Toxin-Free, Safe Foods for Dogs

Last Updated on July 13, 2022 by Colleen

Many of us are seeking healthier, safe foods for dogs. And, we want higher quality food than kibble.

Here are some easy tips on what to share safely from your plate with your beloved canine, including many ZEGO products!

Some Dog Foods Contain Dangerous Levels of Known Toxins

Toxins being found in dog food is a recurrent theme in the news. Anything from outright dangerous fraud to negligence can result in your pooch ingesting chemicals, bacteria, substances (like melamine), and even too many vitamins that can harm their health. You can follow the recalls on the FDA website.

And, people switching to freeze-dried meat or fresh for a healthier version of kibble are not immune. Those versions are also seeing recalls.

On top of that, thanks to testing done by The Clean Label Project, we now know that many dog foods have extremely high heavy metal contamination as well.

As a result, many people are going back to the old ways of feeding their dogs food from the refrigerator. And, that means we need to be sure what we are feeding them (and feeding ourselves) is also clean and healthy.

Some Foods You Eat Are NOT Safe Foods for Dogs

We all know there are certain things we can eat that are bad for dogs, most notably chocolate. In addition to that, it’s better not to share foods from your fridge that have any of these foods or any foods with these as spices.

• salt (sodium ion poisoning, intestinal upset),
• grapes (kidney failure),
• dairy (intestinal upset),
• avocado (intestinal upset),
• mushroom (some varieties, shock death),
• onion, garlic, chives, or spicy foods with these in them (damages red blood cells),
• high amounts of fats (pancreas inflammation),
• sugar and sugar substitutes (insulin spikes, intestinal upset),
• all nuts, especially macadamia nuts (vomiting, fever, depression). Though not all nuts are toxic to dogs, they come with the added risk of choking, high salt content, and too much fat for their needs and system.
• And, of course, high on our agenda is to make sure their small (and not so small) organs don’t have to detox from pesticides and heavy metals. Worried about glyphosate? Well, it’s undoubtedly in most any grain-based kibble on the market. That means choosing organic food is just as important for your dog as for you.

So, if you are looking for safe go-to’s for your pups, we have a few ZEGO tips to share!

Most ZEGO Products are Safe to Share with your Dogs

(1) Dogs love cooked ZEGO Double Protein Oats. The fiber helps them normalize their poops and they provide lots of iron and magnesium to support their bones, energy, and overall health. So feed them your leftovers from the fridge or cook a little extra in the morning. Our oats are already high in protein but your pup will appreciate some bone broth on top. In fact, we even add a little green powder from Dr. Cowan’s Garden. But, do not share them with your dog if your kids have leftovers and they put syrup or sugar on them.

(2) Another of ZEGO’s safe foods for dogs is our bars. Our Just Fruit and Fruit+Chia snack bars can be used as occasional treats or rewards on a hike, at the beach, or during travel or for training. In fact, local farms use our extra fruit bar dough for their animals! Animals love them but because of the sugar content, just use them as treats.

(3) Immune-boosting seeds are great for dogs! That means sharing your bowl of ZEGO muesli supports their bones, muscles, teeth, and coat (the small amount of sugar in the Cranberry version and cinnamon in Cinnamon Twist is unlikely to bother them). Leftover muesli (without dairy) is a great breakfast addition for them.

(4) Adding protein to any food you make for your pup is easy with our Pure Plant Protein. Our protein tastes like roasted seeds because it is made from 100% roasted seeds! So, we suggest starting with just a 1/2 tablespoon to make sure she likes it before increasing the amount.

So whether you share your leftovers or treat your pup to a ZEGO oatmeal breakfast, you’ll be comforted to know your ZEGO products are safe foods for dogs and support their health and happiness.