Is it OK for Humans to Eat a Dog Biscuit?

As a child you may have been tempted to try one of those tasty bone-shaped biscuits that your dog seemed to like so much. You may have even been tempted to trick your younger siblings or friends into trying them as well once you discovered precisely how unappetizing they were. Dog biscuits are not designed for humans or intended to appeal to human taste buds, so the bad news is that you are unlikely to enjoy sampling one. The good news is that dog biscuits are generally pretty harmless.

  1. So You Ate a Dog Biscuit

    • Dog biscuits are designed to be completely safe for your canine companion to consume. Foods that are safe for your dog are generally pretty safe for you to eat as well. Dog biscuits are non-toxic and pretty well processed during production, so unless you are allergic to one of the ingredients in the dog biscuit, you should be perfectly fine after eating one.

    The Bad News

    • You do not want to make a habit out of eating dog biscuits. Dog foods are not held to the same safety and sanitation standards that human foods are legally required to meet. When you eat a dog biscuit, you are likely eating something that contains very low quality ingredients and may not have been produced or stored in the kinds of conditions you want to see your food prepared in. You can become sick if there is a problem with the dog biscuit. For example, illness is likely if your dog biscuit was contaminated by some sort of bacteria or fungus. Dog food just isn't put through the same safety testing human food is, so illness is more likely to result from consuming dog food.

    Nutrition

    • From a strictly nutritional standpoint, dog biscuits do not provide a balanced diet for your canine companions. This is why dog biscuits are used as treats rather than as the main component of your dog's diet. Dog biscuits are even worse for humans than they are for dogs. They contain plenty of ingredients humans do not eat and a few more that humans probably shouldn't eat. Dog biscuits include ingredients such as fat, bone and meal from horses, dogs and other animals which are not commonly consumed by humans.

    The Worst Case Scenario

    • Most people will be fine if they eat a dog biscuit or two, but there is always the chance that you will be allergic to something in the dog biscuit. The ingredient labeling requirements are not as strict for pet foods as they are for human foods, so you may not even know what it is you have suffered a negative reaction to, which can be dangerous.