Human Food as Pet Treats – What You Didn’t Know!

Let’s face it – many of us have been guilty at some point of staring down into those big, mournful eyes looking up at the dinner table and just given in. A sneaky scrap of your roast chicken, or a juicy slither of your hot dog, or that sprinkling of cheese for your beloved pet won’t go amiss as you put some on your own spaghetti. But human food as treats for pets can have some unhealthy consequences!

Even milk, can cause issues for your pet. It’s fairly common to perhaps believe that cats love milk, and so “treating” them to the occasional bowl each week would surely be nice for them, however many cats are lactose intolerant. Milk isn’t a necessary requirement for your cat’s nutrition and giving them some could cause serious health issues or upset stomachs, all because you believed you were giving them a treat.

Pets Vs Humans foods as treats

What you might be surprised to learn, is just what these ‘intended for human” foods as treats for pets equate to. For example, a glass of whole milk for your cuddly cat is equivalent to three hamburgers! Just the one hot dog is the same as two and a half hamburgers! That’s crazy stuff when you look at it like that! In this context it is easy to see how regular treats of this nature can lead to weight gain – and the problems this can introduce – in our pets.

How you can help

You may have realised that now is probably a good time to be extra vigilant to how much your pet consumes and how often they exercise. If your local veterinarian has recommended you put your pet on a diet, there are lots of things you can do to help them. These tips are a great way to help get your pawfect pet back in shape. Swimming is also an excellent exercise for your pet and teaching them how to swim early on can have wonderful health benefits for them!

If you are ever unsure of what to feed your pet or need more advice on how to keep them healthy, please contact your local vet. If your companion gets temperamental or anxious about the change of foods, or perhaps are worried or stressed over any recent change in general, you may wish to consult a trained pet expert on ways to help reduce their anxiety.

Below, we have created a helpful human foods as treats for pets infographic to help you see which foods you should avoid giving your cat and dog.

We have created the above infographic to demonstrate which tempting treats for pets can equate to in human food. As you can see something that you may think is really small can end up being a massive portion for your pet, so it’s best to avoid giving them these foods entirely. Read more to find out which other foods can be potentially harmful to your pet and learn how to prevent toxicity in your dog.

Featured Image credit: Gentle Dog Trainers