SaTIETY and weight management

FOR DOGS

FOR CATS

MAKE THEM WORK FOR IT A BIT 🙂

“CAN MY DOG HAVE TREATS??” –  6 guidelines to “treating” your pet well

1: ALL TREATS HAVE CALORIES!

Any treat you give your dog contributes to their overall calorie intake. If you’ve been instructed to feed a certain amount of calories a day and you choose to give treats, you must reduce the amount of food to keep the total calories the same. 

2: VEGGIES ARE THE BEST TREAT YOU CAN GIVE!

Raw vegetables are low in calories and fat, and high in fiber….the best combination for weight loss and good digestion. In addition, most vegetables help clean teeth, even better than biscuits, and with fewer calories. Do not give your pet vegetables that have been cooked in oil or butter as these are high in fat, high in calories, and too squishy to clean teeth.

3: IF IT GOES FROM YOUR HAND TO THEIR MOUTH, IT’S A TREAT!

This means half a treat is as good as a whole. A carrot is as good as a piece of chicken. To your dog, a treat is an edible form of reward for good behavior. Knowing this, retraining yourself to play ball as a reward or spend time rubbing Fido’s ears can serve the same purpose.

4: THE MOISTER THE TREAT, THE GREATER THE FAT!

Of the commercial dog treats, the more “beefy” and “chewy” they are, the more oils and fats have been added to make them that way. If you think your dog needs dog treats, buy the drier, crunchier type. Our favorites are Skinny Mini’s from Fruitables.

5: IF YOU EAT A WHOLE, YOUR DOG NEEDS LESS THAN HALF!

Many who feed “people” food to their pets give them the same portion a person would eat. But let’s do some math…If I weigh 150 pounds and I eat ½ a chicken breast for a meal, then my 25 pound dog should have 1/6th of that (150/6 =20) or about 2 bite sized pieces AND that should count as their whole supper!

Now, do you think they will be more filled with his 1⁄2 cup of dry food, or two little morsels of chicken?

6: 90% OF WEIGHT LOSS SUCCESS IS RETRAINING THE OWNER!

Think of it this way…wouldn’t it be great if we had someone to control our access to the refrigerator when we were trying to lose weight? Dogs beg from boredom and use food for comfort just like we do. Retrain yourself that instead of reaching for a treat, reach for the ball or the leash!

About Healing Arts Animal Care

Healing Arts Animal Care in Beaverton, Oregon provides veterinary acupuncture, pet rehabilitation therapy, physical therapy and athletic conditioning and Animal Massage Therapy for the dogs and cats of the Portland, Oregon Metro Area including Hillsboro, Lake Oswego, and Tualatin. We strive to create a team among you, your pet, your veterinarian and ourselves to create a whole package of care for your pet including wheelchairs for dogs. Pets come through our door knowing that we’re going to have fun here and this isn’t “another trip to the vet.” Through manual therapies, acupuncture, laser, ultrasound, underwater treadmill and creating a tailored individual home exercises, we strive to bring your injured pet back to speed, keep your elderly pet as an active member of the family, return your obese pet back to a functional friend and keep your athletic pet at the peak of his performance.