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When it comes to healthy eating, what’s good for you may not be so good for your dog. According to Lila Miller, DVM, ASPCA Vice President and Veterinary Outreach Advisor, and Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, food items that are easily ingested by humans can be very damaging to our canine friends. Among the more harmful foods are alcohol, coffee, chocolate, onions, grapes, raisins, garlic, salt, macadamia nuts, yeast dough, avocado, and items which contain the artificial sweetener xylitol.
While these are fine for human consumption, sharing them with your dog can result in gastrointestinal distress for the animal and, in some cases, more serious long term health complications. For example, macadamia nuts can cause a dog to experience hind limb weakness and ataxia (unsteadiness or wobbling in his/her gait), and onions can cause anemia and gastrointestinal distress (Visit the ASPCA’s website (www.aspca.org) for a listing of foods that are harmful for dogs which is listed on the Animal Poison Control link).
Dr. Miller has some sound advice to those of us who like to give their dogs nibbles from the dinner table. She notes that sharing table scraps on a consistent basis can be harmful. The food may be too high in protein and fat, actually damaging their systems. The best nutritional plan for our dogs, she states, is one which takes into consideration the unique nutrition needs of the dog based on age, health condition, and lifestyle.
Feeding your dog a commercially prepared product which has met the standards of the Association of American Feed Control Officials (http://www.aafco.org ) will give your pet the right blend of protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. But she is quick to caution that there is no blanket recommendation when it comes to choosing dog food and that a proper diet is best developed with the assistance of your vet. If you choose to prepare your dog’s food yourself using fresh ingredients, she recommends that you obtain recipes from your vet and make sure that you have discussed and incorporate the use of proper supplementation in the dog’s diet.
Dr. Miller suggests using Nylabones and Kongs for chew toys and advises to never give a dog animal bones, such as beef and chicken, which often splinter as the dogs gnaw on them. It’s best to give your dog rawhide and chew toy treats when you are with him/her in case any problems arise such as pieces of rawhide getting stuck in the dog’s throat.
For those times when you want to offer your dog a treat, commercial biscuits and snacks are best. But if you want to make them a special, once in a while homemade snack, one or two of these Bananarama Doggie Nuggets are a healthy choice. While you wouldn’t want to treat your dog to these on a daily basis, they are nice to have in the freezer for an occasional treat for the both of you!
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https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/victoria-wesseler/442-healthy-dog-food/
Feeding Fido
When it comes to healthy eating, what’s good for you may not be so good for your dog. According to Lila Miller, DVM, ASPCA Vice President and Veterinary Outreach Advisor, and Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, food items that are easily ingested by humans can be very damaging to our canine friends. Among the more harmful foods are alcohol, coffee, chocolate, onions, grapes, raisins, garlic, salt, macadamia nuts, yeast dough, avocado, and items which contain the artificial sweetener xylitol.
While these are fine for human consumption, sharing them with your dog can result in gastrointestinal distress for the animal and, in some cases, more serious long term health complications. For example, macadamia nuts can cause a dog to experience hind limb weakness and ataxia (unsteadiness or wobbling in his/her gait), and onions can cause anemia and gastrointestinal distress (Visit the ASPCA’s website (www.aspca.org) for a listing of foods that are harmful for dogs which is listed on the Animal Poison Control link).
Dr. Miller has some sound advice to those of us who like to give their dogs nibbles from the dinner table. She notes that sharing table scraps on a consistent basis can be harmful. The food may be too high in protein and fat, actually damaging their systems. The best nutritional plan for our dogs, she states, is one which takes into consideration the unique nutrition needs of the dog based on age, health condition, and lifestyle.
Feeding your dog a commercially prepared product which has met the standards of the Association of American Feed Control Officials (http://www.aafco.org ) will give your pet the right blend of protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. But she is quick to caution that there is no blanket recommendation when it comes to choosing dog food and that a proper diet is best developed with the assistance of your vet. If you choose to prepare your dog’s food yourself using fresh ingredients, she recommends that you obtain recipes from your vet and make sure that you have discussed and incorporate the use of proper supplementation in the dog’s diet.
Dr. Miller suggests using Nylabones and Kongs for chew toys and advises to never give a dog animal bones, such as beef and chicken, which often splinter as the dogs gnaw on them. It’s best to give your dog rawhide and chew toy treats when you are with him/her in case any problems arise such as pieces of rawhide getting stuck in the dog’s throat.
For those times when you want to offer your dog a treat, commercial biscuits and snacks are best. But if you want to make them a special, once in a while homemade snack, one or two of these Bananarama Doggie Nuggets are a healthy choice. While you wouldn’t want to treat your dog to these on a daily basis, they are nice to have in the freezer for an occasional treat for the both of you!
Serves/Makes: 18
- 3 ripe, firm bananas (6-7 inch size)
- 2 cups finely chopped peanuts
Line a rimmed baking pan with parchment paper or non stick foil.
Cut the bananas into one inch rounds.
Sprinkle the peanuts onto a flat plate and coat the banana rounds with the peanuts by gently pressing the cut sides of the banana into the peanuts.
Place the nut coated banana rounds on the baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze overnight.
Store in the freezer in a freezer proof bag or container.
NOTE: Talk to your vet before treating your dog to these, or any, snacks.
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©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/victoria-wesseler/442-healthy-dog-food/