It’s always wise to avoid making a habit of sharing table scraps with your dog. Once a dog becomes used to receiving a portion of dinner, it can be difficult to break them of the begging habit. Sticking to dog food will also help you maintain an understanding of how your dog is responding to its diet. It’s difficult to measure that when you’re always introducing strange and unnatural foods.
Are Olives Safe for Dogs to Eat?
Now that the lecture about giving your dogs table scraps is out of the way, perhaps you’re wondering if certain scraps are better than others. Dog food is made from food too, so it stands to reason that you could prepare your own dog food at home. Many dog owners do this with great success, using everything from fresh steaks to boiled sweet potatoes to create nutritionally balanced meals for their furry friends.
Olives contain a nice amount of healthy fats, which can contribute to a glistening coat and healthy skin. They aren’t bad for your dog in moderation. However, it’s crucial to choose the right variety of olives.
What Are the Dangers of a Dog Eating Olives?
Most canned olives are soaked in brine, which is highly salty. Salt does wonders for the preservation process, but it’s not ideal for a dog’s healthy diet. A dog’s body is generally smaller than a human’s, and dogs don’t release salt through the sweat glands the way humans do. Therefore, a buildup of salt in the body can have a worse affect on a dog, causing excessive thirst, dehydration or even salt poisoning.
Another big issue is the pit of the olive. Plain olives that aren’t preserved in salt often contain the pits, and even some of the pitted varieties end up with a pit or two left behind.
If your dog likes an olive or two as a treat once in a great while, it should be fine, but be sure to choose the plain, unsalted variety, and check the olive ahead of time to ensure the pit is gone. Dogs tend to just swallow things down, which could result in the pit getting stuck in the intestinal track, causing a blockage and requiring surgery. You don’t want your precious pooch to have to go through anything unpleasant, so be careful about using olives as treats.
