Every dog likes to be given a tasty tidbit as a treat and every dog-owner likes to give them. But do you know whether the dog treats that you are giving are healthy or dangerous for your pet, because there are both sorts on the market. In fact, there are hundreds of types of dog treats of all sizes, shapes and colours.
No matter what you feed your dog, it is worth checking whether he has eaten it all and if not why not. There could be several causes, but each dog owner ought to know how much their dog usually eats and what he particularly likes. Not eating normally is frequently a sign that your dog is ill or about to be ill. Some foods can cause this symptom though as well.
Treats that are manufactured to scrub your dog’s teeth often come in the shape of a bone, not that that is significant to the dog, He knows it is not a bone sure enough. But most dogs do like them. A problem can happen if your dog has powerful jaws and tries to eat big chunks in one go.
These substantial, slightly soggy pieces can get wedged in the throat or intestines resulting in blockages. Often these blockages will dissolve away during a couple of hours, but if they are resulting in breathing worries or discomfort, you might have to take your dog to a vet.
Rawhide chews also fall into this category although they come with problems of their own as well. Rawhide chews are good for scraping plaque and tartar off your dog’s teeth that would otherwise lead to bacteria, bad teeth and foul breath, but they can also become lodged in the animal’s throat or intestines, so attempt to purchase treats that your dog cannot swallow but has to chew on.
Rawhide is an animal by-product, so it has to be preserved to prevent it going rancid. Attempt to find out what that preservative is and find out whether it is perilous or not. It has been reported that some countries have been using arsenic to conserve their chews, this is obviously not a good idea and is one of the most dangerous dog treats.
Chocolate is poisonous to dogs. Not a lot of adults and very few children are aware of this, because you frequently see individuals giving their dog a square of chocolate. The reason these dogs do not die a terrible death is that most of the chocolate that we can purchase nowadays does not contain much chocolate. It is chocolate-flavoured paste. Look on the list of ingredients on the wrapper of your next bar of chocolate to see what I mean.
However, different countries have different regulations concerning what can be called chocolate. The European Union is pretty good, America not so decent and Thailand is atrocious. Normally, bakers’ chocolate is the most powerful, which makes a chocolate covered chocolate cake the most dangerous for dogs – exactly the type of thing they can steal from the picnic blanket.
Sickness, uneven heartbeat, ‘craziness’, hyperactivity, a visit to the vets for a stomach pump or death are usually the result.
Dogs love bones and they are good for them too (which makes you ask yourself why so many dog chews are purchased). However, not all bones are good for dogs. Cats grind everything up small, which is why they can be safely given fish, chicken and turkey bones. But dogs tend to wolf items down, so never give these bones to your dog.
Fish bones are fine and sharp and can stick in the throat or gut as with humans needing surgery, but chicken and turkey bones splinter into these fine slithers too when crunched. Do not give them to a dog as a treat.
Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on a variety of subjects, but is now concerned with the canine distemper vaccination. If you want to know more, please go to our website at Distemper Vaccines
