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By Liz O'Connell
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An 18-year-old dog is reaping the benefits of his senior age as he gets to enjoy nibbles of human food.
TikTok user @chelseabarbara0 has a dog named Sparky who is "older than dirt," as it says in the January 18 video. Her vet explained that because of his age, it is fine to feed Sparky the foods he wants as a way to "make him happy."
Now, Sparky has tasted the good life and expects to get food from his owners whenever they have something on their plate. While it's not endless amounts, he is still eating better than other dogs.
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Sparky's latest nibble of food was pasta. Talk about a carb overload.
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Sparky was in a state of full bliss, chewing on his few pasta pieces like he won the lottery. Well, that might be considered the lottery in the dog world.
The TikTok clip has over 960,000 views, 118,100 likes and 580 comments as of Friday. Viewers flooded the comment section with similar stories, and many revealed it was quite successful.
"We started this with my dog when she was 10 and she lived until she was 17," said a dog owner.
Another added: "I dog sit a 19-year-old Maltichon who now prefers organic chicken and will starve for hours before settling for otherwise." The heart wants what it wants.
"If their face is grey, they get their way!" suggested one viewer.
"We feel extremely fortunate that he's as happy and healthy as he is!" the owner told Newsweek via TikTok.
While this dog's vet said he could eat human food, Dr. Christie Long, DVM and chief medical officer at Modern Animal, advises against it, or at least in moderation.
Dr. Long told Newsweek via email that owners will sometimes become more indulgent as their pets age, especially if they start to become less interested in their normal diet, which could be due to health conditions. Those indulgences come in a wide variety, but typically it is what the owner enjoys or what they perceive their pets like.
"A small amount of 'human' food, especially if it's been carefully prepared with no added fat, salt, or sugar is likely not harmful," Dr. Long said. "No more than five percent of daily calories should come from any foods that are perceived to be treats."
Dr. Long suggested that pet owners who want to spoil their senior dogs moderately incorporate healthy human foods. Foods like carrots, apples, blueberries, bananas unseasoned cooked chicken, salmon, or turkey, and even low-fat plain yogurt are all acceptable. However, owners should always consult with their veterinarian before changing a dog's diet.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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