Can dogs eat what we eat?Updated 3 years ago

Dogs need food that meets their nutritional needs, which are different from ours. Plus, some "people food" is toxic for dogs. 

Before the invention of dog food as a category, dogs ate what we ate or scavenged for scraps.

But as research into canine physiology has improved, so has our understanding of their specific nutritional requirements. While they can eat most "people food" (though not all), a healthy human diet can leave a dog without critical vitamins and minerals. 

After a year or so on table scraps alone, with no added vitamins, a dog may lack:

• Calcium, which supports healthy bones, vascular contraction, nerve transmission, muscle functioning and hormonal secretion. 
• Vitamin D, which helps with calcium absorption and is needed for bone growth
• Vitamin E, a collective name for a group of compounds with antioxidant properties that support the immune system and metabolism 
• Choline, which helps with metabolism, cell integrity, muscle control, and nervous system functioning
• Phosphorus, which works with calcium to help build bones, contributes to cell signalling and energy production

Nutritional needs of dogs, defined

Dogs need 42 different vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids in addition to specific levels of protein and fat, for their food to be complete and nutritionally balanced. These include the following:
 
 12 essential minerals

• Calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, chloride, and iodine.

12 essential vitamins

• Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6 AND B9; choline; vitamins B12, or cobalamin; vitamin A; vitamin E; vitamin D; and vitamin K. (Research shows that the bacteria in a dogs gut helps produce vitamin K when fed real food; supplementation is only required in a heavily processed commercial diet)

5 essential fatty acids

• Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic (DHA), linoleic acid, arachidonic acid, alpha-linolenic acid. Puppies need all five to grow, but adult dogs don't need arachidonic. EPA, DHA, and alpha-linolenic acid are omega-3 fatty acids, which have an anti-inflammatory effect in the body, like fish oil. Linoleic acid and arachidonic acid are omega-6 fatty acids.

12 amino acids

• Tryptophan, threonine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, cystine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, valine, arginine and histidine. These are the building blocks of protein.

Taurine

• While not specifically "required" by most references, most veterinary formulators look at taurine levels because taurine deficiency has been linked to the recent increase of heart disease in dogs.