Can the dog eat homogenized food for children? Risks and benefits – If we have a newborn baby at home as well as a furry friend, we may wonder if the dog can eat homogenized, perhaps by mistake, or if it is harmful.
A baby at home is always good news, a bundle of happiness that comes into our life. But if we also have a dog, we should ask ourselves how these two love balls can live together better. First of all, can baby products be harmful to our four-legged friend? After all, could the dog find something new interesting, and if he ate it while we can’t stop it? Can the dog eat homogenized food for children, or is it a health risk? Let’s see any risks and benefits of this food.
Can the dog eat homogenized food?
The nutritional formulas of homogenised products are obviously designed for human children. But this does not necessarily mean that it hurts our dog. After all, baby food is very tasty for a four-legged child, and maybe we would also be tempted to use it to flavor his croquettes when he doesn’t want to eat …
Dogs obviously have different dietary needs than a human puppy, but most vets will certainly agree that a homogenate is not toxic in itself to our furry friends. Unless, of course, it contains certain ingredients that are toxic to dogs.
At the same time, however, we shouldn’t feed our dog too often. This is because it would make him a little picky about food. Young puppies in particular can easily develop some food confusion which is very frustrating for the owners.
The ingredients
Once it is established that – with the right precautions and sporadically – the dog can eat homogenized, let’s talk about the ingredients that make up this food. We have to be very selective about it, because as anticipated before, some ingredients in themselves are toxic to our four-legged friend.
Foods usually used in homogenized foods can be:
The good news is that these foods are beneficial, and generally positive for dogs. The problem arises with any brand of homogenate that contains onion (usually in powder) or garlic. These will be totally eliminated because they are extremely toxic to dogs. Grapes are also an ingredient to be avoided if used in baby food. We therefore always read the label, for safety.
Homogenized is not for healthy dogs
Baby food is often used in emergency animal hospitals for pets that are unwell. According to veterinarians, in fact, the dog can eat homogenized if he is very sick, so as not to try to chew normal food. After all, it can be easily administered even with a syringe in more serious cases, and during rehabilitation dogs can continue to eat it alone before they can touch normal food.
For a healthy dog, however, there is no need to use this type of food, formulated for human puppies – let’s remember it. Indeed, it is really better to avoid experimenting with foods not suitable for dogs, when we talk about dieting for our furry friends: even allergic reactions are not out of the question. At bottom, let’s keep our dog’s life as simple as possible!
If the dog likes homogenised
We must be careful if the dog likes the homogenized, because he may then get used to it, and refuse normal, healthier food for him / her. If it happens, our puppy may begin to refuse to eat what he really needs to be healthy. And we must not make mistakes in regards: giving in to the whims of our dog is a sign of behavioral problems coming, and we must absolutely avoid it, especially as puppies.
We must always instill in our dog (if puppy, even more) that if he does not eat his food – without addition of homogenized – he will have nothing else, and will likely end up hungry. We must be firm, also taking into consideration to keep food, if the dog refuses to eat.
Some people mix baby homogenate with dog food, which is more suitable for their four legs. It may be fine in case the dog doesn’t want to eat, perhaps, but once again, we must make sure that the homogenised products we use do not contain harmful ingredients.
And the portion of dog food should always be most of the portion we supply. In this way, the food provided to our puppy will certainly be more balanced and nutritious (always assuming that we are buying good quality products for dogs, based on their nutritional needs).
Homogenized on medical advice
So even if the dog can eat homogenized food for children, it shouldn’t have it as the main food, and in any case for no valid reason. Otherwise, it is not recommended to give this type of food. Unless, of course, the vet specifically recommends it.
Although they are usually not dangerous, the nutritional formulas of these baby foods do not offer the right balance of vitamins and minerals. After all, it is clear that dogs have a distinct set of nutritional requirements compared to human infants, so they cannot find a suitable meal for them in a portion of food such as homogenized.
Last but not least: we must never encourage what could become a bad eating habit in our puppy. We avoid getting used to a healthy dog to eat incorrect food, giving him too often foods that he is greedy but that is not good for him/her.