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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 an 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"
5. 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.
6. 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,beef,
lamb, or even bird fat. These things should be considered POISON to yur dog.
7. 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.
NEVER, NEVER give
you dog "PIG'S EARS". I don't know who's brite idea it was to offer this item for dog treats
but these things are full of pig fat and 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. 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 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, ect., ect.
Purified chicken fat is the best
animal fat 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 18-22%.
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 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.
2. Home-made liver treats: Your
pup will love these. At the grocery store, buy some calf liver. Calf liver is best because it has had less
time to collect pollutants. No need to cook it. 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 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 125 degrees (approx.) oven and set the door so it remains open about an inch or so.
This allows the moisture to escape readily. You'll need to check the pieces every hour or so, 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 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. To
be continued ..............
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