Carrots and nuts safe for dogs?

Dr. Marie replied:

Hi Robert...thanks so much for your question!

My general rule of thumb for table food for dogs is to not allow the treats to be more than 10% of the dog's calorie intake and to stick to low calorie foods such as fruits and vegetables when possible.

Carrots are definitely safe to give. I would be very careful about how many nuts she gets though. Nuts are loaded in fat and a dog of Gracie's size would not need to eat very many nuts each day to gain weight. (I have seen far too many overweight Bostons!) Most nuts are generally safe to give. However, avoid macadamia nuts as these can actually be toxic to dogs.

Again, potato chips are something that should be a very rare treat and in extremely small amounts unless you want a blimpy boston!

Other foods that are potentially toxic to dogs are onions, garlic, grapes, raisins and chocolate. I also recommend no bones are given at all.

None of the foods you mentioned should cause Gracie to be constipated. I am wondering if you are seeing blood in her anal area because she has some inflammation in her colon? Dogs can often get colitis simply from eating something they are not used to. When the colon is inflamed it can bleed very easily. It is usually nothing to worry about. Often when dogs have colitis we think they are constipated because they are straining...but really they are straining because of cramping and intestinal pain.

If she does have colitis often a 24 hour period of no food followed by small meals of chicken and rice does the trick.

Is she bothering with her anal area at all? Another possible reason for blood in this area is an anal sac infection. Usually when dogs have this they will be quite irritated and bothering with their anal area. If you think this is the case, then a vet visit is a good idea.

I hope this info helps! Have fun with your new pup!

Related question: Are tomatoes bad for dogs?
Dr. Marie.



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