Little Snacks for Little Puppies

We all like to snack.  I have to confess that I do and I think it is terribly unfair that since I had a little accident with my leg  I am not quite as active and seem to be on a perpetual diet.  Those little cookies they offer me for coming and sitting nicely are always pitiful and small.  

However there are healthy snacks for dogs such as myself and small puppies that won't wreck the diet plan.  Vegetables!  I know that  human children would usually prefer a  chocolate chip cookie  to a carrot stick, but puppies are  not usually that fussy.  A little piece of raw vegetable can be quite an attractive offering.

The best veg for puppies are carrots, yams, zucchini, beets and green or yellow beans.  Some veg such as potatoes are not as good.  Pieces of apple and pear are also a nice treat.  My friend Sophie will wait for hours just to be given the apple core left by some human apple eater. 

When puppy comes home he should be able to eat dry kibble. If he can eat this easily he can eat pieces of vegetable.  Make sure he isn't eating so fast that he tends to choke.  Sometimes a big carrot to chew on is actually better than a small piece.  When puppy is five months old it shouldn't be a choking problem but I am always careful with young puppies.  

Often even organic produce is coated with yucky waxy stuff.  Make sure you wash the fruit and vegetables for puppy just as you would for people. 

Now I think I'll go and see if somebody will give me a snack, maybe a piece of yam or zucchini (I could do with a piece of cheese if the truth be known).

Guini

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Greedy Little Puppies

Puppies love to eat!  Like babies sometimes I believe they think with their little mouths. They will happily eat dust specks from the floor, old kleenex, stringy bits from a toy, cookie crumbs and dirt.  

Puppies will also eat their breakfast quicker than an Olympic runner sprints to the finish line. Sometimes, if I am not careful one puppy will eat two breakfasts if his brother is not paying attention.  

Not only are puppies devoted to their meals they can sometimes over eat.  I have noticed that humans have this tendency as well. My puppies would ask for more food so expertly that if one is not hard hearted one could over feed the little darlings and that will cause the dreaded diarrhea.

More food than the little tummy is accustomed to will often cause a loose bowel movement. Often when we give puppies a little more food at a meal because they are growing and it is time for a little more in the bowl I notice right away that the poop becomes a little runny.

 For this problem we add a little tinned pumpkin to the next meal.  A heaping tablespoon to a quarter cup of food is about the right amount.  We do this for several meals and the problem usually disappears. Plain tinned Pumpkin is our doggie miracle drug and puppies seem to like it as well as they like everything else.  I must say that as a grown dog I too can over indulge and the pumpkin does settle my tummy.  

Of course, diarrhea can be a sign of illness so it is important to pay attention. If the diarrhea gets worse and becomes a squirty puddle or if it smells particularly bad it is time to call the vet.