Treats and Scraps

Introduction

DRBC hopes this guide helps you and your dog to a longer, happier, and healthier life. The information presented is meant to be a guide as you look for the proper nutritional program for your pet. The best program begins and remains with your veterinarian. Always include them in your discussion on diet or any other changes to your pets’ lifestyle. Be sure to make that discussion a part of your semiannual veterinary visits.

DACHSHUND RESCUE OF BUCKS COUNTY & NJ

DRBC has developed a dietary approach aimed at sound health and long life. The building blocks of this program can be found by using the menu below.

  • DACHSHUND RESCUE OF BUCKS COUNTY & NJ

  • DACHSHUND RESCUE OF BUCKS COUNTY & NJ

  • DACHSHUND RESCUE OF BUCKS COUNTY & NJ

  • DACHSHUND RESCUE OF BUCKS COUNTY & NJ

Manufactured Treats

The single biggest surprise to dog owners is that having a dog is much like having a child. Generally, if they really, really like a food, it is not good for them.

Listed below are some of the worst things we have found for the overall long-term health and well-being of an animal. And yes, they are sold on grocery shelves and your dog will love them.

The No-No List

  • Pigs Ears
  • Bully Sticks
  • Hooves (think about where this has been—yuk)
  • Pupperoni
  • Jerky – Beef, Chicken, Whatever
  • Rawhide in Any Form
  • Beggin' Strips
  • Bones or Anything Resembling Bones
  • Anything Resembling Bacon
  • Anything Resembling Human Food, Like a Chicken Leg

There are many others. Drop us a note if you have a question.

Our golden rule is this: You must eat one or chew one and swallow it before giving it to the dog. Really. You should see the looks we get, but there is a good reason.

Manufactured treats are high in fat and salt, both contributors to heart disease, pancreatic issues, liver disease, and kidney issues.

Many owners tell us that they were just to the vet and everything is OK. That is today. These same owners call us when they have lost their loved one to a cardiac issue at age 10 or 12 years. The treats and bad food caught up with them.

How can they (the treat manufacturers) sell them if that were true? It is called marketing. Don't get sucked into the campaign.

Here are three treat examples that will illustrate and personalize this issue:

Example 1: The Bacon Treat
It may look like bacon and may smell like bacon, but what is it really? The dog loves it, and so it is rewarded with it for being properly house trained because they were begging or maybe because it has become part of their daily routine.

The average dog gets treats twice a day. Given a doxie's size that is 2-4 strips of bacon a day. You and your dog are both mammals and while the anatomy and physiology vary, the effect of poor snacking is the same. Those 2-4 strips of bacon for the dog equates to much more on the human level. The long term effects are devastating to the body regardless.

Example 2: The Chew Treat
Pigs ears, hooves, rawhide, and many other chewy items are not readily digested by your pet. Chewed improperly or incompletely they can lead to intestinal blockage and expensive surgery and possibly death.

DACHSHUND RESCUE OF BUCKS COUNTY & NJ

Hooves are special as your pet has had the opportunity to chew a part of the animal's body that walked in feces and urine before being prepared for sale, hence the color variations. The shards that can result from chewing can perforate the intestinal tract leading to internal bleeding, potential surgery, and possibly death.

Example 3: The Fatty Treat
This category is reserved for all non-flour based treats prepared and highly marketed to consumers. Pupperoni is one, but there are many out there. They are a heart attack, liver compromise, or pancreatic issue waiting to happen.

This weekend, have some friends over. Instead of having the normal snack foods serve some cans of lard. It is now available in butter flavor, so you won't be limited on selection. Appalling? Well this is what the fatty treat category is all about.

NOTE: Nutrition is part of the overall wellness plan you should discuss with your veterinarian. The information contained in this website and on this page specifically represents that of the DRBC organization. All of our decisions on diet are discussed with our veterinarians on a routine basis.