Dog Treats – Good or Bad?

By Admin - Deanna, on April 2nd, 2008 |

Oh those puppy-dog eyes . . .who can resist them? There’s a reason that turn of phrase “puppy-dog eyes” is used to describe the very deliberate emotional blackmail specifically tendered by basically anyone with the wherewithal to ride the cute train to anywhere. The phrase most assuredly originates with its namesakes. You know the look — the slight head tilt, the pleading eyes, perhaps a barely perceptible whimper, just for emphasis.

From your pup, that look can say a lot of things, but often it’s a transparent plea for a treat. He seems to be saying, “see how cute I am? Don’t I deserve something special?”

So of course you yield to his entreaties, because what kind of a dog owner would you be if you didn’t agree wholeheartedly?

Well, believe it or not, rejection would actually make you a very responsible and loving pet owner.

The fact is, digestively-speaking, your dog doesn’t need extra treats to get him through the day. Giving in and handing over a fistful of treats, only contributes to the (literally) ever-growing issues with obesity that we are seeing in dogs. Obesity causes serious health concerns for dogs, including diabetes mellitus and orthopedic, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, endocrine, respiratory, immune and reproductive disorders. Fat dogs are more at risk in surgery, more prone to injury, and have more stress on their heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, and joints.

Treats do have their place, however. They can be a very effective training tool, for example. So, the key component here would be not to eliminate treats, but to censure them.

It is very important to limit snacks to those of the healthy variety, and to always, always, always, and, without fail, include them in your dog’s daily calorie count. You can see the results of snacking yourself (Dare we point out those those “love handles” you may be ignoring?). It is important to remember that those same results will be seen in your dog, even if it is less evident at a glance.

When is comes to snacking, there are a few basic rules of thumb to follow:

Treats should never account for more than 5% of the total daily diet, as measured in calories.
Avoid fatty treats, such as the commercial imitation bacon and sausage types, which only serve to upset the digestive system.
Don’t tempt your pet with easily accessible goodies around the house.
Remember that anything labeled as a snack should be considered supplemental in nature, and should never be used as a substitute for a complete and balanced diet.

Healthy snacks can include fruits and vegetables, and even some homemade “cookies” and biscuits. When he’s giving you that look you just can’t resist, go ahead and cave. But, for your dog’s health, when you cave, please cave responsibly.

Do you want to know how to work treats into your dogs diet without adversely effecting their health, this is the one skill most people never learn and resultingly their dogs become overweight and eventually sick. Do you want to know more about feeding your dog healthier? Do you ant to learn how to even extend their life?

I can show you where to get the answers, but you have to take that step, I did and I can tell you it has made an amazing difference. Are you ready? CLICK HERE!