Are homemade treats safe for puppies? What human foods can they eat?

Great question! I'm glad to hear that Ideal Balance is the basis of Cassie's diet, so adding on home cooked treats in moderation is perfectly fine. Commonly used protein sources for dogs include: chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, salmon, pork, lentils, or eggs (all cooked, of course). Some examples of commonly used vegetable and grain sources include: Black beans, pinto beans, green peas, green beans, carrots, sweet potatoes, quinoa, and white or brown rice. Use fruits more sparingly due to the sugar content and greater likelihood of gastrointestinal upset, but apples, bananas, and canned pure pumpkin. For a more comprehensive list of safe ingredients, you can look at www.balanceit.com, which is a website from the veterinary nutritionists at the UC-Davis veterinary. I hope this helps!

A few general recommendations: stick with well known brands with a good reputation. Look for products made in the USA. Kibble works great for treats and I use Purina Pro Plan chicken or lamb and rice. Dry biscuit type treats usually have less calories and salt. The jerky or moist type treats are fine in moderation (they have more calories and salt usually). Lastly, many dogs really like dehydrated chicken livers and chicken jerky. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Ideally, a high-quality commercially-prepared diet should make up 90% of a dog’s diet, with nutritious treats making up no more than that last 10%. Commercially-prepared foods are formulated to provide proper balances of vitamins and minerals, fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. Nutritional deficiencies or imbalances can lead to a host of health conditions. There are some dogs or pet parents who prefer home cooked diets over the commercially available options. In these cases, the recipe for the home cooked food must be carefully balanced to account for any lacking nutrients, and are best formulated by specialists in veterinary nutrition. Examples of such recipes can be found at www.balanceit.com. However, occasional treats of people foods, such as boiled white meat chicken, cooked sweet potatoes, turkey, green beans, or carrots are perfectly fine!

I would recommend giving her only dog specific treats, no bones (cooked or uncooked), or rawhides. There's a wide variety of dog treats available, but I personally like dental treats, such as Greenies or Denta Chews. Do not give her any human foods, as many are toxic to dogs. I will link a website that lists human foods she can never have: http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/people-foods-avoid-feeding-your-pets http://www.akc.org/content/health/articles/fruits-vegetables-dogs-can-and-cant-eat/

Easy snacks include raw carrots or green beans. You can also dehydrate boneless chicken breasts to use as treats and rewards. Most of the premium diets offer treats in their product lines. These brands include Royal Canin, Canidae, Acana or Orijen.

For something small like treats, you generally don’t need to worry about puppy formula us. You could use any type of dog treats and it would be fine for both mom and puppies. If you wanted to give them a little vegetables and fruits, dogs typically like peas, carrots and green beans. Apples and bananas are also often like to by pets too. I hope this answers your question and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Homemade foods are tough because they are almost always deficient in vitamins and minerals without a supplement. It is not impossible, however. I like the website balance it.com. You can set up an account, look for recipes, and they can even analyze the nutrients in your current recipe. The key is a meat+ grain+ fruits and veggies for nutrients. Good luck!