Read This Before Feeding Your Dog Baby Food!

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Are you wondering if your dog can be fed baby food?

These formulas are obviously designed for human newborns, but does that necessarily make them all wrong for animals?

Truth be told, most veterinarians will tell you there should be a good strategic reason to provide baby food.

While dogs have different dietary needs, bland nourishment can make sense for canines at the end of their lives. And there are also situations where this type of food is useful on a temporary basis.

Can I Give My Dog Baby Food?Only Feed Your Dog Baby Food When Necessary

And be very careful to withhold any formula that contains garlic or onion powder. Those are toxic ingredients when it comes to your best buddy.

Something else to consider…

Frequently feeding baby food could make your dog a finicky eater. Young puppies, in particular, can easily develop a frustrating food fussiness.

Be Selective With Ingredients

It must be stressed that you’ve got to be choosy.

Baby foods typically include fruits and vegetables such as:

  • Oranges
  • Banana
  • Sweet potato
  • Carrots
  • Peas

Good news! These are beneficial and generally a net positive for dogs.

On the other hand…

Any brand that contains onion (usually in powder form) or garlic is strictly off limits to your dog. And there is a real potential for harm if, for example, grapes are an ingredient in the baby food.

Carefully read the product’s label!

It’s Not For Healthy Hounds

Baby food is often used in emergency animal hospitals for under-the-weather pets.

We asked Veterinarian Sara Redding Ochoa (DVM) for her thoughts and here is what she said:

“Feeding baby food is a great idea if your dog is very sick. It’s easy to provide via syringe, but most under-the-weather canines will eat a little bit of baby food on their own before they will touch their regular dog food.”

But a thriving puppy doesn’t need this type of human-formulated diet.

It really is best to avoid experimenting when it comes to your dog’s diet and this applies to baby foods as well. Allergic reactions also aren’t out of the question.

The point is you should strive to keep your dog’s life as simple as possible!

Here’s The Biggest Downside

Dogs are prone to becoming picky eaters!

Does your buddy already like baby food?

Careful! They may begin refusing to eat what they really need to be healthy.

Make no mistake about it:

Giving in to your dog’s whims is a sign of behavioral trouble ahead. Avoid this early on while they are still puppies.

Mixed-In With Dog Food

Some people mix baby food with dog food which is better than straight baby food.

But again, if going that route, you must ensure there are no harmful ingredients.

And the dog food portion should be the majority of the serving size. It’ll be more balanced and nutritious assuming you’re buying the good stuff.

Regarding Picky Eaters

It is important to instill in your dog (or puppy) that not eating their adult meals will cause them to miss out and possibly go hungry.

Be firm! Consider withholding food if your dog refuses to eat.

Whatever you do…

Do not give in by offering questionable provisions including baby food unless a vet expressly recommends it.

The Bottom Line

Only feed your dog baby food if there’s a valid medical reason. Otherwise, doing so is not recommended.

While usually not dangerous, these formulas don’t offer the right balance of vitamins and minerals. Canines have a distinct set of nutritional requirements compared to newborn babies.

Last but not least, careful of bad feeding habits. Avoid spoiling an already healthy dog with baby food.

What Do You Think? Have Your Say Below…

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27 thoughts on “Read This Before Feeding Your Dog Baby Food!”

  1. I have a 16 pound dog that has cancer and has stopped eating his dry food, but is able to keep down rice and baby food. How much should I be giving him to maintain his weight? He is not that active. Right now we give him one small 3oz with either a 1/3 or 1/4 cup scoop of rice 2 times a day.

  2. I have a large Golden Retriever that I feed dry food, Royal Canin. I spoil him by adding cooked high-fat chop meat or cooked chicken breast.

    My freezer was empty the other day (and having a sick cat who was able to eat baby food) borrowed a jar when the cat was not looking. I mixed in a jar of Gerbers beef with 2 cups of dry.

    The dog thinks he died and went to heaven! Can I keep him on this type of diet? Any comments would be appreciated.

  3. My 3 year old Poodle was very sick. I almost lost her. She wouldn’t eat, drink or anything. I gave her some baby food for 2 days and she’s back to her old self. I made sure it didn’t contain onion or garlic.

