Tips for Making Homemade Dog Treats
It can be tough to recommend manufactured treats for your dogs as most are usually filled with sugar, flavorings, colors and salts. So what is the alternative dog treat to use that will not lead to obesity and poor health for your pets? Well, a good option is to make the dog treats at home so that you can create delicious and nutritious treats. Ensure you consult your veterinarian before preparing dog treats if the dog has been placed on a customized prescription diet since some of the ingredients could affect that diet. Also, be wary of the food sensitivities and allergies of your dog when preparing the dog treats.
Keep your dog safe when baking the dog treats
Preparing tasty treats for your dogs will not mean anything if you end up harming your precious friend in that process. Here are a few precautions worth taking to avoid foodborne illnesses and general accidents:
• Keep your dogs away from the kitchen when preparing dog treats as they don’t know the idea of hot ovens and stoves
• Do not use any toxic ingredients, including chocolate, raisins, garlic, onions, and xylitol when making dog treats at home
• Never use baking molds that contain BPA, which is a contaminant associated with many health issues like cancer.
• Cook the dog foods to a high temperature to effectively kill all pathogens, like Salmonella.
Avoid adding unnecessary and unhealthy ingredients
Most of the ingredients that humans enjoy in their treats are not healthy or even filling for dogs. There is no need for you to use sugars or frosting for your dog treats. Avoiding adding fat to the ingredients is also recommended since some dogs may develop health complications like pancreatitis after eating high-fat foods and treats.
Instead of the unhealthy ingredients mentioned above, you can include most fruits and vegetables. Some that are recommended by vets include carrots, zucchini, summer squash, cucumber, spinach, Brussels sprouts, apple, dandelion greens, pears, kale, broccoli, bananas, strawberries, and blueberries.
Pay attention to the number of calories in the dog treats
Even when giving your dog these homemade dog treats, ensure that you are not substituting their healthy, balanced diet for the unbalanced and incomplete treat. Treats should only amount to less than ten percent of the daily caloric consumption of your dog, with the remaining percentage coming from a balanced diet. It is best to follow recipes that have clearly stated calorie calculations to avoid giving your pets too many calories that will affect their health and lead to obesity.
References: Pet MD, Simply Pets
