Summer Barbecue: What Your Dog Can And Cannot Eat

Summer is finally here, and it’s the season of barbecue! Many pet owners will agree that pets enjoy barbecues as much as human do, but is BBQ really good for them? While it’s true that a few summer foods are not suitable for your best friend; that doesn’t mean you can’t share the treats with them. Here are some summer barbecue foods that your pup can eat and cannot eat.

Safe BBQ Foods

  • Grilled vegetables: Dog-friendly grilled veggies like bell peppers and asparagus, zucchini and sweet potato without any dressing or oils are great for dogs. Just make sure you cut them in bite-sized portions, so your pup doesn’t choke on the bigger pieces.
  • Barbecue burgers: Too much fatty meat is unhealthy for dogs, but you don’t have to settle for just veggies. A small amount of plain cooked burger patty will not harm your dog.
  • Wine: You probably didn’t expect to see wine on the list, but it is okay for your dog too. Well, not all kinds of wine though the type that is a mixture of all-natural ingredients like chamomile extract, yellow and red beets, anise seed and more. Examples are CharDOGnay and Zinfan-tail.
  • Grilled meat and fish: Small portions of grilled meat and fish will be a welcome treat. So consider giving your pet plain, cooked, steak, ribs and cooked salmon but be sure that there are no bones in sight. And don’t forget to leave off the intense spice rubs.
  • Doggy desserts: These are essentially dog desserts that contain natural sugar, and there are plenty of them that are great for pups. Great examples are frozen watermelon, grilled peaches and apples, frozen blueberries and carob crunchers.

Unsafe BBQ foods

  • Grapes and raisins: They may be great for you, but they are toxic for your canine friend as they often lead to vomiting and possibly even kidney failure if eaten for a long period.
  • Avocado: Avocado does have its benefits, but it poses health hazards due to a toxic compound called persin, which is known to cause stomach distress in dogs.
  • Bones that splinter: Dogs love bones, but if the bones splinter, it can cause your beloved pup to choke or sustain an injury. Cooked chicken bones are an example of bones that can splinter, so don’t toss any to your pet. Make sure all meat bones are properly disposed of and are out of reach.
  • Uncooked meat: Dogs are able to digest uncooked meat, but that doesn’t mean it is good for them. Raw meat often contains bacteria such as salmonella and listeria, which can make them ill.
  • Chocolate: It is common knowledge that chocolate is harmful if eaten by dogs as it can make them very ill.
  • Garlic and onions: They contain a toxin called Allium, and they can cause anaemia in dogs if sufficiently ingested, leading to other side effects like pale gums, weakness etc.
  • Any kind of alcohol: Much like humans, alcohol affects dogs, but the difference is that it takes only a small quantity for the effects to kick in. The effects include restlessness, diarrhea, difficulty breathing, tremors, coma and even death.

Now that you know the foods to avoid, you can now go-ahead to create a dog-friendly barbecue before cookout season gets into full swing!

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