  4. I cook for my dogs. They eat whatever protein we eat and I add baby food including sweet potatoes and/or pumpkin and other vegetables. The baby food is convenient, in small quantities, and I only use pure veggies.

    I also add a little potassium chloride. During the day they have some fiber bread. I have frozen hamburger and chicken in the freezer. I don’t feed them dog food.

  5. What exactly are the nutrients or vitamins that dogs are not getting from baby food that babies do or vice versa?

  6. My dog was diagnosed with a failing heart. Both his heart and liver are enlarged. He stopped eating so I gave him baby food, turkey and turkey broth. It is better than nothing since he was getting skinny from not eating. I had to do something. Please give me some feedback on this!

    1. My dog has congestive heart failure too. He’s on Lasix because of the fluid around his heart. He’s okay until he gets tired, then he coughs and can’t breath.

      Baby food is great for sick dogs. Try giving him fruit as well. Also get Pedialyte so he doesn’t get dehydrated. It also helps with enzymes. I wish you luck!

    2. Turkey is good for dogs but be careful. It might have onion in it and you don’t always know.

  7. I have a half Rottweiler mix with first stage bone cancer. I have her on raw hamburger and wilderness salmon dog food. There’s going to be a day when she stops eating. I have already started her on several herbs to help with immune system and to fight radical cells. What kind of baby food can I feed her on days when she won’t eat.

    1. My vet started my pup on salmon oil. It’s supposed to be great! And when my guy is sick, my vet recommends baby food with turkey (or any meat) and sweet potatoes. Good Luck! Hang in there!

  8. We got our puppy when she was very young, too young to be away from her mom. She is a Lhasa Apso. Our vet recommended baby rice cereal, cottage cheese and soft/canned dog food all mixed together.

  9. I have two Shih Tzu. They are very picky eaters and will not eat dog food at all. The breeder had them on fish and boiled chicken and I’ve continued that. They now refuse to eat that and will go a day without eating at all. Any ideas?

    1. I have a Shih Tzu named Zoey. She has a sensitive stomach and will go through periods of throwing up. She’s lactose intolerant and so we cannot give her anything with any type dairy products, even dog food with cheese in it.

      When she is having upset stomach I have boiled boneless, skinless chicken breast and rice in plain water which seems to help. I will only give her chopped pieces of the chicken, rice and lukewarm broth for a day or 2.

      I know you aren’t asking because they are sick, but it could be why they are not wanting to eat. This could also explain why they are picky eaters. They could have sensitive tummies and associate eating with a tummy ache, causing them to avoid eating as long as possible.

      I am by no means a vet or anything, this is just an opinion based on my many years of experience with animals that have food allergies or sensitive stomachs. I hope this helps.

      Sometimes you have to take everything and gradually start back introducing food, 1 item at a time, until you can determine which one may be causing them to have an upset tummy. That’s how we found out Zoey was lactose intolerant. Good luck!

  10. I have a 14 and a 16 year old Pekingese. They will not eat hard food and when they eat wet food they have very runny bowel movements all day. I have been giving them baby meat products mixed with baby rice cereal. Will this hurt them? It is all I can get them to eat. Please let me know.

    1. Be tough. Starve them until you can at least feed them a mix to get it down. Sometimes they will wait you out 2 to 3 days, maybe longer, but it’s their life that’s on the line.

      1. I once had a dog that waited me out so long, she really did almost die of starvation. In the end, I gave in because she wasn’t going to and she kept eating wet food until she was old and gray. Sometimes your dogs are tougher than you are.

        My current puppy started out absolutely hating the dry food her foster family had been feeding her. The only thing she’d eat was quality wet food, and even then she’d be fussy. I tried lots of things, even commercial raw dog food. (Which she sniffed and then acted as if it was poison.)

        Then one day, we found a kibble with a much smaller kibble size in a different flavor. She decided it was the greatest thing ever, so sometimes it’s not even dry versus wet, it’s flavor and size.

