Evanger's was thrilled to contribute advice on dog treats in a recent feature in Animal Wellness Magazine. If you have an overweight, senior, or allergy-prone dog, this is a must read!
....
Walk into any pet supply store and you’ll see a vast array of dog treats. But a lot of those colorfully packaged goodies are unhealthy choices. Full of questionable ingredients, not to mention arti ficial colors and flavors, they’re little more than junk food for dogs. The good news is that rising consumer demand for healthier food and treat choices has resulted in a growing selection of high quality dog treats made from whole, natural ingredients.
The trick is separating the good from the bad when you walk into the store. As you would with pet food, start by reading labels and avoiding all products that contain a lot of grains, animal by-products, synthetic additives and other chemicals. Also avoid treats that aren’t manufactured and sourced in North America. Jerky treats and bully sticks from China can be especially problematic, and there have been recalls on these products over the last several years. For quality, natural, domestically-sourced bully sticks and jerky treats, ADK Antler Products is one example of a good It’s also a good idea to eliminate gluten.
“Gluten and wheat are highly allergenic for [many dogs] and cannot be digested well,” says Queny Villanueva of Savvy Beast Treats. Keep in mind that these ingredients are also highly manipulated by man. “Avoid GMO grains or genetically engineered foods,” says veterinarian Dr. Jodie Gruenstern of the Animal Doctor Holistic Veterinary Complex.
“These can be a source of pesticides in the body and potentially cancer-causing.” Choosing healthy treats is crucial for every dog, but you need to be even more vigilant if your canine is a senior or has speci fic health concerns such as obesity or allergies.
“What treats should I give my overweight dog?”
Overweight and obese dogs should avoid treats high in carbohydrates and starch, according to Holly Sher, President of Evanger’s Dog & Cat Food Company. Dr. Gruenstern adds that protein is a key ingredient to look for when deciding which treat to give an overweight dog, and that a simple freeze-dried meat is ideal as a low-calorie treat. Low-calorie treats are also ideal for avoiding weight gain during training. You can easily go through a few dozen treats during an in-depth training session. To avoid weight gain, cut the treats into small pieces. For example, if you start with six calories per treat and cut each one into small pieces, you could give your dog as little as one calorie per positive reinforcement. Many trainers use this method of low-calorie treating so they can cover a lot of ground without risking weight gain in the dog.
“What treats should I give my senior dog?”
Many senior dogs are just as healthy as their younger counterparts, but if your older canine has a sensitive stomach, you need to be extra careful when treating. One thing you can do, says Holly, is freeze some of his regular food in an ice cube tray and give him the frozen bits as treats.
Otherwise, avoiding stomach upset means staying away from fatty ingredients in treats. Look for ingredients that offer meat without the fat. For instance, some treats contain “chicken fat, but no chicken,” says Queny. Always check the ingredients list on a treat package to ensure it mentions whole meats, and not just the fats from those meats. Queny advises giving your older dog treats that contain “coconut oil, sweet potato and chia.” Beyond tasting great, these ingredients produce energy, an important consideration for senior dogs that may be tired or listless. Savvy Beast Treats uses these ingredients in their own organic treats. Front Porch Pets offers all-natural sweet potato-based treats, while Oscar Newman features organic coconut chips for dogs. Dr. Gruenstern adds antioxidants to the list of senior-appropriate treat ingredients. “Look for cranberries or blueberries or dark, leafy greens listed on the label. Seniors with constipation issues may bene fit from treats that contain brous vegetation
such as pumpkins or green beans.”
“What treats should I give my allergic dog?”
As we touched upon earlier, gluten and wheat often produce allergies in dogs. Holly adds soy and corn to that list as well. Corn is a popular filler in cheap, low-quality dog food and treats because it is easily mass produced. Both we and our dogs have a hard time avoiding corn because not only is it a common filler, but farmers often feed cows and other livestock corn in place of grass. Because of this, your dog is eating traces of corn when he eats red meat. With this in mind, avoid treats with corn as a filler because chances are your dog is already getting corn in the meat.
If your dog has allergies, Holly advises having your veterinarian run a test to uncover what he’s reacting to before deciding on a treat. Once this is established, she advises cleansing your dog’s system with a vegetarian diet, since dogs are rarely allergic to vegetables. Thereafter, you can begin introducing exotic meat treats such as rabbit and white fish. Dr. Gruenstern agrees that rabbit is a good hypoallergenic meat. “Try to choose a unique meat source which the dog has not been exposed to previously,” she says.
