Focusing on the calories in the cookie and not passing the 10% rule are guidelines that must be remembered to reward the dog with food without unbalancing its diet
Goodbye to the doggy extra kilos! This is the challenge of dog food in the summer and these, guidelines: Healthy vegetables for the dogs veggies , fruits that dogs do eat, homemade biscuits and even traditional awards but without skipping the 10% rule. And how to choose dog treats without putting a healthy diet at risk? Here are all the keys.
Rule 1. Look at the calories in the dog biscuit
30% of people who live with dogs offer them edible treats on a daily basis, according to veterinarian Lisa Freeman, coordinator of numerous studies on canine feeding: carrots, apples (without seeds), commercial dog treats, homemade cookies and even ice cream. The dogs love the grocery prizes, but the question is how to choose and how much to give.
Although no dog is bitter about a cookie, the problem is that these treats can contain more calories than you think. Therefore, the first guideline to consider is calories, since a very caloric canine treat can derail the four-legged friend’s healthy diet . If we are not careful, it is easy for biscuits to throw a healthy diet out of balance, as biscuits for dogs can add calories to the diet that we are not usually aware of.
Many of these cookies are created to be very tasty for the palate, and this sometimes implies more sugar and calories.
However, its caloric content can be important and even suppose between 10% and 30% of the daily calories that the dog needs.
The advice? Consult with your doctor before choosing these rewards and, in addition, offer them in moderation. The problem of overweight affects more than half of the urban dogs in the world, so it is advisable to eat the food of our dogs and offer potentially caloric treats in moderation.
Rule 2. Failure to pass the 10% rule for dog biscuits
Dogs love treats. And humans love to give them cookies that make them happy. But when it comes to dog biscuits and treats, there is one rule to remember. Experts call it the “10% rule”: the amount of calories added to the dog’s diet through edible treats should never exceed 10% of the recommended healthy daily caloric intake.
And here the help of the veterinarian is essential: he will know how many daily calories he needs, depending on its weight and its daily activity. On average, a pet dog weighing about 4 kilos requires between 200 and 275 calories a day; a 9-kilo dog will need between 300 and 400 calories a day; and a 22-kilo dog will require between 700 and 900.
Rule 3. Choose veggie and fruit treats for dogs
If the furry friend is overweight, your human can go straight to the produce section of the market. There are veggies , vegetable prizes that dogs adore and whose properties they also benefit from: carrots – even better if they are babies or small, because they are softer – pumpkin, green beans and even broccoli are healthy vegetables capable of delighting the doggy palate without risk.
But in addition, there are fruits that the dog does eat and that are also healthy dog treats : among them, blueberries, melon, apple segments (without seeds) and banana slices. Plus, these veggie, fruity treats are low in calories, so it’s hard to beat the 10% rule!
Rule 4. Make homemade cookies and ice cream for dogs
The biscuits for dogs can be cooked at home and are a tasty edible treat for the animal that, in addition, allows to control its ingredients and calories. And cooking them is easy and cheap. The recipes are not very different from those used to make cookies for the rest of the family. The only requirements are to eliminate sugar and choose the right ingredients for the dog, as indicated in these four recipes for homemade canine biscuits, simple, inexpensive and quick to make.
And there are still more. Who said dogs don’t like ice cream? The ice creams for dogs and frozen treats are very simple recipes that can be prepared at home to delight your palate in summer. Ice cream for dogs is a soft drink that helps them drink water, stay cool and also entertained.