    2. If you are still giving your dog baby food, be sure to check the ingredients. Make sure there is no onion powder, garlic powder, grapes or grape juice. It’s best to stick to organic baby food and none of the above ingredients. Grapes cause renal failure and you might not even see a reaction until it is too late. Garlic and onion cause diarrhea and vomiting.

  11. I have a 6 pound Teacup Poodle. He used to eat dog food and was a fairly good eater at the beginning, then he got sick. The vet diagnosed him with Microvascular Dysplasia (liver shunt not processing proteins). He was put him on vegetarian diet with Royal Canine vegetarian dog food and certain vegetables. Now it’s had to get him to eat. Would a teaspoon of veggie or fruit-style baby food be harmful when added to dog food be okay?

    1. Elizabeth says:

      I am not a vet, but I would suggest giving your little one some pumpkin (like the organic canned kind)! My sisters little dog was on a strict diet because of kidney failure and the vet said this was a safe alternative. It was added to her food when she refused to eat the new stuff by itself. She loved it and even gained some weight!

  12. I have been giving my American Pit Bull Terrier a snack a day usually after a vigorous walk. That snack will contain yogurt, non-sweetened corn flakes and Gerber baby food consisting of sweet potato, green beans, carrots and bananas. Sometimes I add apples and blueberries (also Gerber baby food). All together it’s about a cup full and he absolutely loves it.

    For his regular meals, fed to him 3 times a day, he is fed Blue Wilderness Puppy Food. He has their 3 most popular blends; Chicken, Red Meat and Bison. With his regular meals I give him 2 table spoons of Dean’s 1% Milkfat Cottage Cheese.

    Apollo is a very active 4 month old and with 2 30-45 minute walks a day and significant playing time in the backyard I believe his diet is very good for him. I use the baby food as vitamin supplements.

    I would never replace his daily kibble for baby food and it is not something that is ever offered with his puppy chow. Only after walks as a “good boy” snack.

    I will say that it does an excellent job of keeping his stool soft but still solid. Apollo also has a fairly regular schedule for #2 business. However he will occasionally have stinky gas, but I don’t mind that.

    It’s all about research and making sure you don’t over do it.

  13. Many years ago, we got a Pekingese puppy from a breeder. She was teeny tiny, and the breeder told my mom to feed her scrambled eggs, baby food, and cottage cheese three times a day for six weeks. We did, she loved it and absolutely thrived, lived for almost 18 years and the only downside was she could hear you crack an egg from the other end of the house.

  14. Labrador Mom says:

    I have been giving my 2 Labs baby food with their dog food for over 8 years. One of them did not see too well but after a while after eating carrots, his vision improved noticeably. I don’t rely solely on baby food but give them each 1T in with their daily feeding. They also eat baby food in apples, pears, sweet potatoes and bananas. One Lab just loved the bananas! If it’s good for us, why wouldn’t it be good for my animals?

  15. Ready made foods made for human babies are not good for pet dogs. It’s not nutrient sufficient for puppies. Unlike babies, their growth pace is different.

    1. But it’s better than nothing when your dog won’t eat!

  16. I now feed my dog only baby food (with cooked chicken sprinkled on top). She is 14.5 years old, with CHF, many missing teeth and I have to get several different medications into her every day. She won’t eat dog food and after losing one to toxic dog products, I don’t blame her.

    At this point in her life, I believe she should get to eat anything she enjoys. She thoroughly enjoys baby food and has been doing quite well on it. Normal poops, normal pees, normal naps. She also loves her veggies and beef puree.

    1. That is so sweet. You sound like the perfect dog Mom!

  17. I am wondering about the whole baby food thing. I have a 3 year old Pit bull female. I am feeding her a raw meat diet. I have been giving her like one pound of raw hamburger, one small thing of mixed vegetables baby food, one sweet potato (or something like that) then 1/2 cup of plain yogurt and 1 raw egg. I mix it all together.

    The only reason I wanted to go with baby food is because the vegetables are already pureed for me. And with Pit bulls, they can’t digest vegetables or fruit if they’re not pureed. She also gets a doggie multi-vitamin every day. She has one poo a day and she seems to be tolerating it just fine. I switch between different vegetables and fruit, and different meats.

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