As responsible pet owners, we love giving our pups treats as a sign of appreciation or even affection, but how do we make certain that we can maintain the dog’s well-being? Giving too many treats or the wrong kind can create significant health risks, including life-threatening obesity, heart issues, and much more. Let’s examine the healthiest and most advisable options available for your dog.
Some Tips To Keep In Mind:
- Dog treats and other related items can be a means to strengthen bonds with the dog if used carefully.
- Excessive use of these items may lead to obesity, joint pain, and in some cases even diabetes.
- If in doubt about what type of treats are the best, always consult with a trained vet for relevant advice.
Are Dog Treats Healthy?
Dog Treats can indeed be healthy, as long as they are given in moderation and chosen wisely. Treats serve as good tools for training as a reward, which dogs are known to respond greatly to. Regardless, it is still vital to consider the total amount of treats offered.
Overfeeding your dog a set of instructions allows you to reward them with low-calorie dietary goodies, and still keep them at a healthy weight. However, if you notice that your pup is consuming a lot of goodies within a single day, try to lower their meals to help balance their overall intake. For example, if your dog is consuming 150 calories worth of goodies and is being given a lot of treats during training, you can balance everything out by lowering their dinner by those 150 calories to ensure that your dog does not gain any unwanted weight.
Looking for healthy treat options and feeding advice? Explore our Dog Nutrition Guide: Wet vs Dry Food to make informed decisions for your pet’s overall diet.
Consequences of Overfeeding Your Pup With Treats
Giving certain pups excessive goodies far too often can result in them turning obese, especially to less energetic dogs. Becoming overweight can later worsen conditions such as having arthritis as it puts strain on the body while reducing mobility. In severe cases, far too many excess goodies will result in severe health problems such as:
Diabetes: Sugary items will have great effects on insulin production.
Heart Disease: High cholesterol nuggets of love can result in great heart problems.
Pancreatitis: Some treats can lead to inflammation the body’s pancreas.
How Often Should You Give Treats?
As a guide, snacks should not exceed 10 percent of your dog’s caloric intake in a day. So, for instance, you might provide several small training treats during the training sessions. However, remember that treats are part of your Dog’s Diet, and if your dog tends to eat more treats, adjust his meal portions accordingly.
Puppies who are active and growing can be given treats more often. Unlike adult or senior dogs, the calories are easier to burn off. They are however advised to use low-calorie and healthy options.
Healthy Dog Treats to Give
When picking out treats, seek those that use basic but wholesome ingredients. Choose snacks that have little addition and fillers because they do not supply any real nutrition. Following are some good alternatives for your treat selection.
Training Treats: These are small, low calorie snacks that will not make a lot of difference to your dog’s daily intake, making them perfect for rewarding good behavior with no weight gain risks.
Dental Chews: In addition to being a delightful treat, these are said to help reduce plaque and tartar build up on your dog’s teeth. As with any dental chews, these should be given in moderation–ideally, three times per week, unless advised otherwise by your vet. With any dental chews, supervision is a must to make sure the dog doesn’t swallow large pieces that could lead to choking.
Biscuit-Derived Treats: These are often considered healthier than meat-based treats since they are comparatively low in fat and salt.
Dog Treats to Avoid
Not all treats are created equal. Some of them have an unhealthy level of fat, salt, or sugar and can be harmful for your dog’s health, including:
- Jerky Treats & Meat-Based Snacks: These are often high in fat and sodium, which can be harmful especially if given too often.
- Cookies & Cupcakes: These are fine for special occasions like birthdays but their high sugar and fat content makes them ones that should only be served sparingly.
- Table Scraps: Giving your Dog human food as a treat can pose numerous risks. Some meals such as chocolate, garlic, onions, grapes, and raisins can pose great risk to a dog’s health.. In other cases, fried dishes and baked goods are also harmful because they bring high levels of fats and calories which can lead to obesity.
Senior Dogs and Special Health Considerations
With age, a dog’s health concern shift. As such, their treats should also change. Senior dogs often benefit from joint supporting treats including glucosamine and chondroitin. These compounds help sustain and defend against arthritis soft tissues due to aging in dogs. Secondly, geriatric dogs requires healthier dental offers and using dental treats or specialized oral hygiene are beneficials.
For a deeper understanding of aging-related needs, explore our Guide on caring for Senior dogs.
Final Thoughts: Moderation is Key
Chewable rewards are a lovely way of appreciating and encouraging dogs for good behavior; however, dogs are known to have an issue with moderation. Take notice of every ingredients used to make the dog’s snack of choice and their general health and nutritional necessities to avoid putting them at risk. If you are still uncertain, seek advice from your vet regarding your dog’s age, size and health.
Picking the correct snacks and giving them in moderation will keep your dog not only happy, but healthy long into the future.
