Having dogs is fun when you remember the love and attention that they give to you. If you have dogs, you tend to give them a lot of treats and delicious meals.
What treats can you give to dogs?
Some dog owners give their dogs baby food. Can dogs eat baby food? If so, what type of baby food can dogs eat? Here are seven baby food ideas for your dogs:
Table of Contents
1. Baby Formula
Baby formula is packed with every nutrient essential for the growth of your baby. Guess what, even dogs can eat baby formula. Baby formula will enrich your dog’s diet with proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and other needed nutrients.
Dogs need less iron in their food than we do and baby formula has some iron in it, but not enough to make it unsafe for dogs to consume. Dogs also need fiber in their diet, but the fiber content in baby formula is low. This means that you should give baby formula to dogs as treats and not regular meals.
2. Gerber Baby Food
Gerber baby foods are completely safe for dogs just like your baby. Most Gerber foods are made with fruits and dogs love their fruits. Gerber foods also have a lot of vitamins and minerals that your dog needs.
Both young and old dogs can eat Gerber baby food. You can even use this type of food to give an appetite to sick dogs.
3. Fruits
Fruits are essential for dogs as they are natural, delicious, and nutritious. Examples of fruits that both babies and dogs can eat are:
- Bananas: Sweet ripe bananas are treats for your dogs. Bananas are rich in potassium and other nutrients for your puppies and adult dogs.
- Pumpkins: Do you love pumpkins? Well, so do dogs. Give only ripe pumpkins to dogs.
- Apples: Dogs can eat apples and they love apples. Please do not allow your dogs to eat apple seeds as they can be toxic to dogs.
- Blueberries: These berries are rich in antioxidants, so they are safe for your dog and help to boost their immune system.
- Cantaloupe: This fruit is an awesome source of water and nutrients for dogs. Give cantaloupes to your dogs when they are hot.
- Pineapples: A lot of babies love pineapples as well as pineapple juice. If you have leftovers, you should give them to your dogs.
- Tomatoes: Tomatoes are rich in water, vitamins, and minerals for your babies as well as your dogs.
Most fruits are rich in sugars. You should give fruits to your dogs like treats, not a regular meal.
4. Vegetables
Vegetables are good for the health of your babies. Vegetables give fiber as well as vitamins and minerals to your baby. Just like babies, dogs can eat vegetables. Here are examples of vegetables that you can give to your dogs:
- Potatoes: Potatoes are tuber vegetables that are rich in starch. Many parents make potato pudding for their babies. You should give potatoes to your dogs as treats.
- Spinach: This fiber-rich vegetable is safe and healthy for dogs. You can give your dogs spinach by mixing it with other types of food.
- Carrots: Dice or slice carrots for your dogs as they love them. Carrots are healthy treats for both young and old dogs.
- Peas: Do you have peas to spare? Why not give them to your dogs? Peas are not the favorite treat for dogs, but they still eat them when provided.
- Lettuce: Just like spinach, lettuce is a healthy leafy green for dogs.
Remember that if your dogs do not like their vegetables, you can mix the vegetables with other types of foods (foods that your dogs love to eat).
5. Baby Puffs
Do you have some baby puffs to spare? Baby puffs are delicious treats for dogs. Baby puffs are made with nutritious ingredients that are not harmful to your dogs when eaten in moderate quantities. Some ingredients used in making baby puffs are:
- Wheat flour
- Sugar
- Oat flour
- Rice flour
As you can see, baby puffs are completely safe for dogs.
6. Meaty Baby Foods
Any baby food that contains meat is probably a favored treat for dogs. Dogs need meat as well as other protein sources for their full development. You can give beef, chicken, pork, or any meaty products to your dogs. Make sure that the food is well-processed and it has not stayed open for too long before you give it to your dog.
7. Other Safe Recipes
If you make your baby food by yourself, you can give it to your dog so long as it meets the criteria below:
- It does not contain chocolates
- It does not contain toxic items such as apple seeds
- There are low levels of iron in the food
- The level of sugar is moderate to low
- It is not a medical recipe or product
Any of your special recipes that match the criteria above can be given to your dog (in little quantity). You can also ask the vet if the product or recipe is safe for dogs.
As you can see, there are so many types of baby foods that dogs can eat. Don’t throw leftovers away. Instead, give them to your dogs as treats or meal-toppers!
Related Questions and Answers
Here are answers to a few similar questions:
1. Should You Replace Your Dog Food with Baby Food?
You should not give only baby food to your dogs. Baby food is usually high in carbohydrates and low in fibers and dogs need their fiber and very little sugars. Baby food can also be expensive, so giving only baby food to your dog can cost you a lot of money.
Instead of giving baby food to dogs regularly, here are some recommended methods of giving baby foods to dogs:
- As Treats and Rewards: Give baby food to dogs as treats. This means that you should give it occasionally and not often. Dogs love baby food (especially baby formula and meaty foods). You can use baby food to reward dogs for their good behavior during training.
- Mixed with Food: Instead of giving only baby food to your dog, you can mix it with their normal food. This will help your dogs to have more nutrients from their meal.
- Give Appetite to Sick Dog: Sick dogs usually lack appetite and will reject a lot of food. If your dog is rejecting meals, try to mix some baby food with their meal. Baby food will usually increase your dog’s appetite to eat.
- To Change Your Dog’s Food: When you change the food of your dog, they might lack interest in the new food. Try adding baby food to the new food for a few days to see if your dog will accept the food.
Giving baby food to your dogs just once in a while can increase the value that your dogs have for baby food. This makes baby food an awesome treat for dogs.
2. Can Puppies Eat Baby Food?
Puppies can eat baby food such as formula, baby puffs, fruits, meaty products, etc. One good quality of baby foods is that they are always very easy to digest. When your puppies eat baby food, they get nutrients quickly, and thus, baby food is beneficial for them.
Since puppies have their own formula which is cheaper than baby formula, you should give them baby food as treats and not their actual meal.
3. Can Baby Foods Make Dogs Sick?
Baby foods can make dogs sick at times. For example, baby food can give dogs stomach aches and headaches if they eat too much of it (especially when the food contains a lot of sugars). Also, baby food can make dogs sick when it has gone bad.
If you are giving leftover baby food to your dogs, make sure that it has not been open for a long time. Don’t give spoiled baby food to dogs nor other animals.
4. Can Cats Eat Baby Food?
Just like dogs, cats can eat baby food, but as treats and not actual foods. Cats love meaty baby foods even more, so you can give your cats some leftover products containing beef, chicken, pork, and other types of meat.
Don’t give too much baby food to cats else they might refuse to eat other foods (who wouldn’t prefer baby foods?).
5. Other Animals that Can Eat Baby Food
Here are examples of other animals that can eat baby food:
- Chinchillas: Chinchillas can eat plant-based baby foods such as fruits and vegetables.
- Guinea Pigs: Just like chinchillas, guinea pigs only eat plant-based products.
- Pigs: Pigs can eat several types of baby foods. Make sure that you do not give them too much.
- Rabbits: You can give your leftover fruits and vegetables to your pet rabbits as rabbits love to eat baby food.
- Goats: Got any baby food to spare? Goats can eat several types of baby food, but you should give them only plant-based products.
You should not waste your leftovers of baby food by throwing them away. Instead, give them to your pets and farm animals.
Found the answer to your question yet? I hope so!
Final Thoughts
Dogs can eat different types of baby foods. Dogs eat baby food products such as Gerber foods, vegetables, baby puffs, meaty foods, etc. Even though dogs can eat baby foods, you should make sure that they only eat baby food occasionally and not regularly.