Vet settles debate on whether dogs should eat biscuits

Few of us are ever able to resist the pleading stare of our four legged friends when eating meals and many have succumbed to feeding their pets the occasional piece of human food, believing that surely it wouldn't cause them any harm.

However, a vet has now shared his thoughts about whether dogs should eat human biscuits, settling the age old debate.

Dr Alex Crow, a licensed veterinarian and owner of PetHealthGuru.com, says that no matter what the type, dogs cannot eat human biscuits.

The main reason for this is the ingredients that are put into human biscuits which unfortunately make them unsuitable for dogs. This is largely due to the high salt content of human biscuits being harmful for dogs, causing vomiting, diarrhoea and even seizures as dogs are more sensitive to sodium chloride than humans. For example, a medium sized dog can have no more than 200 mg of salt a day, but some biscuits have up to 600 mg, three times the recommended amount.

Not only that, the high amount of sugar that human biscuits contain can cause future health problems such as diabetes, obesity, and breathing problems for dogs.

Dr Crow also warns that biscuits with a sweeter side to them can be the most harmful as they can contain an artificial sweetener called xylitol, which is highly toxic for them.

Accidents are of course inevitable and Dr Crow has shared his advice in the event of a dog eating a sweeter biscuit. He recommends looking out for symptoms such as weakness, staggering, seizures and urges for owners to contact their local vet if these symptoms persist.

It's not all bad news though, as Dr Crow recommends feeding your dog biscuits that are specifically designed for them which provide a tasty, but safe treat for your pet. Dogs are also still able to enjoy the fun since there are a variety of fruit and vegetables that they are able to eat including sliced apples, peeled bananas and carrots.