Is it snack time yet?

     Pet owners love their furry friends and as a result often we are looking for things to give our pets as treats or snacks.  We wanted to focus on the idea of treats and snacks and make sure that pet owners are utilizing appropriate and healthy choices for these important parts of our pets' lives.  We will focus primarily on dogs for this discussion.  There is a common misconception that bones are appropriate treats/chew toys for dogs.  This is an exceedingly dangerous misconception.  Dogs certainly used to eat bones in the wild, but the important thing to remember is that these bones were raw, not cooked; and these bones were chewed thoroughly, not swallowed whole.  Our domesticated dogs, however, are not very tolerant of bones.  It is our firm belief and recommendation that no bones of any sort ever be offered to a pet.  The probability of negative consequences is high.  Our pet owners should also exercise caution when offering their pets any appropriate chew item or treat, and monitor the pet during eating that item to ensure that it is chewed thoroughly and swallowed without incident.  We also want to remind pet owners that any treat can be used or given in excess, even something innocuous like milkbones.  We strive to maintain the most healthy population of pets possible.  Our recommendations for treats and snacks for most pets involve the use of common vegetables such as baby carrots or green beans.  We highly encourage any and all pet owners to check with us prior to using treats, snacks, or chew toys with their pets.  An ounce of prevention is definitely worth a pound of cure.