Snacks For Your Mutt That Will Keep Them Lean

We all love to give our dogs treats.  It seems to make them happy and in turn we get pleasure out of it.  What you won't get pleasure out of is the extra weight that too many treats may add onto Fido.  Use some of these tips to keep your dog healthy while still giving them treats:

• Decrease the amount of dog food you are giving them if you give them treats on a daily basis
• Try long lasting low calorie treats such as a frozen kong.  I put baby carrots in a kong with a little cottage cheese and chicken broth.  I put them in the freezer and it takes them about an hour to finish.  They stay busy and get a low calorie treat.  
• Make them work for it.  There are many toys that you can put some kibble in and it will take them a while to get a few pieces of kibbles out.  It is fun for them and keeps them busy.  
• Try things such as carrots, broccoli, and celery instead of higher calorie treats.  
• Inform yourself about the calorie content of some of the most common treats.  Some of the most common dog treats can be up to 600 calories.  Pigs ears can range from 300-600 depending on the size.  

If your dog is overweight it can cause a number of health issues.  Overweight pets can have some of the same health issues as overweight people.  Diet and exercise will keep your pet at a healthy weight.

Don't feed your dog table scraps!  Just say NO!