Some people who have pets at home, such as dogs, must have felt so curious about the taste of dog food [1].
Some dog owners may just be at the curious stage, but some may just be impatient to try and test the taste of dog food [1].
Find out more about whether humans are allowed and safe to eat dog food.
Can humans eat dog food?
Humans eating dog food is not recommended even though humans themselves are omnivores or eat everything.
Dog food can be eaten by humans, but whether it is safe or not is the next issue.
Dog food is food made for dogs with different ingredients from food for human consumption.
Dog food production standards are not the same as human food manufacturing standards, so humans should avoid consuming too much dog food.
Trying or tasting a little dog food out of curiosity is fine, but be careful not to do it all the time.
Special food for dogs is made from a combination of various food sources, such as [3]:
The purpose of the combination is to help the dog to a nutritionally balanced diet.
The reason why the ingredients in the dog food are not up to par with human food standards are [4]:
- Content of other animal organs
- Other animal skin ingredients
- Ground bone content
- Animal meat content
- The contents of animal body parts that have been damaged
Although humans can eat dog food with these components, continuous consumption in the long term will not be good for health.
This is because the food is made with the main aim of maintaining the health of dogs and not humans.
In addition, there is a content of vitamin K3 or also known as the term menadione in a variety of dog food [5].
Usually vitamin K3 or menadione is included as a component of synthetic dog food that is safe for dogs but toxic to humans [5].
If humans consume dog food containing menadione in high doses, this can endanger the health of the human body. [5]
The nutrients contained in dog food are different from the nutrients in human food.
Humans eat dog food too often and excessively will result in the fulfillment of body nutrients that are not optimal.
Read More: Dog Food For Chihuahua
Dog Food Human Risk
Can and can eat dog food does not necessarily make dog food suitable for consumption as food for humans.
The following are a number of risks or dangers when humans eat dog food continuously.
1. Allergy
Eating dog food can be dangerous for humans because we do not fully know what ingredients are in it and what ingredients are classified as safe for the human body [6].
Allergic reactions have the potential to occur if there are chemical substances or other components that are unknowingly allergens for some humans [6].
2. Cancer
Another danger risk that humans also need to watch out for when they want to eat dog food is cancer.
The potential for cancer is quite large, especially if the dog food eaten by humans does not go through a hygienic manufacturing process at all.
Animal food processing is often carried out using unclean water, such as water that has been contaminated with arsenic toxins [7].
This unhygienic is one of the bad sides that can be considered before frequently tasting or eating dog food.
3. Poisoning
The risk of humans experiencing poisoning after eating dog food is quite high.
If food for humans is often easily exposed and contaminated with bacteria and various harmful germs, especially dog food.
Contamination often occurs in the processing of dog food so that humans are not safe to consume it.
Apart from dog food processing methods, improper storage is also very easy to open up opportunities for bacterial contamination.
Another reason why dog food can potentially cause poisoning in humans is that some of it is very raw.
Eating dog food that is still raw or not even fully cooked can be harmful to human organs.
Some types of bacteria that are likely to infect the human body after eating dog food are: [8]:
Food poisoning can also cause a range of symptoms, ranging from very mild to life-threatening [8].
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and intestinal cramps need to be watched out for as a sign of poisoning and treated medically as soon as possible.
Even if dog food consumed by humans is in the form of canned or packaged, its processing is not necessarily safe and hygienic.
Therefore, humans should not carelessly eat dog food, even in packaged form.
4. Risk to Children
Children who have pets at home are more likely to be curious about dog food.
Children have a tendency to imitate, so parents need to keep an eye on what children put in their mouths.
If a child eats dog food, the poisoning that occurs in your child can be more dangerous than the poisoning experienced by older persons.
Poisoning can be a life-threatening risk for children because their immune systems are not yet fully developed and fully developed.
Conclusion
Can Humans Eat Dog Food? Humans can eat dog food, but it is not recommended.
The safety and nutritional standards of dog food are distinctly different from those of human food.
Therefore, in order to avoid health problems that can occur in the future, avoid eating dog food.
- Chris Melore. Human guinea pig: 4 in 10 people admit to taste-testing their pet’s food. Study Finds; 2022.
- Image: Pixabay
- Helen Anne Travis. Grains in Dog Food: What You Need to Know. PetMD; 2016.
- Chico’s Natural Pet Market. What’s in Your Pet’s Food?. Chico’s Natural Pet Market; 2022.
- Institute of Medicine (US) Panel on Micronutrients. Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Arsenic, Boron, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon, Vanadium, and Zinc – 5. Vitamin K. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US) ); 2001.
- Figo Pet Insurance. Pet foods can trigger human allergies. Figo Pet Insurance; 2022.
- Patti Atkins, Tina Restivo, & Bob Lockerman. Heavy Metals in Pet Food: Changes in Heavy Metal Contamination in Pet Food Over the Past Decade. Spectroscopy; 2021.
- Norma Heredia & Santos Garcia. Animals as sources of food-borne pathogens: A review. Animal Nutrition; 2018.
- Video: Today I Found Out
