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| 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.
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