For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for November 22, 2008

Oh bummer, dogs make really good garbage disposals.

Perhaps Elly could reduce the amount of food she serves them, thus leaving little or no leftovers.

What kind of slop is she feeding her kids anyway? Looks like my sisters cooking!

Reminds me of the stuff Calvin’s mom feeds him … the stuff that attacks him.

I remember the days before there were any commercial pet foods. My grandparents cooked extra oatmeal so the dog could have some too.

I do not feed the pets the human foods. I usually feed them their pet foods for their healths.

Susan001 says: If I’m right, most experts discourage feeding table scraps to pets, as there may be ingredients that could be harmful to their health. You are right! :-] Other people feed their pets the human foods such as cheese, peas, leftovers on the plates. I tried to tell them not to feed the pets the human foods but they said Naah! So I back off and said nothing.

We once had a cat who ate corn on the cob like a human. Show him a boiled dinner, and he would ignore the beef and eat the veggies.

I know pet owners will never stop feeding human food to them, but I understand it’s not good for them healthwise. I would hate to think my dog got cancer because I fed her fatty foods. I do think that some foods are probably okay, but I would check with the vet to be sure. You can train a dog to not want human food by never giving it in the first place!

Dogs are omnivore and need some veggies too. That’s why they eat grass outdoors. We give our dogs broccoli every day. Potatoes and onions are not good for dogs.

I’m not a vet but what I was instructed as a longtime dog owner is that dog food contains the correct balance of nutrients to maintain the dog’s health (at least the good quality dog food does) whereas table scraps may be lacking. Of course a treat here and there isn’t going to hurt! My dogs eat ANYthing, including cherry tomatoes and onions. They don’t get a lot of it but the rule of the house is if it falls on the floor, it’s gone in seconds. Once in a while they get a piece of our snack as a treat. My mom’s cat loved cantaloupe and kale! On the other hand, my mother in law’s dog was fed table scraps and the poor thing ended up obese.

@howlingdogs - please don’t feed your dog onions - it has a chemical in it that can be poisonous. The other things seemed OK. Also, grapes, garlic, alcohol, apples (seeds), and of course chocolate can be very toxic. Please check with your vet!