Doggie Treats
By Dr. Kim • Oct 14th, 2007 • Category: Dog Care ArticlesChoosing the Right Treats for Your Dog
There is such a variety when it comes to treats for our dogs these days but make sure you are making wise choices for their overall good health
Here are some points you’ll want to remember BEFORE you purchase some of these new “natural” treats:
•”Natural” doesn’t necessarily mean “natural”. It’s a great buzz word these days so make sure you read the labels. If the ingredients appear to be a bunch of weird words you can’t pronounce I might steer clear of that for my dog.
•Dogs are obligate carnivores so feeding them grain-laden treats, even if the treats are all natural grains and wholesome foods, doesn’t mean that your dog should be eating that. For me I won’t feed my dogs anything that has grains in it since they are often the culprit behind the allergies, inflammation, then immune-mediated diseases and even ultimately cancer.
•Choose the ones that have the primary ingredient as protein or a meat product. My favorite for my dog is the dehydrated chicken or turkey treats by Bravo Raw Diets and another good one is by Great Life 4 Pets freeze-dried treats.
•The standard treats in your grocery store will only do one thing: make the companies who produce them richer, they won’t help your dog’s overall health but rather add to his or her decline in health so avoid these altogether
You can also create your own naturally healthy treats at home quite simply. Two recipes I typically adhere to when making my own are entirely meat-based. You may laugh when you discover not only their simplicity but the fact that you don’t need hardly anything in the way of ingredients.
Liver Treats:
Simply take some beef livers or chicken livers and make certain to use ONLY organic, range-fed beef or chicken. The reason is because the liver is a filtering system in the body and you don’t want your dog eating a liver treat that is laden with hormones or antibiotics.
Take the livers and boil them until thoroughly cooked and then set them out to dry. You can store the dried treats in your freezer in packets and then thaw out one packet at a time to feed to your dog. Make sure though to keep these treats refrigerated. These are wholesome, healthy, simple treats you can feed to your dog that have no chemicals, preservatives or synthetics in them.
Dehydrated Treats:
Many of us now have our own dehydrators in our homes to create jerky, dried fruits and vegetables, and other goodies for us. We can use these same dehydrators to make treats for our dogs. Simply use the same sort of meat you use for jerky such as a rump roast, turkey or chicken breasts, etc. and dehydrate those for your dog but without all the spices, flavorings and marinade we typically use for our own dehydrated goodies.
That’s it simplicity for the best treats you can give your dogs. Remember that if you decide to purchase dog treats to choose wholesome, tasty but truly healthy treats for your carnivorous best friend.
Originally published here:
http://dogs.suite101.com/article.cfm/doggie_treats
To learn more about proper nutrition for our pets check these audio program sets from Animal Talk Naturally:
Nutrition for Our Carnivore Pets, Vol 1
Nutrition for Our Carnivore Pets, Vol 2
About the author:
Copyright © 2007. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the Author. This article is for educational purposes only. The decision to use, or not to use, any information is the sole responsibility of the reader.
Dr. Kim Bloomer is a veterinary naturopath (Kingdom College of Natural Health), Dr. Kim is the host and creator of Animal Talk Naturally Radio show which she hosts together with her like-minded colleague and friend, Dr. Jeannie Thomason, and a proficient blogger and writer on natural pet health. Dr. Kim is also co-author of the book

Whole Health for Happy Dogs. Dr. Kim’s articles have been featured in various publications such as Animal Wellness Magazine and Natural Horse Magazine. Dr. Kim sits on the Advisory Board for Holistic Option.
Dr. Kim is currently enrolled in the Clayton College of Natural Health studying for her human Doctor of Naturopathy degree. She lives with her husband of many years and they are owned by a rescued Neopolitan Mastiff named Shadrach.
Blogs: Bark ‘N’ Blog & A Dog’s View
Website: Aspenbloom Pet Care
DISCLAIMER: All information contained here on Aspenbloom Pet Care is intended for educational purposes only. It is not provided in order to diagnose, prevent or treat any disease, illness or injured condition of the body or pets and the author, publisher, and contributors accept no responsibility for such use. Anyone or their pets suffering from any disease, illness or injury should consult with their physician or veterinarian. The ONLY essential oils we use and refer to in ALL our posts, articles, and podcasts are Young Living Essential Oils. We DO NOT use any others and would not. The statements herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association).
Dr. Kim is a veterinary naturopath. She also is the host and creator of Animal Talk Naturally Radio show which she hosts together with her like-minded colleague and friend, Dr. Jeannie Thomason, and a proficient blogger and writer on natural pet health. Dr. Kim is also co-author of the book Whole Health for Happy Dogs and author of the book Animals Taught Me That.
Dr. Kim’s articles have been featured in various publications such as Animal Wellness Magazine and Natural Horse Magazine. She sits on the Advisory Board for HolisticOption.com and is adjunct professor with Kingdom College of Natural Health.
Dr. Kim lives with her husband of many years and they are owned by a rescued Neapolitan Mastiff named Shadrach.
Visit her blogs: Bark N Blog & A Dog's View
and her website Aspenbloom Pet Care
Email this author | All posts by Dr. Kim


