letting your pet have scrapes

[Gentleladybear]

I learned the hard way about pork bones. Gave bear one and it broke up like bits of gravel.. made him so sick. If I have two T bones will give each dog one, but that is all. I make sure no sharp or splinter pieces to break off, just for chewing, not for eating.

I also found feeding them table scrapes would make them fat in a hurry, we have salt and sugar in our food. So table scrapes are off the list too.

[BarbaraRose]

I also have a cat and corn story. I was having corn on the cob with my meal one day and got up to answer the phone (back before cordless phones) and when I came back my corn cob was missing. Then I saw my cat, Mitzy, eating it on the floor. She would roll it a little, chew some corn, roll it again, chew some more, etc. I was laughing so hard I had to let her finish it (a small piece). Unfortunately, it didn't agree with her and came up about an hour later. Wasn't so funny cleaning that up! No more corn for her!

She was also the cat who stole and ate a whole plate full of chocolate chip cookies I hid (from my mom) under my bed one night. I blamed my mom for swiping them while I was sleeping, until I saw a very sick cat laying on the floor. (She did recover but I learned to hide the cookies in a higher place).

We had a Siamese cat who loved spaghetti, chow mein, potato chips, pizza, etc. He lived to be 23 years old! Mitzy lived to be 21.

[Acadianmom]

We had a cat that loved asparagus. She was bad about tearing into a loaf of bread. If we gave her a slice of bread she wouldn't eat it. One of our house cats now is willing to try just about anything we are eating. I know better than to give her much or she will throw up somethings. She even likes sweet things. You think she's not spoiled, she has ribeye steak if we have that. I am real careful to keep the others from developing a taste for table food. One beggar is enough.

When I was a kid our pets must have eaten leftovers. I don't remember us having pet food. I know my dad wouldn't have bought it. After I was grown I remember him cooking chicken necks and backs in the pressure cooker for the cats. He had outside cats so they were probably hunting too.

Martha

[Bethers]

Peaches is starting to get more specially made for her food. Some of it is made for both of us. I rarely use processed foods and I don't cook with salt or sugar (don't believe I've had sugar in my rig for a few years) very often so that not an issue. She won't get what's not good for her. If only I could say the same about me. Plus she is on a lower protein diet. Makes coming for her more difficult.

[snowball]

loved the stories...
thanks for the imput
sheila

[bluepinecones]

Very few table scrapes for Nicky and no bones. However, he is quick enough to grab anything thats hits the floor - even things he quickly decides he doesn't want to eat.

[MandysMom]

Beth, your cat and the muffins reminds me of my German Shepard when I first joined the Navy. I was to host our department nurse corps officers at my house one morning for our monthly meeting. I had bought a huge box of donuts and had them sealed on the back of the counter. Now this GS dog was only 6 mo old so not full size yet. When I got up to fix coffee and tea the entire box was on the floor mostly gone and dog laying there in a semi sugar coma. BurP! I was so upset but was really glad she did not get sick.
Velda

[Redetotry]

My dogs do get tiny bites of some of our food, think cheerio size bites. I never give large amounts of any food they are not used to or I would be sorry later when they lost it. They do love several fruits & veggies especially watermelon and apples and sugar snap peas and asparagus. Little Winnie knew the word peas and would get so excited. I do get those, I think they are called marrow bone, from a guy who raises organic beef. I give the inside marrow to my friend who eats mostly raw and then I cook the bones and tear off any remaining bits of meat, then they get the bone to chew on. They last forever and Mitzi especially has loved chewing on them. So far she hasn't been able to do anything but wear down a few small groves.

When I was married to my first husband we had a 6 dogs in the house. They were all very well behaved but as dogs can, they understood just about every word that was said. One night we were having steak and I called DH to dinner, he was doing something and ignored me. I told him again that dinner was ready and if he didn't come to the table I was giving his to the dogs. I went to the bathroom and when I came out one of the dogs was happily finishing the steak that was at DH's plate at the table I don't know if he ever really believed me that I did not give it to the dog, or if I shared my steak with him that night.

[retiredhappy]

Okay, so I found out the hard way that my new little guy Bailey, has a spring in his butt. I had two bananas on the table with the chairs pushed in tight. When I came in from outside half of one of the bananas was gone - not the peel, just the banana. If he jumped that high he COULD jump the fence but Thank God he hasn't even tried that.

[MandysMom]

At least bananas are pretty nutritious and I haven't heard of them harming dogs!
Velda

[BarbaraRose]

Just don't put any bananas on top of the fence!!

[avalen]

have always offered leftovers to the dogs, actually think its healthier than alot of the commercial dogfood.
When you think about it, back in the old days, thats all dogs ever got anyway and they were much healthier
then. Ok, guess I'm just supposing that theory cause I wasn't actually alive back in the old days, however
it seems like a very credible thought.

[MandysMom]

I remember in the 50's my Grandma tearing up stale bread and putting leftover veggies,and gravy, sometimes an egg in a bowl for their farm dogs. I don't recall any commercial dog food at the farm back then. Our dog got store bought dog food at home in the city.
Velda