Earlier this week I spoke a bit about how I incorporate my dogs into my Christmas. Now that everything is said and done, I want to share some of my favorite treats to give Caesar and Jeter as gifts. Picking the right treats for your dog can take a lot of thinking if you are not particularly experienced with what to watch out for.
We all know there are various qualities of treats out there and some that are not-so-quality. I typically stray away from giving my dogs certain types of treats, like “Beggin Strips” which contain a lot of dyes, any bone that is made into a circle with a hole in it or any curved bone (I’ll tell you why in a bit), and any treat that is heavily processed or made with unhealthy ingredients.
My ultimate go-to treat for my dogs is Pork Chomps, which are raw-hide free and tested to be 99.9 percent easier to digest than raw-hide. If you own a dog, you’ve probably heard about the dangers that raw-hide can pose. Often, it’s hard for a dog’s body to break down and is either dyed or bleached to obtain a certain color. This is why I’ve opted for Pork Chomps.
Pork Chomps come in a variety of shapes and sizes. For Christmas, the boys got a bag of pig-ear shaped Pork Chomps and a bag of traditional knotted bone-shaped Pork Chomps. They absolutely LOVE Pork Chomps, and it’s actually the only bone-type treat that my dad’s very pick dog, Lion-O, will even eat. Even better, they don’t smell or leave a sticky mess as other bones do.
Choosing a bone shape is very important. There are many “fancy” bones out there that can be tempting to buy because they seem like they would be a super treat for your dog. Pork Chomps are affordable and most importantly, they are flexible. I’ve spoken before about how Caesar chipped a tooth on a hard pork bone which ended up costing a pretty penny to fix. Pork Chops wouldn’t have done that to him.
A year and a half ago I thought I would treat my dogs by getting them a fancy antler. The antler curved into almost a full circle. I do not let my dogs have bones unsupervised in case something should happen. Thankfully this rule was a major help when one evening as Jeter was chewing the antler at my feet, he stood up, looked at me, and I looked back horrified. The antler had gotten stuck in his mouth around his lower jaw! Jetter began to panic and scream as he tried to get it off, but it was stuck around his teeth. This bone was very hard and not flexible enough for me to pull off of him. Not to mention, Jeter turns into a wild crocodile when in a panic. As I got him in the car to rush into the emergency vet, he wailed around trying to pry it off his mouth and he was somehow successful. We turned around and went home. He got himself out of the terrible situation with just a few scratches to his gums, but I knew from then on of the dangers of curved and circular bones. Learn from my mistake, NEVER buy your dog a curved or circular bone.
Aside from Pork Chomps, I also purchased Performatrin’s Ultra Limited Sweet Potato chews which are made from one ingredient: sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are a very healthy snack for dogs. This particular treat is baked into crispy little snacks for your dogs. The boys also got a box of Greenies, which make excellent treats after brushing their teeth at night. Greenies help fight bad breath and plaque, and when combined with teeth-bushing, helps to give your dog the cleanest mouth in town.
When choosing the right treats for your dog, look for items that do not contain harmful dyes and chemicals. Avoid hard bones that can splinter can possibly harm your dog when ingested. Also, look for treats that are low-fat and healthy, such as the sweet potato treats. One of Jeter’s favorite treats is actually carrots. Did you know carrots help to clean your dog’s teeth as they eat them?
Other healthy foods to give your dog:
- Apples (no seeds)
- Blueberries
- Peanutbutter
- Bananas
- Watermelon
- Plain yogurt (can help with an upset stomach)
- Chicken
- Fish
Foods to avoid giving your dogs:
- Cherries (anything with a pit)
- Avacado
- Raisins/Grapes
- Chocolate/Coffee/Caffeine
- Xylitol (which can be found in some dog treats. Always check the ingredients!)
- Alcohol (duh!)