The Myth of ‘People Food’ for Dogs
Just popping in for a short and sweet post—because nearly every time I talk to pet parents about their dog’s nutrition, someone will say, “I never give human food,” or “my vet says not to feed human food.” But here’s the thing: food is food. Every animal deserves the real stuff.
We’ve been brainwashed to believe that a bag of ultra-processed, crunchy cereal is what dogs need to thrive. When you really think about it, that’s kind of crazy—and it is.
And yes, I know what some people will say:
“But what about the research? Science Diet? Purina?”
In my opinion, the research these brands provide often focuses on proving that their food meets basic nutritional standards and doesn’t immediately cause obvious harm. But if you follow those dogs long-term, you’ll often see decline around age 8 or sooner. By age 10, the vet calls it “old age,” and we accept it.
Newsflash: That’s not normal aging.
That’s chronic disease caused by a lifetime of biologically inappropriate food.
If your dog never gets real food—aka “people food”—you can expect chronic inflammation, early joint issues, and metabolic disease. And so much of this is preventable.
And let’s clear something up while we’re at it:
The list of foods dogs truly shouldn’t eat is actually pretty short:
Onions and anything in the allium family
Grapes and raisins
Chocolate
Avocado pits
Xylitol (found in gum, peanut butter, dental products)
Macadamia nuts
Now, let’s talk about that piece of chicken skin or bacon. If you feed your dog an ultra-processed kibble diet their whole life and then suddenly toss them a piece of fatty meat, it can be a recipe for pancreatitis. Why? Because pancreatitis often stems from chronic inflammation driven by excess carbs and rancid fats in commercial kibble. So when a fresh, real-food fat hits their system, it can overwhelm an already inflamed pancreas.
That’s not because real food is dangerous—it’s because processed food is.
Real meat, real eggs, real veggies? That’s not “people food.” That’s real food—and your dog deserves that just as much as you do.
Let’s stop the nonsense. Let’s use common sense.
Real food isn’t a trend—it’s a birthright.
Your dog deserves better.