Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Dog

Raw Meat, Fish

This one is a subject of controversy, as many vets are seeing health benefits from their patients switching to raw meat diets, including healthier skin and coats, cleaner teeth, and easier digestion. Some vets recommend cooking raw food to kill off bacteria and parasites that can be harmful to dogs. The majority of vets and the FDA still discourage feeding raw meat to dogs, and salmonella and e. coli infections do happen in canines. Most of these infections happen to dogs whose immune systems are already compromised, but it may be hard to tell if your dog’s immune system is completely healthy. Raw eggs have enzymes that can cause skin conditions in dogs, and raw fish can hide parasites that cause fatal diseases. There are risks to a raw diet that you need to weigh against the benefits before you decide to try it. These risks can be reduced through freezing and proper preparation, but you need to learn how to properly handle raw food before you feed it to your dog.