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 29 of 32
Plums are best kept away from dogs altogether. A small bite of ripe flesh is not itself poisonous, but the pit, stems and leaves contain cyanide compounds, the hard pit can choke a dog or block the intestine, and the sugary flesh upsets many stomachs. There are safer fruits that give the same treat moment without that…
Milk is best kept to a rare, tiny taste for dogs — and plenty should skip it completely. Most adult dogs make very little lactase, the enzyme that digests milk sugar, so a bowl of milk commonly works through as gas, bloating, and loose stool a few hours later, while adding fat and calories with little nutritional…
Yes — dogs can eat lentils when they are cooked plain in water until completely soft, served in small amounts as an addition to their normal food. Lentils bring fibre and plant protein, but they are filling and famously gassy, and raw or undercooked lentils are hard for a dog to digest, so the pot is not optional.…
Kale is safe for most healthy dogs in small amounts, lightly steamed or finely chopped, but it should stay a garnish, never a green foundation of the diet. Kale contains calcium oxalates, so dogs with any history of bladder stones or kidney trouble should skip it entirely, and very large amounts can irritate the…
Yes — dogs can eat green apples the same way as any apple: washed, with the core and seeds removed, offered as a few slices. Green apples are tarter and slightly less sweet than red ones, which some dogs love and others refuse; the acidity means large amounts can upset a stomach. Apple seeds contain trace cyanide…
Figs are a tiny-taste food for dogs, not a regular treat. A small cube of ripe flesh now and then will not trouble most healthy dogs, but figs are sugary and rich, so more than that commonly loosens the stool, and dried figs concentrate the sugar further. The plant itself is the bigger issue, because fig leaves and…
Yes — a few plain cranberries are fine for most dogs, fresh or dried, as long as nothing sweetens them. Their sharp tartness puts many dogs off entirely, and a greedy handful can still upset the stomach. Dried fruit is where the real danger hides, because mixes often pair cranberries with raisins, which are dangerous…
No, dogs must never be given cooked bones of any kind, whether from roast chicken, ribs, chops, or the stock pot. Cooking dries and hardens bone so it splinters into sharp shards instead of crumbling, and those shards can cut the mouth and throat, perforate the gut, or lodge as a blockage, while whole cooked bones…
Yes, dogs can eat cabbage in small amounts, served raw in thin shreds or cooked plain until soft, and many dogs enjoy the crunch. Introduce it slowly, because cabbage is well known for producing gas, and keep portions to a few bites rather than a bowlful. Eaten in very large quantities over time, cabbage compounds can…
Yes, blackberries are a safe treat for most dogs in small amounts. Wash them thoroughly, halve them for small dogs or enthusiastic gulpers, and offer just a few at a time, because their natural sugars add up and a big helping can loosen the stool. Frozen berries make a satisfying warm-day reward that takes longer to…
Yes, dogs can eat asparagus spears in small amounts, raw or cooked plain, as long as each spear is cut into short, bite-size pieces. Whole stalks are tough and stringy, and a dog that gulps one can gag or choke, especially a small dog. Keep servings modest, because the fiber can bring on gas or loose stool, and keep…
No, almonds are best kept off a dog's menu entirely. They are not the most dangerous nut, but they are hard enough to choke a dog or block a smaller dog's gut, they are fatty enough to trigger vomiting, diarrhoea, or pancreatitis, and salted or flavoured almonds add seasonings a dog should never eat. A large dog who…
Before cooking for your dog, think first about balance, not ingredients. Plain meat, rice and vegetables are short on calcium, iodine, zinc and several vitamins, so a recipe needs formulation by your veterinarian or a veterinary nutritionist rather than improvisation. Also weigh food safety, honest cost, freezer space…
Plenty of plain, unseasoned human foods are safe for dogs in small amounts: cooked chicken, turkey, or lean beef with bones and skin removed, cooked eggs, carrots, green beans, sweet potato, plain cooked pumpkin, apple slices without the core or seeds, blueberries, and banana. Serve them as extras on top of a complete…
The foods that poison dogs most often are chocolate, grapes and raisins, onions, garlic, leeks and chives, xylitol (also called birch sugar), macadamia nuts, alcohol, caffeine, raw yeast dough, and mouldy food, with cooked bones, corn cobs, and stone-fruit pits as serious physical hazards. There is no safe amount of…
Treats should stay at or below about 10 percent of your dog's daily calories, with the other 90 percent coming from a complete, balanced main diet. The maths is simple: a small dog eating roughly 300 calories a day has about 30 treat calories to spend, while a larger dog on 900 calories has about 90 — and training…
Yes, a spoonful of plain yogurt suits many dogs and can be a soothing, protein-rich topper. Choose plain and unsweetened, check the label carefully for xylitol, sometimes listed as birch sugar, and never serve a pot containing it. Flavoured, sweetened yogurts bring sugar your dog does not need. Some dogs are sensitive…
Yes. Fresh watermelon flesh, with seeds picked out and every trace of rind cut away, is a hydrating summer treat most dogs enjoy. Serve a few bite-sized cubes of the pink flesh only. The rind is tough, hard to digest, and can block the gut if a dog swallows a chunk, while seeds are best removed rather than trusted to…
Yes. Plain cooked turkey meat, with skin, fat, and every bone removed, is a wholesome treat and a gentle protein for many dogs. Serve a few bites of white or dark meat with no seasoning, gravy, or stuffing alongside it. The parts to keep away are the ones holiday cooking adds: crisp fatty skin, rich gravy, onions and…
A little tuna, now and then, is fine for most dogs, but it should never become a regular food. Tuna builds up mercury in its flesh, and a dog fed tuna often can take in more mercury than is wise, especially a small dog or puppy. Offer a spoonful of plain tuna in water as a rare topper, skip tuna in brine or oil, and…
Yes, but only the kernels, cut off the cob, plain and in small amounts. A spoonful of cooked sweetcorn makes a fine occasional treat or meal topper for most dogs. The cob is the real danger: dogs that gnaw or swallow chunks of cob can develop an intestinal blockage that may need surgery, so corn on the cob is never a…
Yes. Plain cooked sweet potato is a safe, fibre-rich treat for most dogs, served in a few small cubes or a spoonful of mash alongside their normal food. Bake, boil, or steam it with no butter, salt, sugar, spices, or marshmallow topping, and let it cool before serving. Raw sweet potato is hard to digest, and sweet…
Yes, dogs can eat strawberries in small amounts when they are washed, hulled and cut into pieces sized for your dog. Strawberries provide vitamin C and fibre, but they are naturally sugary, so a few pieces are plenty: one berry cut up for a small dog and two or three for a large dog. Whole berries can be a choking…
Yes, dogs can eat spinach in small amounts when it is washed, steamed plain and chopped or blended into food. Spinach provides iron, fibre and vitamins, but it is also high in oxalates, which is why portions stay small and why dogs with any kidney or bladder-stone history should skip it unless your veterinarian says…
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