Healthy Pet Treats for Dogs

Pets love treats and these may be used as a reward. However, there are a lot of pets that get obese due to an excess of treats. Finding healthy pet treats is important in preserving your pet’s health without depriving him of rewards. There are numerous types of treats including rawhide treats, chew treats or even natural bones.

Chew Treats

The chew treats are the healthiest pet treats. These chew treats contain proteins, fats and fibers. It is important to opt for chew treats that contain a healthy amount of fats and are rich in fibers, as these will help the digestion. Make sure that the treats are sugar free, as the sugar can affect the teeth. Opt for chew treats that contain natural preservatives such as vitamin E or rosemary extracts, as the synthetic preservatives are believed to be carcinogen and may not be healthy.

The chew treats have also dental benefits for the pet; the treats should have a rough texture, which can scrape off the plaque from the teeth.

To ensure that these chew treats will not cause jaw fractures, you have to choose a size and a roughness that are suitable for your pet.

Also, chew treats that are too small may be ingested by the pet without chewing and cause air passage or intestinal blockage.

Consult the vet to get more details on the most suitable size of chew treats.

Remember that no matter how healthy chew treats are and regardless of the fat contents, an excess of treats can lead to obesity. Give your pet treats when he deserves these, but you shouldn’t give more than 3 or 4 treats per day. You may reward your pet with kind words or by patting him affectionately.

Vegetables are low fat treats. Opt for carrots, broccoli or red peppers.

Rawhide Treats

Rawhide treats are popular among dog owners. Dogs enjoy chewing on rawhide and these treats are less expensive than the regular chew treats.

The rawhide treats have dental benefits and may also relieve stress and boredom, providing a healthy jaw exercise; however, these treats may be dangerous if ingested, as they may cause indigestion or intestinal occlusion. Some rawhides may contain harmful bacteria and may infect the pet with bacteria such as Salmonella.

In addition, rawhide treats have no nutritional value and they may also contain a lot of artificial colors and synthetic preservatives that may cause allergic reactions in pets.

Natural Bones

Some pet owners believe opt for natural bones as treats for pets. Bones may provide a healthy chew for the pet, eliminating the plaque; however, the bone splinters may be dangerous for pets. Bone splinters may puncture internal organs.

If you opt for natural bones, make sure you get a dried beef joint bone, either from the knee or the shoulder, as these are difficult to break and impossible to swallow.

Also, giving pets table scraps as treats may not be recommended; there are a lot of human foods that may be highly toxic for pets including onions, garlic or chocolate.

 

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