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By Steve Brown and Beth Taylor
We love to give our dogs treats, and they love to get them. The
healthiest treats we can give our dogs and cats are made from real,
fresh food. Since we like to give them variety and tasty tidbits
as well, we'll review briefly each category of treat.
Cookies
Biscuits are an old standby, so familiar we don't think much
about what's in them. Unfortunately, they are what they look
like: Cookies! They have more grain than most dry foods, and flavorings
of all sorts. A few of these a day can have a big impact on your
dog's diet.
Yodel, a 30-pound beagle, gets two biscuits three times a day:
when he goes out in the morning, for "lunch" and after
he goes out for the last time at night. Each of these biscuits contains
about 50 calories. Because Yodel's entire ration of calories
for the day is about 550, and those six biscuits account for more
than half of his daily calories alone, he only gets to eat half-cup
of dry food the rest of the day.
Often, this arithmetic is not often done, however, so there are
lots of obese beagles, or beagles on "diet" food eating
six biscuits a day and still getting fat. While the people and the
dog may be having a good time, being overweight will shorten the
dog's life, and he is much more likely to develop arthritis
and diabetes. (1)
Break biscuits into small pieces, or buy treats that are very small.
Whether they are made of organic ingredients or are the cheapest
you can buy, they add to the carbohydrate level of your dog's
diet. Better to use treats more in keeping with the natural diet
of dogs and cats: Meat based treats.
Meat-Based Treats
Meat-based treats come in all shapes, from jerky to tiny freeze-dried
cubes, from meat-only to complete diets.
Meat only treats include freeze-dried or dehydrated meat ranging
from liver (cut small and use sparingly) to turkey breast strips
and lamb lungs. These treats add mostly protein to the diet, but
still must be considered part of the day's food. A 20-pound
dog that gets a full piece of lamb lung is getting most of his food
for the day, and it's not a balanced diet. Break these treats
into small pieces too.
And, please read labels carefully: Many "meat" treats
include large quantities of grains.
Freeze-dried meat and vegetable diets make excellent treats. They
are designed to be complete, so all the humans need to consider
is how much to give. The forms might be small cubes (Steve's
Real Food) or burgers that can be cut into little cubes (Nature's
Variety and BARFWorld). The new Charlee Bear Natural Nutrition Snacks
are the first "treat" that falls into this category. These
foods include protein and fat, so they add more calories than meat-based
treats of the same size.
There are many meat- and fish-based treats designed for cats too.
Cats love them, but read these labels carefully, as there are many
smelly treats on the market for cats in attractive packages that
contain low quality ingredients. Many cats view "cat grass"
(available as a kit or already growing) as an excellent treat upon
which to graze, providing entertainment and live green nutrients
for cats that often live their lives indoors.
All meat-based treats should be bought in small packages and used
promptly. Long-term storage in the freezer will protect fats and
keep treats fresh.
Real-Food Treats
Real-food treats are the cheapest, easiest and the most nutritious.
If you feed your dog or cat real-food treats you can easily judge
the popularity of "people food" treats. Your animals are
there when the refrigerator door opens, wondering if there's
something there for them! Inside, there are blueberries, carrots,
apples, melon, cheese and meat. What could be better? Sardines are
a great treat with an intense flavor, popular with all species.
Cats like meat, though some favor odd things like a piece of popcorn
or a lettuce leaf. Cats are unpredictable, as any cat owner can
tell you!
As with all treats, size is important, but since real food has
water included, a piece of apple has far less impact on dietary
balance than does a medium biscuit. Raisins and grapes have been
found to be toxic to some dogs, and should be avoided.
For a complete list of foods to avoid, take a look at our book,
See Spot Live Longer.
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