Low-calorie dog treats packed with wholesome ingredients can be given many times throughout the day to enforce positive behavior and good manners. Just be sure to purchase premium products, read the ingredients on the label, and cut up treats so they are roughly the size of your fingernail. Dogs have a very keen sense of smell, and even a tiny treat will have them salivating and eagerly displaying their best behavior!
....
The trick is separating the good from the bad when you walk into the store. As you would with pet food, start by reading labels and avoiding all products that contain a lot of grains, animal by-products, synthetic additives and other chemicals. Also avoid treats that aren’t manufactured and sourced in North America. Jerky treats and bully sticks from China can be especially problematic, and there have been recalls on these products over the last several years. For quality, natural, domestically-sourced bully sticks and jerky treats, ADK Antler Products is one example of a good It’s also a good idea to eliminate gluten.
“Gluten and wheat are highly allergenic for [many dogs] and cannot be digested well,” says Queny Villanueva of Savvy Beast Treats. Keep in mind that these ingredients are also highly manipulated by man. “Avoid GMO grains or genetically engineered foods,” says veterinarian Dr. Jodie Gruenstern of the Animal Doctor Holistic Veterinary Complex.
“These can be a source of pesticides in the body and potentially cancer-causing.” Choosing healthy treats is crucial for every dog, but you need to be even more vigilant if your canine is a senior or has speci fic health concerns such as obesity or allergies.
“What treats should I give my overweight dog?”
Overweight and obese dogs should avoid treats high in carbohydrates and starch, according to Holly Sher, President of Evanger’s Dog & Cat Food Company. Dr. Gruenstern adds that protein is a key ingredient to look for when deciding which treat to give an overweight dog, and that a simple freeze-dried meat is ideal as a low-calorie treat. Low-calorie treats are also ideal for avoiding weight gain during training. You can easily go through a few dozen treats during an in-depth training session. To avoid weight gain, cut the treats into small pieces. For example, if you start with six calories per treat and cut each one into small pieces, you could give your dog as little as one calorie per positive reinforcement. Many trainers use this method of low-calorie treating so they can cover a lot of ground without risking weight gain in the dog.
“What treats should I give my senior dog?”
Many senior dogs are just as healthy as their younger counterparts, but if your older canine has a sensitive stomach, you need to be extra careful when treating. One thing you can do, says Holly, is freeze some of his regular food in an ice cube tray and give him the frozen bits as treats.
Otherwise, avoiding stomach upset means staying away from fatty ingredients in treats. Look for ingredients that offer meat without the fat. For instance, some treats contain “chicken fat, but no chicken,” says Queny. Always check the ingredients list on a treat package to ensure it mentions whole meats, and not just the fats from those meats. Queny advises giving your older dog treats that contain “coconut oil, sweet potato and chia.” Beyond tasting great, these ingredients produce energy, an important consideration for senior dogs that may be tired or listless. Savvy Beast Treats uses these ingredients in their own organic treats. Front Porch Pets offers all-natural sweet potato-based treats, while Oscar Newman features organic coconut chips for dogs. Dr. Gruenstern adds antioxidants to the list of senior-appropriate treat ingredients. “Look for cranberries or blueberries or dark, leafy greens listed on the label. Seniors with constipation issues may bene fit from treats that contain brous vegetation
such as pumpkins or green beans.”
“What treats should I give my allergic dog?”
As we touched upon earlier, gluten and wheat often produce allergies in dogs. Holly adds soy and corn to that list as well. Corn is a popular filler in cheap, low-quality dog food and treats because it is easily mass produced. Both we and our dogs have a hard time avoiding corn because not only is it a common filler, but farmers often feed cows and other livestock corn in place of grass. Because of this, your dog is eating traces of corn when he eats red meat. With this in mind, avoid treats with corn as a filler because chances are your dog is already getting corn in the meat.
If your dog has allergies, Holly advises having your veterinarian run a test to uncover what he’s reacting to before deciding on a treat. Once this is established, she advises cleansing your dog’s system with a vegetarian diet, since dogs are rarely allergic to vegetables. Thereafter, you can begin introducing exotic meat treats such as rabbit and white fish. Dr. Gruenstern agrees that rabbit is a good hypoallergenic meat. “Try to choose a unique meat source which the dog has not been exposed to previously,” she says.
Low-calorie dog treats packed with wholesome ingredients can be given many times throughout the day to enforce positive behavior and good manners. Just be sure to purchase premium products, read the ingredients on the label, and cut up treats so they are roughly the size of your fingernail. Dogs have a very keen sense of smell, and even a tiny treat will have them salivating and eagerly displaying their best behavior!
Comments
Post a Comment