There's a Vegeterrier in Every Dog

Dec 11, 2013   Stephen

The last blog entry featured a guilt-ridden photo of Ralph the Kleptomaniac Dachshund gnawing on a pilfered sweet potato. Although at first glance this evidence of disobedience was just another absurdThanksgiving memory, I suddenly realized that Ralphie was inadvertently teaching us all a lesson about animal nutrition. Go figure!

You may have heard about recent recalls for potentially toxic pet treats. This sort of thing pops up from time to time, yet I feel like I hear about it a lot these days. It never fails to make me nervous, what with unsuspecting pet owners waltzing into unsuspecting pet stores only to buy something that could seriously harm their animals. You can hopefully avoid this sad situation by doing your homework ahead of time, but peering closer at the ingredients to a package of Dalmunchians or Reese's Shar Pieces (brands unfortunately fictional) doesn't scream "health benefits" in the first place. Actually, we haven't purchased packaged treats for years. Instead, snacks take the form of everyday dog food and... well, food food.

I'm not suggesting you slide leftover lasagna and cheesecake off your plate and into the awaiting jaws of your Pomeranian, even though that would be pretty fun. Dog digestions aren't fit for that. What are they fit for, you might be asking? Fruits and vegetables are a good start, providing you pick the right ones. Pointing the discussion back to Ralph, sweet potatoes are a capital snack, although baking and slicing the spud is typically preferred over shoving the entire thing in one's mouth. Most berries are also no more than delicious health bombs (blueberries, strawberries, etc.), and our pets have been chomping on carrots for multiple Dachshund generations. This fresh diet can even become a regular for mealtime. One of our clients slices up banana and apple for her dog every day-- which the little guy adores beyond reason-- and we know another who mixed in green beans for the purpose of canine weight loss. You can get pretty creative!

Red flag: dogs don't have opposable thumbs.

That said, don't get too creative and introduce a rainbow of wacky flavors to your pet's diet only to discover he/she has odd allergic reactions to them all simultaneously-- and besides, there are definitely some edible landmines for dogs to avoid. Anything with pits are a choking hazard, grapes/raisins have been known to cause kidney failure, and macadamia nuts can be extremely hazardous, just to name a few. Also remember that I'm a pet sitter and absolutely not an animal nutrition specialist. I get my facts from research and experience, all of which is currently on the subject of dog treats (cats and basic meals have to wait their turn). Lastly, whatever you add to your pet's diet, look into it first, and introduce it slowly; safety comes first. You probably already know that, but I've an obligation to remind you!

A few Labradoritos (again, not a real brand, but should be) won't necessarily hurt your faithful canine companion, but unlike a handy stick of celery, it certainly won't help. Some picky eaters may not take to the strange-smelling herbivore fodder right away, but try mixing it in with a favorite food and see if that changes. In the long run it could be a lot healthier, not to mention cheaper. And hey, if you have any quality treat ideas you're already using, you should let us know! I'd really like to hear them. Thanks for reading and I'll see you later!