Is human food good for your pet?

National Pet Wellness month is coming to a close, but it‘s still important to keep your pet at a healthy weight. We want to share some insight on a variety of human treats you may feed your pets and their caloric levels.

You often hear not to feed your pet from your table—as difficult as it may be to say “no” to those pleading eyes. Human food has different caloric weight—no pun intended—than pet foods. That piece of cheese, cup of milk or dog biscuit may seem like a treat, but it is a whole meal for your pet. Too many snacks add up.

According to HillsPet.Co.UK here are some treat conversions for cats and dogs:

  • 3 slices of salami for dogs is the equivalent to 2 cheeseburgers
  • 1 grocery brand dog treat is the equivalent to 1 cheeseburger
  • 80 grams of canned tuna for cats is the equivalent to 3 ½ cheeseburgers
  • 15 grams of cheese for cats is the equivalent to 2 cheeseburgers

If you are unsure about the calorie contest of your pet’s food or snacks, there are plenty of calorie trackers online that you can use as resources, including this one from the Pet Nutrition Alliance. Just like with people, pet treats and snacks are good in moderation.

*Inspiration for this blog comes from Hillspet.co.uk