Clearing up the dishes after sitting down to a family dinner its easy to want to toss the scraps of leftover meat to our favorite canine companion.
Often we don’t think twice, dogs are known to be meat eaters, so whats the harm in sharing whatever meat you and your family were eating for dinner with them?
Well, the answer can vary and as a result its important to know what meats are safe to be sharing with your dog and which ones should be avoided before jumping to offer a slice or two.
So Should I Give My Do Ham?
For instance, many don’t know that ham is actually not recommended as a meat that should be shared for with your dog.
While ham in small amounts is not known to have any toxic effects when consumed by canines, there are a number of reasons that this meat is not ideal for consumption by your pet.
Largely this is due to the amount of antibiotics and growth hormones that can often be found in the ham that we buy from grocery stores.
When pigs are raised to be used as meat for consumption they are often treated with antibiotics and growth hormones to help them to provide the optimal amount of meat.
While these antibiotics and growth hormones are in small enough traces to be safe for human consumption they are not as healthy for our dogs to be consuming.
Additionally, ham is a meat that is often regarded for its high salt content. This high content of salt is not ideal for dogs to consume and can also encourage the risk of diarrhea occurring in your pet.
Furthermore, the high-level of preservatives found in ham also work to make this meat a difficult one for your dog to digest. These sodium-enriched preservatives such as nitrates and nitrates are not only difficult for your dog’s digestive system to process but they also lessen the levels of protein and nutrition available in the meat making it an all around less healthy snack option for your dog.
Ham Alternatives For Dogs
When choosing to feed your dog some leftover meat there are a ton of options that are far healthier choices than ham when it comes to giving your canine companion something that will benefit their well-being while providing them with a treat.
Opt for less fatty meats like chicken and turkey when it comes to rewarding your dog and your pet will surely be thanking you for it in the long-run.
Final Thoughts
Meats are perhaps the easiest of our leftovers to give to our dogs without giving it a second thought as to whether or not these foods are actually healthy for our pets to be consuming.
While not outright toxic, ham is not recommended as a snack that you should be feeding your dog and when looking to give your dog a little leftover meaty treat, its recommended that you stick to more nutritious meats like chicken and turkey that are processed with less preservatives.
