Too many table scraps can upset your pet’s nutritional balance. If you are offering healthy table scraps, don’t give him more than one-third of the diet in table scraps in terms of calories. Remember that calories in human food will add up much faster than the calories in your dog’s food. A cup of dog food might contain 375 calories, while a cup of table scraps could contain considerably more.

Why it's bad: Most of our dogs are lactose intolerant, reports Sonja Olson, DVM. Just like in people who have this condition, eating things like milk, cheese, and ice cream can lead to a variety of stomach issues.

Worst-case scenario:Vomiting, diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal problems that may require hospitalization.

 

Turkey breast (white meat) without the skin has 38 calories per oz.

 

Dark meat turkey without the skin is more caloric, as it contains 46 calories per 1 oz.

 

 

Sweet potato, boiled and without the skin contains 22 calories (confirm) per 1 oz (5.3 oz is a medium sized sweet potato).

Sweet potato is a regular staple of my dog’s (and my) diet due to the vegetable’s high fiber and antioxidant (beta carotene) content.

 

Non-Sweet Potatomall quantities of natural sweeteners (honey and orange juice instead of sugar).

 

Choose canned or fresh/cooked options and not pumpkin pie filling (which has added sugar and fat) for your pet, as canned, unsalted pumpkin has 10 calories per 1 oz.

 

Pumpkin contains nearly three grams of fat

 

Potato, boiled and without skin (e.g., white, Russet potato) contains more calories than sweet potato at 26 calories per oz.

 

In general, I suggest sweet over other varieties of potato for my patients and personal pooch due to the nutritional makeup.

 

 

Ocean Spray Whole Cranberry Sauce (canned) has 110 calories per 2 oz (1/4 cup) serving.

 

I avoid commercially available cranberry sauce, as I prepare a fresher and less-caloric version by adding s

iber per 8 oz (1 cup) serving and can help with canine and feline constipation and diarrhea.

 

 

Like Turnip, green beans is another low-calorie food, having only 10 calories per 1 oz

 

Green beans can also be fed raw as a crunchy and delicious snack to replace those nasty, faux-meat or potentially-toxic, China-made jerky treats.

 

My suggestion is to feed the above foods without calorie-increasing flavor enhancers, as every portion of butter, milk, or cream added to Thanksgiving Day foods significantly increases calorie and fat content.

 

A pat of butter (1 inch square x 0.3 inch thick) has 36 calories, all of which are from fat (4.1 g of fat).

 

1 tbsp (0.5 fluid oz) of whole milk has 9 calories with 5 being from fat (0.5g of fat).

 

1 tbsp (0.5 fluid oz) of heavy whipping cream has 52 calories with 50 being from fat (5.6g of fat).

 

Like chocolate, caffeine is a stimulant. Dogs are more sensitive to the effects of caffeine than people. A couple of laps of tea or coffee are unlikely to do any harm, but if your dog swallows a handful of coffee beans or tea bags they could be in danger.  Signs and treatment of caffeine poisoing are similar to chocolate toxicity.

Raisins, currants and sultanas affect different dogs in different ways and scientists can’t work out why. However, experts agree that they contain chemical compounds that are potentially very toxic to dogs – even when cooked in a pie or a cake. At best, your dog could suffer from diarrhoea and vomiting and, at worst, dried-fruit poisoning could lead to kidney failure.

Fresh fruit

Like dried fruit, grapes are highly toxic and should be kept away from your pet. The pips and stones of some fruits (such as apples, plums, peaches and cherries) contain a chemical called amygdalin, which can cause a digestive upset. Large fruit stones are also a choking hazard – particularly among puppies and small breeds.