Treating your dog can be surprisingly unhealthy, especially if you buy simple treats in bulk from the supermarket. In reality, treats are much like the snacks that we humans consume. There are healthy ones, unhealthy ones, and ones that we just hate because they taste bad.
As such, it’s always a good idea to keep a variety of treats to give your dog something different each time. Even then, it can be unhealthy if you don’t research a bit further into the treats that you’re giving your dog. So how can you make treating your canine friend a little healthier? Here are some tips.
Make your own treats
Why buy dog treats if you can make them at home? If you make your own treats, you’ll know exactly what goes into them. This gives you peace of mind and also makes it easier for you to whip up a treat so you don’t need to go to a store.
There are many homemade dog treat ideas for you to try out, and we highly recommend giving some of these a dog. These are a real treat for your dog and much better than most of the store-bought varieties!
Consider treats with added health benefits
Many treats are high in fats and sugars, making them really unhealthy in large quantities. Thankfully, there are brands that offer treats with additional health benefits. A great example is Thrive pet treats which can help boost your dog’s immune system, improve their energy, and also have anti-inflammatory properties. This is a great option if you want to add some variety to your dog treats and it beats the unhealthy treats on the market.
Just make sure you take dog treat claims with a grain of salt. Many dog treat brands promise a lot of things on their packaging but fail to meet basic standards. Always check the ingredients and look at reviews before you buy treats in bulk!
Keep the 10% rule in mind
The 10% rule means that you should only ever give your dog 10% of their daily calorie intake in treats. Calculate your dog’s recommended calorie intake or ask your vet for advice. From there, just take 10% and compare that to the calorie counts from the treats you give your dog. Make sure it stays within 10% of their total daily intake and you won’t risk overfeeding your dog and potentially making them overweight from treats!
If you’re thinking about getting a dog for the family, then it’s important to understand that there are a lot of small things that you’ll have to learn through trial and error, speaking to other dog owners and also looking at the internet. There are many new dog owners that think that treats are harmless, but the reality is that treats can be unhealthy at times, much like sweets and snacks for humans.
Hopefully, this brief guide has shown you how to make treating your dog a lot healthier so that you don’t risk overindulging them.
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