One of the enjoyable things that pet owners love is giving their pet treats. Pet owners in America spend about 3 billion dollars a year on treats for their pets. But one of the problems is the high-calorie content some treats have. There’s even a dental treat made by a major dog food company for a 50-pound dog that has 1,057 calories in it. A 50-pound dog is supposed to only eat 1,000 calories for the entire day.
Too many treats for dogs
One of the ways you can show your love and affection for your canine companion is to give him a handful of treats when you get home. But if you give your dog, Albert, too many treats, it can bring about an adverse effect on his health and the quality of his life.
One of the problems with too many treats is that it leads to obesity. If Albert doesn’t burn off more calories than he eats, then he’s going to put on weight. So, if you give Albert a handful of low quality, high calorie treats every day when you come home from work, he’s going to become obese. If this happens then he can develop joint and bone problems, heart disease, or diabetes. Plus, if Albert becomes overweight, then he may not live life as long.
So, the size of your dog depends on how many treats he can have depending on the calorie count of each treat. A dog which is small should only have about two treats a day. A dog of medium size can eat about three treats a day and a large size dog, like Albert, can have up to five treats a day.
The other thing to consider is the quality of the treat you’re giving your pet. A snack which is lower quality has by-products and unwanted chemicals. A high-quality treat is better for your pet even though the cost could be higher. Another option is feeding Albert fresh fruit and veggies. Here’s a list which is safe for consumption:
- raw potatoes and sweet potatoes (they shouldn’t be mashed using milk and butter) Brussel sprouts, celery, cucumber, green beans, peas, cooked potatoes, spinach
- Cantaloupe, cranberries, mango, oranges, peaches, pears, pineapple, raspberries, strawberries
What about cats?
Just like a dog, cats can be fed too many treats also. If you give Sassy a handful of treats every time she rubs against you or insistently meows, you’re going to have an overweight cat. So, you want to make a distinction between feeding Sassy a treat because she’s been good and giving her one to develop a bond with her. Most pets want affection more than treats too; they’d rather have the attention and chin scratches.
For treats, you can give your cat the following: meat, fish, and cooked eggs as well as catnip. Hold back on the milk though, because some cats have difficulty digesting cow’s milk. Also, don’t feed Sassy (or Albert) grapes or raisins. In addition, salt and caffeine can make a cat sick. Plus, the treats for a cat should be about 10% of their calorie intake for the day.
You can give your pets treats but use discretion and make sure that the treats are of good quality. What treat ideas do you have?
