We love to give our dogs treats. From their own treats in a box or a few scraps leftover from our dinner. But, sometimes the treats we think are innocent can be very harmful to our dogs.

The market for pet food and treats is growing larger everyday. With dogs becoming treated more like humans, it’s hard to find a store that doesn’t carry treats for our pets. There are bakeries that are totally committed to making treats for dogs, and some stores even carry frozen treats for dogs, and most of these snacks aren’t particularly healthy for them.

We may not notice, but our dogs can over-consume the amount of calories they need each day by us giving them too many snacks and letting them eat human food. Most people think that giving their dog a few treats from the box everyday may not harm them, and it shouldn’t, as long as it hasn’t already had its sufficient amount of calories for that day. One of the major killers of dogs is obesity, as it can cause complications like heart problems, diabetes, heart disease, and arthritis.

Feeding your dog from the table can also be dangerous. Dog food is made for a specific reason; it’s healthy for them to eat and has the right ingredients they can digest. Human food may be tastier than the dry food in a bag, but some ingredients we use in our food may upset the stomach of the dog or cause an allergic reaction, which could be deadly. Things like onions and chocolate can be very poisonous to dogs, so if you do feed your dog a little treat from your dinner, make sure they don’t contain those or any other harmful ingredients.

Even if you feed your dog from the table only a couple of times, the dog will begin to expect treats every single time. Now your pet will be begging for your food all of the time. A smart tip for feeding your dog the food you don’t want to waste is to give it the food in its own food bowl in a different room. That way, your dog will beg at its bowl and not at your dining room table. And training you dog not to beg at all could be a good idea.

Now, for people who are trying to stay healthy themselves, and want to make sure that their dog does the same, there are some health conscious treats available with low calories and low fat content for them. Another tip to make sure that your dog doesn’t eat too many calories is to calculate the right amount it should receive via the guidelines on the product, incorporate the amount of calories in the treats, and make sure that the dog is getting the same amount of calories in dog food and treats combined.

If you are trying to get your dog on a balanced and healthy diet, then the best way to do that is to plan a visit with your pet’s veterinarian. This will ensure that you are giving them the right foods and the perfect portions.

Source:ezinearticles.com