Have you taken a good look at your dog lately? Is he/she overweight? I know it's hard not giving them treats, leftovers, and too much food. But just like us, being overweight is dangerous for any dog, especially the bigger and the very small breeds.
And if they don't get a good amount of exercise, too much weight can put a lot of pressure on their hearts. A good brisk walk a couple times a day is good for you and you're dog. Couch potato dogs are never a good thing health wise. We all need a little calorie burning exercise everyday to keep that weight down.
You can still give your dog treats and food. You just need to make sure it's got good healthy nutritional content rather than fat and sugar. Most of the commercial dog treats sold have little nutrition and mostly sugar and byproducts. Not a good thing for your favorite pet.
Don't believe me? Take a look at the label next time you go to buy some dog treats. If the contents have corn syrup, artificial colors (dye), and multiple preservative chemicals then all you have is junk food. This applies to your regular dog food too. Dogs don't need byproducts filler, corn syrup, artificial coloring, and a bunch of chemicals to make it stay fresh
A lot of dogs have medical problems due to over eating and too much good tasting but low nutrition food. Dogs don't know any better, I'm fairly certain my dog would eat rocks if I put a little corn syrup and artificial flavoring on them. It's up to us to try and provide a nutritious diet to our dogs. And limit the amount of food they consume everyday.
There are some high end (read expensive) healthy commercial dog treats available. Check the price per ounce and I'll bet you'll be surprised at the high cost. You could probably buy your dog some of the best cuts of meat for the price you pay for those special treats.
So what's a good solution? Well, you can pay those high prices for the commercial healthy dog treats, that's one way. Or you can make your own dog treats with some simple ingredients that provide the right amount of nutrition and taste good too. Here's a real easy and quick recipe:
Healthy Dog Biscuits
* 2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
* 1/2 cup powdered milk 1
* teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1 egg
* 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 8 tablespoons water --(8 to 10)
* 2 jars of Baby food, Meat, Beef, Strained -- *Note: Strain. Use beef, chicken or lamb
Mix all ingredients together and knead for 3 min. Roll out to `/1 inch thick. Use a dog bone shaped cookie cutter, and place biscuits on an un-greased baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 min., makes approximately 2 dozen dog biscuits.
You can also be very selective in what you give your dog as leftovers. High protein and low in fat leftovers are fine. A dog does need some fat, just like we do for a well balanced diet. A steak or roast bone is good, just don't smother it in gravy and include the cut off fat you didn't want to eat. Vegetables are good too, they provide the vitamins and minerals necessary for good nutrition. Avoid giving your dog gravy, butter, trimmed fat of any kind, cookies and dessert items, and fried foods in general.
Limit their amount of dog food each day to the recommended amounts by weight of your dog. Don't leave food out for constant munching. Give them enough food to provide good nutrition each day but don't let them eat all day long or whenever they want.
Your dog will be healthier, have fewer medical problems, and live longer with a good nutritious diet. Clean and fresh water and daily exercise will keep them in good shape too. And there's a good chance you'll save money on vet bills too.
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