Zucchini

Cats need no vegetables, so a small piece of cooked zucchini is at most a novel treat with a little water and potassium.

One small piece (about 1 cm) per serving, and never at the expense of the main diet.

Wash, steam or boil until soft, peel and dice very small with no seasoning; a little raw diced zucchini is also acceptable.

A bitter zucchini must be thrown away and feeding stopped for cats as well, since cucurbitacin-type compounds irritate the gut; a complete cat food already covers every nutritional need.

Mostly water and very low in calories (about 17 kcal per 100 g) with a little potassium and vitamin C, so it suits a dog on a weight-management plan.

1-2 small pieces per serving (one for a small dog, roughly a tablespoon), within about 10% of daily energy intake.

Wash, then steam or boil until soft and cut into small pieces; peeling makes it easier to digest, and a little raw zucchini is fine if you dice it small. Add no oil, salt, garlic, onion or sauce.

If the flesh tastes bitter, throw it away and stop feeding at once, because the bitterness comes from cucurbitacin-type compounds that can cause vomiting and diarrhoea. Fried or stuffed dishes also bring fat, salt and often onion or garlic.