Vet's advice

Can You Give Dogs Table Scraps?

All those big eyes fixed on us from under the table as we finish dinner. Slipping the dog a scrap seems a small, affectionate gesture, but is it really harmless? We asked a vet: some foods from the table can be given in moderation, others are to be avoided absolutely. Here's the guide to getting it right — plus some advice for the dog that eats too much, or too fast.

"What can dogs eat?" and "what shouldn't a dog eat?" are among the most-searched questions by owners, and for good reason: the home kitchen is full of foods that are normal for us but that, for the dog, range from harmless to frankly dangerous. Let's see how to find your way, starting from the short answer.

The short answer (and why "one little morsel" is never neutral)

Can you give dogs table scraps? On the whole, better not — or at least with great care. Not because every scrap is toxic, but because our dishes are designed for us: too salty, too seasoned, too fatty, and sometimes containing ingredients that are indigestible or poisonous for the dog. Even when the single morsel does no immediate harm, the habit of "giving a little piece" every day builds up weight problems and nutritional imbalances over time.

There's an educational aspect too. Handing over food from your own plate, especially while at the table, sends the dog a message that risks fuelling pestering and bad habits. It's no coincidence that "giving your dog food from the table" is one of the five most common dog feeding mistakes. The golden rule: if you really want to reward it, do so with awareness, away from meals and choosing the right foods.

Table foods that are safe in moderation

Not everything is off-limits. Some simple foods, in small amounts and prepared the right way (cooked without salt, without seasoning, without garlic or onion), can be offered occasionally as a treat:

• Cooked lean meat without seasoning: boiled chicken, turkey or beef, with skin, bones and fatty parts removed.
• Well-cooked, deboned fish, as a source of protein and omega-3.
• Vegetables such as carrots, courgettes, green beans or pumpkin, cooked or raw in small pieces: few calories and a good dose of fibre.
• Some types of fruit in small amounts, such as apple (without seeds and core) or blueberries. Never grapes or raisins, which are toxic to dogs.
• Well-cooked rice or potato, in minimal portions, also useful in the case of a delicate stomach.

Even these "safe" foods remain an extra: they should be counted in the day's total and shouldn't exceed a small percentage of the overall calories, otherwise they unbalance the diet.

Foods and scraps to avoid absolutely

There is then a list of foods that should never be given to a dog, because they're toxic or dangerous. Keep it in mind, especially during holidays and dinners when scraps are plentiful:

• Cooked bones: they splinter and can perforate the mouth, throat or intestine. Among the riskiest scraps of all.
• Chocolate, coffee and tea: they contain substances (theobromine, caffeine) toxic to dogs even in small doses.
• Onion, garlic, leek and shallot: raw or cooked, they damage the red blood cells and can cause anaemia.
• Grapes and raisins: potentially responsible for acute kidney failure.
• Cold cuts and cured meats (ham, salami, frankfurters, bacon): too much salt, too much fat and preservatives.
• Fried and very fatty foods: they can trigger digestive upsets and pancreatitis.
• Sweets, custards and products with xylitol: xylitol, a sweetener found in many "sugar-free" products, is extremely toxic.
• Alcohol and raw leavened dough: dangerous even in small amounts.
• Milk and fatty cheeses: many dogs are lactose intolerant and get diarrhoea.
• Avocado, macadamia nuts and very spicy foods: to keep well away from the bowl.

It goes without saying that even baby food purées made for children, often used as an "easy treat", can contain onion, garlic or salt and aren't a safe choice without reading the label carefully. In the event of accidental ingestion of one of these substances, contact the vet or a poison control centre at once: acting quickly makes the difference.

Why scraps unbalance the diet

Even setting toxicity aside, there's a subtler reason why scraps aren't a good idea: they unbalance a diet that, ideally, should be complete and balanced. Our dishes contain a lot of salt, excess fat and what are known as "hidden calories": a spoonful of sauce, a piece of cheese, the crust of a pizza seem like nothing to us, but on a dog of a few kilos they weigh a great deal in proportion.

The result is twofold. On the one hand the dog takes in nutrients in excess or in the wrong proportions; on the other, filling up on scraps, it eats less of its balanced food and risks not meeting its needs for vitamins and minerals. It's the easiest way to end up, month after month, with a dog that's both overweight and poorly nourished. To work out how many calories your dog really needs, we recommend the guide on how much a dog should eat.

The dog that eats too fast: risks and remedies

There's also a behaviour that worries many owners: the dog that eats too much, and especially too fast, devouring the bowl in a few seconds. It's not just a matter of good manners. A dog that gulps its food at high speed swallows a lot of air along with the meal and is more prone to bloating, regurgitation and vomiting right after eating. In large, deep-chested breeds, eating too fast is also one of the factors associated with gastric dilatation-volvulus, an emergency that can be life-threatening.

Eating too much, in general, can cause genuine indigestion: a tense belly, pain, nausea, bouts of diarrhoea. What happens if a dog eats too much in one go? In most cases it gets through it with a few hours of discomfort, but if the belly looks swollen and hard, the dog is agitated, tries to vomit without succeeding or appears prostrate, you must see the vet at once.

To slow down a "greedy" dog and reduce these risks there are several practical measures:

• Slow-feeder bowls with ridges that force the dog to eat more slowly.
• Several meals a day instead of a single large ration, so the stomach isn't filled all at once.
• Mats, balls and food-dispensing toys that turn the meal into an activity, drawing out the time.
• Separate meals if there are several dogs in the house, to eliminate the competition that drives fast eating.
• Measured portions: sometimes the dog "is always hungry" simply because the rations need recalibrating.

If, despite these measures, the dog keeps eating frantically, vomiting often after meals or searching for food constantly, it's worth having it examined: sometimes there are medical causes behind excessive hunger that need investigating.

Alternatives to scraps: healthy snacks and correct portions

The good news is that you don't have to give up the pleasure of rewarding your dog: you just have to do it the right way. Instead of table scraps you can use snacks designed for dogs, or small pieces of the safe foods seen above (a bit of carrot, a morsel of boiled chicken), always in measured amounts and counted into the day.

The true gesture of love, though, starts from the everyday bowl. A complete, balanced diet covers all the dog's needs and greatly reduces the "craving for scraps", because the dog is genuinely full and nourished. The Pappa Fresh recipes are created precisely this way: a single quality protein, no preservatives, no superfluous ingredients, in portions calculated for the dog's weight and lifestyle — the exact opposite of improvising with scraps.

In short

Can you give dogs table scraps? Better not, unless with great care. Some simple foods — cooked lean meat, deboned fish, certain vegetables and a little safe fruit — can be offered in moderation as an occasional treat. Others must be avoided absolutely: cooked bones, chocolate, onion and garlic, grapes and raisins, cured meats, fried foods, sweets and products with xylitol. Scraps, moreover, unbalance the diet with salt, fat and hidden calories. Watch out too for the dog that eats too much or too fast: with slow-feeder bowls, more frequent meals and correct portions you reduce bloating, vomiting and more serious risks. The foundation always remains the same — a complete, balanced diet in the right amounts. For more answers, take a look at our frequently asked questions.