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|  | | | THI PAGE IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION. PLEASE BE PATIENT. | | | | Treats can be a problem for especially smaller dogs. 90% of all commercial
dog treats are not only expensive but are NOT healthy for your pet. It's not that the majority of them will actually
harm you pet, but most have ingredients that may incite skin problems or other allergy situations. It matters
not who makes them. You need to read the ingredients in these just as you should, and hopefully do, in dog foods.
Below I have listed those things which you should avoid in treats and foods for your dog. This is, of course,
my opinion but, is the same opinion shared by many pet nutritionists as well.
UNHEALTHY
INGREDIENTS
1. WHEAT
Possible skin problems
2. BEEF Possible
skin problems
3. SOY
Possible skin problems
4. CORN A
high, hollow calorie filler. Creates
fat.
5. BARLEY
Can be a skin allergen in some dogs. Itching. . 6. ALL PROCESSED SUGARS . 7.
RAW-HIDE Small
pieces can become choking hazards and may cause death if not removed quickly. Raw-hide is also very difficult to digest.
I surely would be best to avoid this material.
8. ANY ANIMAL FAT Will cause
inflammation of the pancreas gland which produces insulin. Enough inflammation and you'll end up with a diabetic dog
who will die without constant medical care. NEVER allow your dog to have any type of grease (bacon, pork,
beef, lamb, venison,bird fat or cooking vegetable oils. These things should be considered POISON to your dog.
9. ANIMAL BY-PRODUCTS This can be anything that has even the slightest connection
to a butchered animal or bird that makes up any part of the food or treat. Iinternal organs like the heart, liver, kidneys
and even the cleaned intestines which are considered by-products, are actually good for your dog but, you never know
if the the by-products (as a group) mentioned are these good ones or ---- if they're things like hair, animal waste,
infected meat, blood clots, ground bone, eyes, brains, skin, lungs or what-have-you are included or are totally
the later or some of the later.
NEVER, NEVER give you dog "PIG'S EARS". I
don't know who's brite idea it was to offer this item as a dog treat dog, but these things are massively
packed with pig fat and they can kill you dog slowly but surely over time if you keep giving them to him/her.
They are actual pig's ears and loaded with FAT!!! The fat WILL damage the dog's pancreas and cause K-9 diabetes.
NO QUESTION ABOUT IT!!!
A WORD CONCERNING FAT
All animals must have a certain amount of fat in
their diet in order to utilize the protein they/we eat but, that fat must be of a type and amount that animal bodies
can use.
The best fats are the oils we get from plants such as canola, peanut, olive, etc.
Purified chicken fat
is the best animal fat being used in good dog foods but, it must be used in proper amounts. The above mentioned
oils are the best but difficult to find in dog food due to cost. Don't get me wrong, purified chicken fat in most
dog food is not going to be of an amount that will harm your dog. Keep in mind, the fat content in adult
dog food should be around 9-11% and protein should be around 17-22%.
HEALTHY
TREATS
There are many healthy treats that you can make for pennies on the dollar.
It will take some of your time but, you will know exactly what is in them so you can feel much better concerning you pups's
health.
1. Cheese: This one, of course, you won't need to make. All
you will have to do for puppies is to use a cheese grater.
FOR PUPPIES: Never give chunks of
anything that is larger then a piece of the puppy food he/she is eating at the current time. For puppies we
have found over the years that cheese, in small amounts, is best offered in grated form. Simply hold the grater well
over the head of the pup and run the cheese across it a couple of times. Remember not to over-do it. About
40 little shavings (pieces) is plenty and this should not be offered more then once or twice per week.
Adult
Westies: Once your Westie passes 9 months of age, you can still do the grating if you like (it's
fun to watch them scramble for all the little pieces) or you can just slice-off a piece about 1/8" thick, cut or
tear it into 5-6 3/4" pieces and offer them (one at a time) as a reward for tricks or whatever.
Again, DON'T OVERDUE IT. 5-6 pieces twice per week is plenty. Too much cheese is not good and is high in
calories which can pack on the weight if overdone.
2. Home-made liver treats: Your
pup will love these. At the grocery store, buy some calf liver. Young calf liver is best because it has had
less time to collect pollutants. No need to cook it. If you place it in the freezer for a while,
laying flat, it will become more solidified and easier to slice. With a very sharp knife, slice strips that are about
1/8" thick. Now, you have a bunch of liver wafers of various shapes. Lay them flat on a cutting board
and slice each wafer into pieces about 1/2" wide and 1" long. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil, apply
some olive spray oil and place the liver pieces on the foil. You want to DRY the liver NOT necessarily cook it.
Place the cookie sheet in a 125degrees (approx.) oven and set the door so it remains open about a half inch
or so. This allows the moisture to escape readily. You'll need to check the pieces every hour or so and move
then around as needed to promote drying. The drying will take quite a few hours. When you feel the liver is very
well dried (it will break when bent), remove it to a cool, dry area of the house, out of the reach of kids and dogs, and allow
it to finish drying on its own for three to six days. There should be normal air circulation but try
to keep flies from it. A piece of cheese cloth or plastic screening on a frame works well. Once TOTALLY
DRY, it can be kept in a sealed container for one year or more. IT MUST BE
TOTALLY DRY THOUGH!
If you have a food dryer, you can just cut the liver 1/8" thick and 1/2" wide
strips and dry it in the dryer. Once basicly dried, break it into 1" pieces and your ready to set it aside
to finish drying on its own. These pieces are great for any type of training and you can offer as many as twenty
or so (1" pieces) per day.
3. Some other very good treats are dried fruit. Be sure NO SWEETENERS
have been added to any fruit you give your dog. Sugar is bad and some artificial sweeteners
like "OYLITOL" WILL KILL YOUR DOG VERY QUICKLY. This material is in many,
but not all human products like chewing gum, diet sodas, candy and more. Getting just one piece of even already
chewed gum from a walk in the park can kill your little-one. If you find your pet has chewed/eaten any of these, and
did contain this substance, you have less than an hour to save your pet from liver failure. Well dried banana chips,
dried raspberries, blueberries, huckleberries, blackberries, apples, peaches and just about any other dried fruit makes
great treats. Our dogs love these. Again, use in moderation. MORE IS NOT BETTER! Be aware: Fruits like plums and
grapes should not be feed to your dog. Plumbs are not good and GRAPES and RAISINS (dried grapes) are POISONOUS. To be continued ..............
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