Stop the Begging, Already!

Yeah, it's Doc

 

In my last post (the one on vegetables as dog treats), I didn't have space to address the issue of dogs who beg at the table.  Sadly, I live with one of these (Doc, a 130 lb. Great Pyrenees), and his owner is dealing with the situation by taking his own meal away from the table a lot of the time.  Since he feeds Doc AT THE TABLE nightly and gives him anything left over from whatever he had for dinner, Doc is understandably confused when he is yelled at for begging at the table.  After years of trying to change this situation, I've had to give up (one of those times where you have to go along to get along), but for those of you who are in a position of authority when it comes to the dog in question (i.e., it's your dog, not someone else's), WebMD has some help to offer in a cleverly titled article, "How to Stop Your Dog from Begging at the Table." 

Tony didn't beg at the table, but that was probably because I didn't give him table scraps very often (and never during family mealtimes) and because I rarely eat at the table myself, not wanting to deal with Doc trying to get my food.  However, my father was prone to giving him the last bite of his dinner if Tony was around, which he often was, as you can imagine.  Once he was diagnosed with diabetes, I was able to convince Dad of the error of his ways, and that stopped.  Based on my experience with Tony, of the two solutions WebMD suggests -- controlling the dog's access to the table or teaching the dog to do something else -- I think I prefer the latter.  This is probably because I had great success teaching Tony to move off the street onto grass, then sit and stay, whenever a car was approaching during our walks (there are no sidewalks in our subdivision -- you have to walk in the street.  Yikes.).  I think I could have gotten him to lie on his bed at our mealtimes without too much trouble, but if you think that you might have some problems there, there are training tip links with the article, too.

Good luck, and remember, to a dog, a rub on the belly is often just as welcome as a treat in the belly.   

(Barely) Related articles

• Begging For Grades in College (atheistrev.com)
• Spending An Extra Three Minutes At the Dinner Table Can Help Keep Children Thin (medicaldaily.com)
• Britain's Child Beggars (BBC Documentary) (andrewazzopardi.org)

Good Treats for Good Diabetic Dogs

Fruits and vegetables (Photo credit: nutrilover)

I've written before about my sometimes horrifying discoveries about treats and my diabetic dog, mainly instances where I discovered that I should have checked the ingredients (high-fructose corn syrup and other sugars turn up in a lot of commercial dog treats), but I haven't often touched on treats that are better for your pet.  Recently, DogChannel.com published an article on using vegetables as treats, and I think this is a godsend.  I know quite a few dog owners who routinely feed their pets whatever they themselves are having for dinner (see my next post for more on that!), which is especially bad in many cases because said dog owners are not consuming a healthful diet themselves.

With diabetes, the treat question is more complex anyway.  Starches and sugars, really anything with a high glycemic index, can cause blood sugars to rise (and fall, too, for those who still are producing some insulin themselves), a bad situation when it comes to maintaining good health.  So, low glycemic index vegetables can be a better choice, as long as you remember that these are TREATS, not meals, and keep the portions to an appropriate size.  The article covers this issue pretty well, although it doesn't take diabetes into account.  For example, DO NOT give a diabetic dog potatoes (and if you want to give sweet potatoes, keep the serving very small -- their impact on blood sugar is not terribly high like regular potatoes, but they do have an impact, after all).  Starchy vegetables raise blood sugar almost as much as sugars do.

Having said that, I can recommend the article, based on what I've learned over the years (keep in mind that I am not a vet, just a well-read dog lover).  I remember Tony going absolutely nuts over broccoli -- he liked it cooked but still a bit crunchy.

Let me know how it works out for you.

Related articles

• 'High-glycemic' foods tied to diabetes risk (healthnexercise.com)
• ''High-Glycemic'' Foods Tied to Diabetes Risk (nlm.nih.gov)
• 4 Diabetes Management Tips for Adults (epicahealth.com)
• Sugar Seen as Driver in Rise of Diabetes, Study Suggests (bloomberg.com)
• Wheat: savings up, sugar levels down (thehindu.com)

A High-Risk Breed



Hans on St. Vrain Trail, Colorado. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I just received the WebMD Healthy Dogs newsletter, and there is an item of particular interest.  They have a slideshow of the health issues associated with the 25 most popular breeds.  According to them, the Miniature Schnauzer is prone to diabetes (the problem they cite for Pomeranians is hair loss, which my Tony did not experience until his cancer was very advanced).  At any rate, if you have a Miniature Schnauzer, keep an eye out for symptoms like excessive drinking and urination, and make sure he or she eats right and gets plenty of exercise.  Of course, that's good advice for any breed!
I've got a couple of videos listed below with these very cute dogs performing tricks, and the first thing that struck me when I saw them was the rewards they received.  I hope the humans are keeping track of how many treats they're getting.

Related articles

• Puppy Love (happinuss.wordpress.com)
• My pets helped a ton.... (mycerebellarstrokerecovery.com)
• Miniature Schnauzers- Things you should know
• Dog Tricks
• Synchronized Dog Tricks

Think Before You Treat

Image via WikipediaI just got an email from Purina's PetCentric website, telling me that February 23 is International Dog Biscuit Day.  Wow.  Those of us who have (or have had) diabetic dogs know that it's important to put some thought into the kinds and amounts of treats we give our dogs.  However, although the website recommends Purina treats, there are no links to the main Purina website so that you can check out what goes into them.  At the Purina website, which is actually pretty good in terms of content, there are links to the webpages for the individual products.  I discovered that Beggin' Strips contain sugar (real sugar, not high fructose corn syrup), but there was no indication of how much.  Why don't pet foods have the kind of nutrition labels we see on people food?  Maybe I'll start a campaign.

Would I give a diabetic dog a Beggin' Strip?  I might, but I would probably not give him the entire strip, which brings me to my next point:  treats count as food!  For some reason, a lot of people think that treats exist in some alternate dimension where only food consumed at mealtime affects blood sugar.  If you are one of them, get over it.  Most commercial dog treats are basically carbs and fat, with flavorings, and they should be used only as treats, meaning that you give one as a reward for good behavior.  I am pointing this out because I recently saw someone (I name no names) give his overweight dog at least a quarter of a box of LivaSnaps.  Luckily, his dog is not diabetic --so far -- but he is arthritic, and the weight isn't helping.

So, on February 23rd, use your commonsense and treat your dog rationally.