11,828 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.
880 answers in Feeding & Nutrition — page 33 of 37
Yes, plain cooked beef is a safe, protein-rich food for dogs when it is lean, thoroughly cooked and completely unseasoned. Trim visible fat, cook it through with no salt, sauces or rubs, and never offer cooked bones, which turn brittle and splinter. Keep portions modest, because rich or fatty beef dishes, dripping and…
Yes, with the pit completely removed, a dog can eat a small amount of fresh apricot flesh as an occasional treat. The pit is the genuinely dangerous part: it holds cyanide compounds, it can crack teeth or choke, and a swallowed pit can block the gut. Cut the fruit open, remove the pit over a bin, check both halves,…
Yes, apple slices make a crunchy, hydrating treat for dogs once you remove the core and every seed. Apple seeds contain amygdalin, a compound that releases cyanide when chewed, and while one or two seeds are unlikely to harm a large dog, there is never a reason to feed them. Wash the fruit, cut slices thick enough to…
Only with real caution — a lick of plain, unsweetened almond butter is generally not toxic to dogs, but it is extremely calorie- and fat-dense, and almonds are hard for dogs to digest, so stomach upset is common. Never offer any nut butter sweetened with xylitol (also called birch sugar), which is extremely dangerous…
Yes, a small pinch of fresh alfalfa sprouts is fine for a healthy adult dog as an occasional garnish, never a pile. Sprouts are grown warm and damp, exactly the conditions bacteria favour, so rinse them thoroughly under running water, use only crisp sprouts that smell fresh, and throw away any slimy or sour batch. Mix…
Many dogs skip breakfast for ordinary reasons: a large dinner or evening chews leave them full, they have learned that holding out earns toppers, or they are evening eaters whose appetite wakes up later. Some dogs feel queasy on an empty stomach after the overnight gap and may bring up yellow bile, then refuse food…
Yes, it is worth slowing him down. Dogs bolt food for understandable reasons: puppies who competed with littermates learn to eat before it is gone, rescue dogs may carry habits from a time when meals were scarce or unpredictable, and some dogs simply have huge food drive. Gulping brings real risks, including choking,…
Most dogs act hungry because they are built to: their scavenging ancestors ate opportunistically whenever food appeared, so appetite switches off poorly and a hopeful dog is normal, especially one whose begging has ever been rewarded. Real causes still need sorting, though. Portions may genuinely be too small for his…
Yes, kibble size should match the dog's mouth. Small dogs can struggle with, or choke on, oversized pieces and may swallow them whole rather than chew, while large dogs given tiny kibble tend to gulp mouthfuls with almost no chewing, eating fast and swallowing air. Pieces sized for the breed encourage proper…
For most dogs, scheduled meals win clearly over food left out all day. Measured meals at set times give you portion control, so weight stays visible and adjustable; a predictable toilet routine, because most dogs need to go out after eating; and an early-warning system, since a dog who skips a meal is telling you…
Yes, toppers are fine for most healthy dogs as long as they stay a garnish rather than becoming a second meal. Keep everything added to roughly a tenth of your dog's daily calories, because a complete kibble is already balanced and heavy extras dilute its vitamins and minerals while piling on weight. Sensible choices…
An occasional stolen mouthful will not harm most healthy dogs, but cat food is not suitable as any regular part of a dog's diet. It is made far richer than dog food, with much higher protein and fat to meet a cat's needs as an obligate carnivore, and a dog eating it often will tend to gain weight and may suffer loose…
Judge the dog, not the bowl: from above you should see a visible waist behind the ribs, from the side the belly should tuck up, and with flat hands you should feel ribs easily under a thin fat cover, like knuckles under skin, without pressing hard. No waist, ribs you must hunt for, and a round belly point to too much;…
Stand the bowl in a shallow tray of water, creating a moat ants cannot cross, and feed measured meals on a schedule instead of leaving food sitting out, lifting the bowl as soon as your dog walks away. Wipe up spills and drips of wet food immediately, hose or sweep the feeding area daily, and move the feeding spot…
Slow the eating itself: serve the food in a slow-feeder bowl, or spread it across a muffin tin or baking tray as an obstacle course, and split the day's food into smaller meals given more often. Feed in a quiet spot with no competition, keep water available, and let him rest after meals rather than play. Whoever feeds…
Start with a vet-set target weight, then feed for that weight rather than her current one. Weigh her food on a kitchen scale instead of scooping — cups over-pour — and reduce her daily amount in small steps, typically around 10 percent at a time, so she loses fat rather than muscle. Cut treats, chews, and table scraps…
Almost certainly not a different food — most dogs should stay on the same complete food all year, and what can change is the amount. A dog who works, hikes, or lives outdoors in cold weather burns more energy and may need larger portions, while a dog who naps through summer heat often needs slightly less. Adjust…
Yes, sardines are one of the best occasional treats you can offer a dog: small oily fish rich in omega-3s, with soft edible bones that provide calcium, and lower mercury exposure than large fish because sardines are small and short-lived. Choose sardines packed in water with no added salt, drain them, and offer one…
Raw eggs are not recommended for dogs. They carry a risk of salmonella, which can make dogs ill and can also pass to the people handling bowls and bedding, and raw egg whites contain avidin, which interferes with vitamin absorption when fed regularly. Cooked plain egg — boiled or scrambled with nothing added — gives a…
Yes, dogs can eat raspberries in small amounts, and their soft texture and strong scent make them a handy training treat. Wash them, then offer two or three berries to a small dog and a small handful to a large dog. Raspberries contain natural sugars and naturally occurring trace xylitol, harmless at treat scale but a…
Yes, dogs can eat quinoa in small amounts when it is rinsed well and cooked plain in water. Rinsing removes the natural bitter saponin coating on the grains, which can irritate the stomach, and cooking until the spirals unfurl makes it digestible. Serve a spoonful over normal food as an extra, never quinoa from…
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.…
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