Treating Your Pets to Treats

Treating Your Pets to Treats: DOS & DON'TS Who doesn't love to give their pet a treat: Unfortunately, what you think is a special snack might be full of chemicals and additives that no one, not even your dog, should ingest. Fortunately, there are plenty of healthy options out there, so you just need to knouw what to look for. We watch the ingredients in our own food, so why not in our pets' snacks? Read the Ingredients DO: INGREDIENTS TO WATCH FOR POTENTIALLY CARCINOGENIC → Artificial colors (Red 10, etc.) ВНА/ВНТ → Preseruatives ETHOXYQUIN → Preseruatives BYPRODUCTS/ANIMAL FAT/ANIMAL DIGEST → FDA reports that these tend to be most likely to contain pentobarbital, a euthanizing drug Best lngredients are higher quality ingredients that should be found in pet treats. Chicken Meal/Beef Meal ---------------------- Recalls to Do:) Pay Attention --------------------- Like human food, pet food can become contaminated. Dogs, cats, and even humans can be infected with salmonella via infected treats. To auoid accidentally causing your pet harm, make sure you check the news frequently for potential recalls. The best way to make sure your pet is getting the best treats, without any additives, is to simply make your own. Make Yοur Own DO: for creating your own biscuits, it doesn't have to be as complicated as you might think. DogTreatKitchen.com has several recipes that you can use for While there are several recipes out there canines. Try cooking up small pieces of: Fish (no bones) Egg Chicken (no bone) Liver DO: Make Healthy Choices Choosing healthier treats will help your pet auoid common health problems like obesity. Opt for low-fat treats like dried chicken strips. tess processing is best ... stay away from treats that barely resemble the original food. DON'T: Make Treats a Regular Thing Treats are not part of a regular meal plan, so make sure they stay special. Your pet will appreciate them that much more! Cats that receive treats too often will prefer them to their food and reject. regular meals. According to vets, pets should receive 15% or less of their calories To from treats. DON'T: Pick Treats with Grains as Main Ingredients This is important enough to warrant a section of its own. Many people don't realize that dogs and cats have systems designed to digest meat, not grains. However, grains make up the top ingredients in most dog foods and many treats, as well as those for cats. corn, wheat, and soy are the main ingredients in many foods and are difficult for pets to digest. Switching to a grain-free product can improve your pef's attitude and coat and eliminate deficiency behaviors, such as eating feces. Eliminate fillers like grains and your pet will require less food, evening out the cost differences. There's no reason not to treat your peti just make sure you're giving your furry friend something healthy rather than harmful. Sources • [1]http://www.naturalnews.com/report_pet_food_ingredients_1.html [2]http://veterinarynews.dum360.com/dum/breaking+news/salmonella-contamination-nets-new- pet-treat-recall/articlestandard/article/detail/723395?contextcategoryid=378 [3]http://blogs.webmd.com/breaking-news/2011/08/dog-treat-recall-salmonella.html [4]http://pets.webmd.com/cats/guide/cat-treats-and-snacks-whats-healthy [5]http://www.truthaboutpetfood.com/new-to-truthaboutpetfoodcom.html [6]http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/healthy-dog-treats [7]http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2010/07/05/finding-a-healthy-dog-food/ [8]http://www.askavetquestion.com/news/2011/chicken-jerky-fanconi/ [9]http://www.mpnnow.com/community/blogs/dog-blog/x1178220630/the-recall-roundup-do-not- use-these-pet-products