GSDsForever]

Yes! We have several gourmet pizza places near me actually that offer gluten-free pizzas.

I’ve been less jazzed about non-wheat pasta. I’m not interested in rice pasta. And the quinoa blend one I had recently was awful, would not cook properly. But then I’m also kind of a purist with my pasta and Italian food. I like Costco’s imported Italian organic Garafola brand pasta, cooked al dente.

[mah4angel]

I’M SO HUNGRY NOW o_O Hahahahahaha.

I haven’t tried too much gluten-free stuff for myself, I just have a very limited diet. When I’m a little more financially stable, I’ll probably explore more of the gluten-free options out there. For now, it’s just fruits, veggies and occasionally meat for me. I got so worked up about Cesar’s dog food having sodium nitrite only to be reminded that it’s also in pretty much all processed meats, included my all-time favorite Evergood pineapple sausages from Costco 🙁 So, my diet is going to have to be even more restricted now as I look at the labels and inevitably find the sodium nitrite and nitrate as well as MSG in my own food.

I think that’s really how I’ve cracked the code into people’s thinking when they feed their animals the kind of crap that they do. People don’t even really feed themselves that much better, for the most part 🙁 So sad.

[pugmomsandy]

Patty,

1 minute Paleo Muffin (bread). Haven’t tried it myself.

Ingredients
· 1/4 c. Almond Flour
· 2 Tbsp. Flaxseed Meal
· Pinch Sea Salt
· 1/2 tsp. Rumford Baking Powder (Aluminum-Free, Gluten-Free)
· 1 Large Organic Egg

Cooking Directions
1. Oil a 4 1/2 inch ramekin. (I have used all different sized dishes)
2. Whisk egg.
3. To the egg add almond flour, flaxseed meal and salt. Mix well with a spoon.
4. Sprinkle with baking powder and mix one more time.
5. Spoon into ramekin and microwave for one minute.
6. Remove from microwave with dish towel and invert on a cooling rack.
7. Split in half and toast!

That’s it…make a ham sandwich, a breakfast egg sandwich, add a dash or two of cinnamon and a handful of raisins. The options are endless!

• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by pugmomsandy.

[theBCnut]

I love those recipes that you can do endless variations to!! Thanks Sandy!

[mah4angel]

I would avoid the microwave. The radiation changes the molecular structure of whatever is put inside and becomes less bio-available to us and other organisms.

[Gemma60537]

When our Lab pup was a newborn we vowed to NEVER give him human handouts, especially since we invested so much into buying awesome organic limited ingredient dog food. Well, those big brown eyes and sweet/serious lab face have worn us down, so he gets a little lick of peanut butter here and there, part of my piece of cheese if I’m eating one. I’ll share my banana with him by breaking off a piece here and there as I’m eating one. And despite the fact that I’m totally anti-corn in his diet, when we pop popcorn (using a popper, not microwave bags) we set aside a tiny little portion for him without salt or butter. He also gets baby carrots when we purchase them. 🙂

[Author]

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