10,460 answers about dogs
From a puppy’s first feeding schedule to a senior dog’s comfort care, dog owners ask it all — this page gathers the dog library of KinsLe Answers in one place. Browse by topic below, from feeding and training to health, grooming, safety and travel. Every answer is original, written by KinsLe, and tied to a real KinsLe feature.
763 answers in Feeding & Nutrition — page 26 of 32
Yes, with the pit completely removed, dogs can eat a small amount of ripe plum flesh. Serve 3 to 4 small pieces for a medium or large dog and 1 to 2 pieces for a small dog, because plums are sweet and can loosen the stool. The pit, stem and leaves contain cyanide compounds, and the stone itself can block the gut.…
Yes, a piece of plain, unsalted rice cake is safe for most dogs as an occasional crunchy extra. Break one cake into bite-sized pieces rather than handing over the whole disc, and keep the total to 1 cake in a day for a large dog or half a cake for a small dog. Salted, flavoured and chocolate-coated versions are never…
Best avoided — even a sauce sold as plain usually contains onion and garlic in some form, plus salt and oil, and onion and garlic are toxic to dogs in quantity, with powder forms the most concentrated. A spoonful of truly plain cooked tomato is a different thing from a jar of pasta sauce, so treat the jar as a human…
No, never feed pecans deliberately. Pecans are high in fat, their shape can lodge in a small dog's throat, and stored nuts can carry moulds that produce aflatoxin and tremor-causing compounds, while the nut itself contains juglone. One dropped pecan eaten by a large healthy dog will usually pass, but repeated access…
Yes, dogs can eat parsnips in small amounts, raw in thin sticks or cooked plainly with no added fat. Serve 2 to 3 thin sticks for a small dog or a few spoonfuls of cooked parsnip for a large dog, because the root is starchy and mildly sugary. Roast leftovers count only when they were cooked without fat, honey or…
Only as the tiniest garnish, if at all. Parmesan is hard, salty and concentrated, so a light grating of about 1 teaspoon of shavings over a meal is the ceiling, and it should never become a cubed treat or a daily topper. Dogs with heart, kidney or weight concerns should skip it entirely. That ceiling applies to a…
Yes, dogs can eat ripe papaya flesh in small amounts once the black seeds are scooped out and the skin is discarded. Serve 2 to 3 small cubes for a small dog or up to a quarter cup for a large dog, once or twice a week, because the fruit is sugary and a larger helping can loosen the stool. Choose fruit that gives…
Yes — dogs can eat oranges in small amounts, and many enjoy the sweet, juicy flesh. Peel the fruit completely, remove the pips and the white pith, and offer one segment for a small dog and up to two segments for a larger dog. The peel is the part to refuse, because it is hard to digest, carries concentrated oils and…
No — dogs must never eat onions in any form: raw, cooked, dried or powdered, and red, white and spring onions all count. Onions are alliums whose compounds oxidatively damage a dog's red blood cells, which can cause anaemia that builds over several days, and onion powder hidden in gravies, sauces and stock makes onion…
Only a small splash, if at all: one tablespoon for a small dog and up to three tablespoons for a large dog, of the plain, unsweetened kind. Oat milk contains no lactose, because it is made from plants, not dairy, but its oats, gums and added oils can still loosen a dog's stool, and flavoured or sweetened cartons add…
Yes — dogs can eat nectarine flesh in small amounts once the stone is removed: one slice cut smaller for a small dog and two or three slices for a larger dog. The stone is the hazard in three separate ways, because its inner kernel carries cyanide compounds, the hard stone can crack teeth, and a swallowed stone can…
Yes, in small amounts — plain mozzarella is one of the milder cheeses for dogs, relatively low in salt and lactose beside harder cheeses. One small cube, cut into pea-sized pieces, or a few shreds is a full portion, with half a cube for a very small dog, best used as an occasional high-value training reward.…
No — dogs should not eat lemons, and there is no version worth offering. The flesh is intensely acidic and bitter and commonly causes stomach upset, while the peel and pith contain concentrated oils that are harder on dogs than the juice, and the seeds add nothing good. A single curious lick of a wedge is not an…
No — dogs must never eat leeks, raw or cooked, and both the white and green parts count. Leeks are alliums, like onions and garlic, and their compounds oxidatively damage a dog's red blood cells, which can cause anaemia that develops over several days. Leek soup, stock and leftovers carry the same risk, and cooking…
Yes — dogs can eat ripe kiwi flesh in small amounts: one or two small cubes for a small dog and a few slices for a larger dog, always with the fuzzy skin peeled away. The skin is tough and hard to digest, the hard central core should be cut out for small dogs, and the tiny seeds are fine in these quantities. Kiwi is…
Yes — most dogs can have plain, unsweetened kefir in small amounts: one teaspoon for a small dog and up to one tablespoon for a large dog, a few times a week. Fermentation reduces some of the lactose in milk, but it does not remove it, so dairy-sensitive dogs can still react with gas or loose stool. Flavoured or…
No — dogs should not eat jalapenos or any hot peppers. The capsaicin that makes them hot irritates a dog's mouth, stomach and gut, and the usual results are drooling, vomiting, diarrhoea and real discomfort; dogs gain nothing from spicy food. Keep chilli-based dishes, salsas and pepper scraps stored securely out of…
Best avoided — hazelnuts are not classed as toxic to dogs, but they are a poor treat: hard, round and exactly the size a small dog can choke on or gulp whole, high in fat, and hard to digest, so stomach upset is a common result. Stored nuts can also carry moulds that produce dangerous toxins, and mixed nut bowls may…
Yes — green peas are one of the friendlier extras: offer a few peas for a small dog and up to a small handful for a large dog, served fresh, frozen or cooked plainly. Split or lightly crush peas for small dogs and for gulpers, because a whole round pea is easy to bolt. Skip canned peas in salted water and peas cooked…
No — do not feed grapefruit to a dog deliberately. The flesh is sharply acidic and commonly causes stomach upset, while the peel, pith and seeds carry oils and compounds that are harder on dogs than the flesh, and most dogs dislike the bitter taste anyway. A single stolen segment is usually a stomach-upset problem…
Only in small amounts, if at all: one tablespoon for a small dog and up to three tablespoons for a large dog, offered occasionally as a novelty rather than a drink. Goat's milk contains less lactose than cow's milk, but it is not lactose-free, and it can still cause loose stool and gas. Choose pasteurised, plain milk…
Yes, but only a small taste of plain goat cheese: a pea-sized piece for a small dog and a thumbnail-sized piece for a larger dog, given occasionally. Goat cheese contains less lactose than many cow's milk cheeses, but it is not lactose-free, and it is still salty and fatty, so gas or loose stool means dairy does not…
No — dogs must never eat garlic in any form, raw, cooked, dried or powdered. Garlic is among the most concentrated allium foods, and its compounds oxidatively damage a dog's red blood cells, which can lead to anaemia that appears days later rather than at once. Garlic powder is more concentrated than fresh garlic, not…
Yes — frozen peas are a handy dog treat: sweet, small, and low in calories. Offer frozen or thawed, a few at a time, up to a small handful of about 10 peas for a medium dog in a training session. Press or split peas for very small dogs and for any dog that gulps, so a whole pea is never swallowed in one go. Skip…
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