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Armitage Animal Clinic

Providing excellence in health care…for your pets!

Call us today! 905 836-4001
Call us today! 905-836-4001
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18025 Yonge St, Unit 6
Newmarket, ON L3Y 8C9

Choosing Dog Treats

February 15 2020

Did you know that Fido’s favorite holiday is just around the corner? February 23rd is Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day! If there’s one thing that’s bound to get that cute tail going, it’s the thought of a yummy snack. However, while your pooch would happily eat any type of treat you offer him, there are some things to consider when buying doggy treats. In this article from Armitage Animal Clinic, a Newmarket, ON offers tips on choosing your pet’s snacks.

Read Labels

Reading pet food labels can be confusing, but it’s a good habit to get into. you’ll generally want to look for products that list meat, fish, and/or poultry first, and more often than anything else. Avoid treats with ingredient lists that read like classified chemical experiments.

Customize It

All of our four-legged pals have unique needs. A Pomeranian puppy’s nutritional requirements will be quite different from those of a senior Great Dane! Ask your vet about the percentages of protein, fat, and other nutrients Fido needs.

Don’t Overdo It

If it were up to Fido, you’d probably be forking over yummy snacks all day, every day. Needless to say, if you were to do that, you’d soon find yourself with a pudgy pup on your hands! That may sound cute, but obesity presents some very serious health risks to our canine pals. Treats should only make up about 5 percent of your dog’s daily caloric intake.

Try Not To Completely Spoil Your Dog

Dogs are very, very cute, and they know it. Fido is a pretty skilled actor, and knows exactly what sad-puppy-look is most likely to score him a tasty snack. Don’t let your pooch manipulate you! Begging is bad manners. It can also be dangerous, as it can lead to aggression.

Use The Opportunity

Treats are great training aids. Use doggy snack time as a chance to reinforce Fido’s training or teach him something new. Even having your pup do something simple, like Sit or Shake , is beneficial. Dogs love pleasing their owners!

Monitor Recalls

Although fortunately most foods and treats are safe, sometimes bad batches of food or treats do make it to stores. Keep an eye on recalls. You can monitor them at the FDA site here or the AMVA site here .

Here at Armitage Animal Clinic, your Newmarket, ON animal hospital, we’re dedicated to offering great care. Please contact us anytime!