Have you heard…?
Everyone has heard stories of the common signs or behaviors that indicate your pet is sick. Not all of these are true. These are usually called Old Wives Tales for a reason. Is there any basis behind them? Are some just stories spread to inspire fear and doubt? Fortunately, I have compiled some common Old Wives Tales and will reveal if they are true or false.
Let’s start with some common tales we have been told regarding which foods your pet can and cannot have.
1) Your pet must eat kibble (dry food) in order to have clean teeth.
I was always told this while growing up. It seemed to make sense at the time and I can see why many people still believe it. But, when you really think about it… it makes no sense. This Wives Tale claims that eating dry, hard foods will keep tartar off your pets’ teeth. Well, if that is true for your pet, then it should be true for you too, right? A good analogy one of my mentors told me is, “It’s like saying chewing a bunch of almonds is just as good as brushing your teeth”. When you think of it like that, it sounds absurd, right? The truth is, only brushing your pets’ teeth will help control the tartar build up. It has nothing to do with how hard or crunchy their food is. Check out Embrace Insurance’s post about the same myth or Google if kibble is good for your pet’s teeth. There are lots of sites that show similar analogies of how absurd it sounds if you apply the same concept to humans.
2) It’s ok to give milk to cats
There is some truth and some falsehood to this tale. If you start offering milk to a cat at a young age, it can usually tolerate it well until they get older. Cats develop intolerance to milk as they grow due to their inability to produce the enzyme, Lactase. They may get an upset stomach when offered milk or other dairy products.
3) Pets should not eat people food
While it is true that pets should not have table scraps, it is acceptable to feed them human-grade food if it is prepared properly for your pet. Table scraps are not good for your pet because they tend to have fats and spices added which make them more palatable to us. Those fats and spices can be dangerous to your pets, so never offer them table scraps. You can, however, prepare low fat foods with no added flavoring. These foods can be given as treats, or you can also provide them a balanced diet of cooked human-grade ingredients if you add the proper vitamins and minerals. It’s best to consult your veterinarian if you choose to cook for your pet to make sure you offer a balanced diet.
Be sure to check out the ASPCA poisonous foods list to know which foods to avoid. Also, make sure to properly cook any protein you offer your pets so as to kill common food-borne pathogens like Salmonella, E. coli, or Listeria. Never feed your pet raw meats. I will go into why raw food is not recommended for your pets in another post.
