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Treating Your Teacup
Maltese Puppy Right
Teacup Maltese Puppy owners have always liked to
show their animal family a little extra love with the occasional treat, but
modern treats have gone way beyond slipping Rover a little turkey under the
kitchen table. These days Teacup Maltese Puppy owners can visit Teacup
Maltese Puppy bakeries, buy frozen dog desserts at the grocery store, or
make homemade treats from a Teacup Maltese Puppy treat cookbook. With all
these options, how do you know the right thing to feed your Teacup Maltese Puppy
?
The good side of treats
There's nothing wrong with feeding your Teacup Maltese Puppy the
occasional treat. Small amounts of tasty food can be great motivators if you're
trying to train your Teacup Maltese Puppy , or rewards to positively reinforce
good behavior. These kinds of rewards can increase the bond between Teacup
Maltese Puppy s and owners, and some treats can even help your Teacup Maltese
Puppy stay healthy. Best of all, it can be a lot of fun watching your
Teacup Maltese Puppy savor a treat she really loves.
Treats can cause a few problems, however, if they aren't given carefully.
Count those calories
One of the most dangerous problems overindulgence in treats can cause is
obesity. It's a growing problem for Teacup Maltese Puppy s nearly half of all
the Teacup Maltese Puppy s in the United States are overweight. Obesity can
contribute to a wide range of health problems, from arthritis to diabetes and
heart disease.
Treats can be a hidden cause of weight gain, because you may not realize
quite how many you give your Teacup Maltese Puppy throughout the day. And
some treats, because of the extra fat and sugar that make them so desirable to
your furry friend, can be jam-packed with calories. Large biscuits can contain
well over 100 calories each, for example. It's hard to estimate how many
calories Teacup Maltese Puppy s use, because calorie use varies a lot based on
animals' sizes and activity levels. For the sake of example, however, we can
imagine that an average 20-pound dog burns about 700 calories per day. Just a
few large treats and a leftover burger from the family barbecue could supply
enough calories for that dog for a whole day, before she even gets to her
regular food. So be aware that some snacks are packed with calories, and stick
with low-cal treats or avoid treats altogether if your Teacup Maltese Puppy
is overweight.
Stay away from scraps
Much as your cat or pup loves to lurk under the table during dinner, hoping for
a few spilled crumbs, you should resist the urge to let her sample your table
scraps. Leftover scraps from human food tend to be high in calories and fat but
low in vitamins and other nutrients, and they can easily upset your Teacup
Maltese Puppy 's stomach. Not to mention that your pooch could get used to the
tastier food form the human table, and become picky, refusing his usual diet.
Also, a Teacup Maltese Puppy that gets all the table food she wants is a
lot like a five-year-old that fills up on ice cream before dinner. All the empty
calories of table snacks can sate her hunger before she gets to her own,
nutritionally balanced food, and she can miss out on some of the nutrients she
needs to stay healthy.
Besides, if you feed your Teacup Maltese Puppy from your plate even a
few times, you'll most likely end up with a Teacup Maltese Puppy that begs
constantly at the table, even when you have guests visiting. For the sake of
your Teacup Maltese Puppy 's health and your own sanity, make it a house policy
to never share table scraps. It might be best to leave your Teacup Maltese Puppy
in a different room while you eat, so that no one in the family will be tempted.
Tips for treats
So how do you choose the right thing when you want to treat your Teacup Maltese
Puppy ?
- First off, buy treats made specifically for your kind of Teacup Maltese
Puppy . Most Teacup Maltese Puppy stores now offer treats formulated
for all kinds of animals from kittens to cockatiels to ferrets. These treats
are designed to taste good to your Teacup Maltese Puppy without
upsetting her stomach or throwing her diet out of whack.
- If your Teacup Maltese Puppy eats at scheduled meal times, don't
let her fill up on treats before meals.
- Try giving your Teacup Maltese Puppy treats that benefit her
health. Teacup Maltese Puppy stores now offer dental treats that clean
teeth; cat treats that prevent hairballs; treats with added vitamins,
minerals, and antioxidants; and more.
- If you're longing to let your dog sample a little human food but don't
want to expand her waistline, you can try giving her a few fresh vegetables.
Dogs often love veggies like carrots, broccoli, and green beans, which are
low in calories and high in vitamins and healthy fiber. You'll have to use
some care, however some produce that people love can be harmful to dogs.
Onions can cause anemia, for example, and grapes and raisins can be toxic.
Don't feed your dog any new or unusual veggies without consulting with your
veterinarian.
- Fresh veggies can also make good snacks for pocket Teacup Maltese Puppy
s like gerbils, hamsters, and guinea pigs.
- When you give your Teacup Maltese Puppy treats, add up the number
of calories in the treats, then subtract that from the number of calories
she gets from her regular food for that day.
- In general, don't let treats make up more than 10 percent of your Teacup
Maltese Puppy 's diet.
As for the gourmet yummies that are now available, use your best judgment
when deciding what to give your Teacup Maltese Puppy .
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