Home & Family | For the Love of Pets
Treats & Toys
WHAT’S BEST FOR YOUR PET by Kerry Andersen
The real winners of recent life changes brought on by COVID-19 restrictions are our pets! Instead of watching us go off to work and school, they simply watch us – All. Day. Long. Behind that loving stare is a not too subtle plea for treats and it is hard to say no to our constant companions. Which begs the question, how much is too much? Veterinarian Dr. Wade Woolman with Downtown Animal Hospital warns that treats are the real culprits when pets are overweight. As a general guideline, treats should make up no more than 10 percent of the total calories your dog or cat consumes. Dr. Woolman recommends having an ulterior motive when you offer a snack to your fur babies. “Try to address a medical issue with a treat and make it as beneficial as possible,” he says. For example, give older pets a treat that contains glucosamine chondroitin for their joints or give them something like a Greenie Dental Treat that will whittle away at the plaque on their teeth while they gnaw on it. When it comes to cats, go easy with people food. Occasional small bits of cheese or cooked chicken are fine but avoid onions and garlic, grapes, raisins, or raw meat and eggs. These common foods can be toxic to all pets. Dr. Woolman likes Temptations Classic treats for cats because they are low calorie, high protein, and have few additives. He says that anything for a dog or cat can be a treat. Even cooked veggies without salt will set tails wagging if they are offered outside of mealtime. His favorite pick for a healthy pet treat is unexpected – animal crackers – they are crunchy, have zero fat, and because they are made for children, they’re FDA approved (most pet treats are not). Most importantly, become an avid label reader and avoid ingredients like corn syrup, xylitol, nitrites, propylene glycol and excessive salt.
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Thrive Magazine for Better Living • September 2020
PLAYTIME
As with treats, ensure your pets’ toys don’t cause them harm. The Humane Society recommends the following when choosing dog toys:
• Look for BPA-free toys. • To avoid broken teeth, chew toys should have some ‘give’ to them – you should be able to scratch the surface with your fingernail and leave an indent. • Avoid animal bones, antlers, hooves, and hard nylon bones. Ask your vet about rawhide. • Safe bets are rope toys, durable stuffed toys, and firm rubber toys. All toys should be size-appropriate. Smaller balls can be a choking hazard. • Aim for a good mix of soft comfort toys, those that distract such as a treat-filled Kong, and active toys for chewing, fetching, or tugging. For cats, experts recommend daily vigorous play, even better if it engages their basic instincts to stalk and hunt. Look for toys made of natural materials such as feathers to mimic the look and feel of prey. Avoid loose pieces and glued on decorations.
TOP PICKS:
• Bergan Turbo Scratcher: interactive scratch pad. • Cat Dice: colorful, bouncy, and unpredictable – your cats will chase them through the house. simple but highly entertaining.
• Cat Dancer Wand Toy: