Things You'll Need:
- Healthy dog treats
- Love and attention
-
Step 1
Avoid rawhides and pig ears. Rawhides are high in fat, difficult to digest, and may cause blockages in the throat, intestines, or stomach. Pig ears are very high in fat, and can lead to excessive weight gain.
-
Step 2
Refrain from feeding your dog table scraps that are high in fat, sodium, sugar, and carbohydrates, such as pizza from last night’s dinner, your child’s uneaten hot dog, or leftovers you’re clearing out from the fridge.
-
Step 3
Think twice about bones. Pork bones and chicken bones are absolute no-no’s because they can splinter and cause intestinal damage. Raw beef bones trimmed of excess fat are a good choice. A slow-roasted beef knuckle bone or marrow bone, which are unlikely to shatter, are also healthy options. Bones are high in fat, though, so make it an occasional treat.
-
Step 4
Take product claims with a grain of salt. Inspect the labels of your commercial dog treats. Look for unhealthy ingredients: artificial colors (such as FDC Red #40) or flavors; high levels of sodium, sugar, saturated or trans-fats; propyl gallate (a potentially cancer causing preservative); and high levels of cereal by-products, grain, or filler.
-
Step 5
Choose treats that are high in protein. A dog’s natural diet in the wild is high in protein and low in carbohydrates. High carbohydrate snacks, such as most dog biscuits, can lead to obesity. Choose good high protein such as freeze dried liver, turkey strips, or products like Charlee Bear snacks instead.
-
Step 6
Consider small amounts of fresh high protein foods such as Omega-3 eggs, salmon, sardines, chicken, or turkey.
-
Step 7
Inspect the labels of commercial dog treats. Look for unhealthy ingredients: artificial colors (such as FDC Red #40) or flavors; high levels of sodium, sugar, saturated or trans-fats; high fructose corn syrup, propyl gallate (a potentially cancer causing preservative); and high levels of cereal by-products, grain, or filler.
-
Step 8
Don’t forget the healthiest treat of all. Lavish your dog with lots of attention and affection. It’s low in fat, calories, and doesn’t cost anything. Unconditional love given and received is very healthy for the heart.
