The recent dog food scare has a lot of dog owners on edge, not knowing what they should do to protect their pet from future possible tainted dog food problems.

So what is the best option - take the risk and continue feeding your dog commercial dog food? Make homemade dog treats and meals for your dog? Or, perhaps feeding your dog table scraps?

The worst thing you can do is feed your dog table scraps. Your dog will love the taste of your table scraps, and you may think since what you are eating is healthy for you, it should also be healthy for your dog. But, foods that are good for us can be just as dangerous as tainted commercial dog food for your dog.

For example: A single piece of chocolate can cause seizures, coma and death. Even a small piece of chocolate is dangerous.

Anything containing caffeine, including coffee grounds, tea, and tea bags, can have a similar effect and be as dangerous as chocolate.

Raisins and grapes can cause kidney failure - even a single serving of raisins can kill your dog.

Excessive salt intake can also cause kidney problems.

Onions can cause anemia by destroying red blood cells.

Avocados are also highly toxic, and can cause breathing problems and fluid accumulation around the abdomen chest and heart.

If you give your dog bones, make sure that they are raw because cooked bones can splinter and damage their internal organs.

Excessive fat can cause pancreatitis, so it is not wise to feed your dog a diet of fatty foods.

Fried foods also fall into this category and are not good if you want to maintain excellent health in your dog.

Certain nuts, such as walnuts and Macadamia nuts can cause weakness and muscle tremors.

Peanut butter however is generally okay, provided you use the salt and sugar free peanut butter as sugar can encourage cancer growth.

The core and pits of fruits such as Apple's cherries and peaches contain cyanide, which is poisonous to dogs and can kill them within 24-hours, without warning.

If in doubt, don't feed your dog foods that you are eating assuming that they will be okay.

So what is the best option for taking care of our dog's nutritional needs in these frightening times?

For most people it's unreasonable to feed their dog homemade dog food for every meal. It takes time to prepare homemade dog treats and homemade dog food, and with our busy lives most people won't have that time.

I believe the best solution is to feed your dog good, quality commercial dog food and supplement that with homemade dog treats and homemade dog food meals. If you can feed your dog homemade dog treats and meals about 50% of the time, chances are good your dog will live a longer, healthier life.

About the Author

Mike Gates is a "Dog Enthusiast" providing practical, sound advice on dog behavior, dog health and dog-gone fun! Mike has a free gift for you and your dog - Free Recipes for Dog Food