Don't Let Treats Become Trouble

Dogs and cats love treats, and people love giving their pets treats. It’s a way to bond with your pet, and that’s a good thing! They are one of the best ways to build trust and train your new companion. Treats can aid oral hygiene and if used for games, they can help sharpen your dog’s natural intelligence.

Your pet probably already has a favourite treat, but here are a few guidelines to make sure it is as good for them as you think.

Make sure that you give only good quality snacks that form part of a balanced diet. Some people choose to reward their pets with “people food”, which is fine in certain instances. You can give them a small piece of bland meat (the same flavours you would give a toddler), just remember to discuss it with your vet. Don’t give anything that is fatty, spicy and completely foreign to their digestive systems. Rich foods can cause inflammation of the pancreas in addition to other serious conditions, especially if they have food allergies or a special diet. Your dog’s treats should be easy on their teeth. Skip anything that’s hard, like bones, antlers, or hooves.

What should I look for in a treat?

Just like you do with your pet’s everyday food, you may want to consider providing your cat or dog with treats which are “complete and balanced.” These treats will have the combination of nutrients and vitamins your pet needs to maintain a healthy and balanced diet. You can look at the ingredient list to determine how healthy it is. Treats that aren’t complete and balanced should not make up a significant portion of your pet’s diet, as these will dilute your pet’s daily nutrient intake. You should also be wary of treats with high amounts of salt and sodium, as they may cause trouble for your pet.

Sometimes dogs will start urinating in the home or drinking way too much water because they’re being given very salty treats. The appropriate amount of sodium depends on the dog or cat, but watch out for treats with salt and check to see if your pet is drinking too much water.

If your dog or cat is on a therapeutic food or follows a special diet, it’s important to make sure that their treats follow the same dietary guidelines as their dry or wet foods. Pets with allergies will also need their treats to be monitored in the same ways their food is, particularly those who have severe skin or gastrointestinal reactions to certain foods.

Treats & Training

Treats can be used when training your pet, so make sure it is something that they really enjoy and would want to earn! Experiment with and learn about the treats your pet goes crazy over and keep them handy for getting your pet’s attention and rewarding their training successes. You’ll also need to make sure your treat-giving happens at the same time as the behaviour, as a time delay will cause them to lose the association between the treat and good behaviour.

Don’t Overdo It

Just like we do, cats and dogs love food treats. And just like us, they sometimes get too many calories from their treats. Overfeeding our pets with too many treats is the number one mistake owners make, and can lead to obesity. If you’re not careful, treats can add a substantial amount of calories to your dog’s otherwise normal, healthy diet.

It can be easy to lose track of how many treats you’re feeding your pet. Keep track of the number of treats you give your pet by setting aside a certain number of treats per day and talk to your vet about the amount of treats your pet should have on a daily basis and stick to that amount. The 10% rule is a good one to go with when it comes to treats. Treats and snacks should only make up 10% of a dog’s daily calories. You can still give your dog treats. Just give them one at a time.

A Fresh Idea

You can skip the store-bought snacks that are high in fat, sugar and often preservatives, and try offering your dog some vegetables. Give them a baby carrot, a green bean, or some broccoli. These have virtually no calories, and dogs don’t care if you’re not giving them something meaty and fatty.

They just want you to give them something. Dogs are open to all foods, potentially. So vegetables can be a great snack option for your dog. Try fruits, too. Banana slices, berries, watermelon and apple slices (with no seeds, of course). Steer clear of grapes, raisins, onions, garlic, chocolate and anything with caffeine. These can be toxic to dogs. Cats, on the other hand, can also get some vegetables. Although cats are mainly carnivores, a veggie snack can add extra minerals, vitamins and magnesium to their diets, but do not give them more than one or two a day. A few things that are good for them, are cooked carrots, peas, and steamed broccoli.

Do It Yourself

If you do not trust the commercial treats and snacks, why not make your own? There are tons of recipes available online, and you can choose depending on what you know your pet likes and needs.

There’s another way to look at treats:

Treats are things that bring joy; they don’t have to be food. If you want to provide your dog with a good treat, take him for a walk or teach him a new trick. Your dog wants your attention and time far more than he wants a snack.