22/09/2022
Here’s a corrected infographic to help fix the popular but incorrect meme that has been circulating on social media this last month.
Please DON’T post “But I’ve heard X food is toxic” in the comments, rather, post the research studies (not links to outdated dog websites or blogs that haven’t bothered to clarify their poorly written material) about foods that have been declared “toxic” if consumed by pets with no science to back up the claim.
When you spend time searching the literature for toxicology studies on the feeding of fresh fruits and veggies to pets you come up shockingly empty-handed. AAFCO/FEDIAF state we should not feed these foods to pets: onions, grapes/raisins, macadamia nuts and chocolate. Those studies exist, but that’s it. 4 foods.
Compare that to never ending TOXIC/DON’T FEED lists found all over social media and it’s so confusing; even worse, people share these posts without doing any research.
There’s a big difference between feeding a giant pit in a fruit (or a wad of bark or leaves) and feeding normal amounts the actual edible fruit or veggie; same goes for your two-legged kids. Toddlers and pets need to have the rinds, cores, seeds, leaves, stems and pits of fruits removed prior to eating, and all fruits and veggies need to be chopped into tiny, bite-sized pieces. Common sense, right?
I believe pet parents also have some common sense and won’t offer rinds, pits or cores to their pets as treats; AKC and ASPCA, please update or clarify your out-of-date website info 🙏🏼.
Suggestion for pet websites discussing feeding real foods: put a * by foods that have a rind, pit, core or stem. Remind folks training treats should less than 10% of an animal’s daily calories, and if your pet has never had the new food before, always feed them slowly, giving the GI tract time to adjust. Chop them into tiny pieces and offer in moderation.
It’s time to declare common sense for the win; pet parents aren’t idiots, so it’s time we stop perpetuating fear-based myths and denying animals the fresh food treats they deserve. 🫐🍎🍒🍑🥭🥑🥝🥦🥬🥕🍌🥚🥒🍆🥥🍉🐾
