My gosh! You have created a moocher!

  Posted on January 19, 2011  by Joy of Living  No comments

Jessie, the blogging dog who misses our dear Bo: I admit it.  I poked fun of Bo all the time in this blog, but it was all in good fun.  We had a great relationship and merely hammed it up for our readers. He is sorely missed, but will remain an integral part of this blog.  I do need to get back to work, however, and Bo would want it that way.  He always said I was rather spoiled, so I suppose in deference to the topic of the month – weight management in pets – I will relay a bit of information on those table scraps you know you love to feed your dog but shouldn’t always do!

Our Yorkie-Poo buddy, Bolt, is the ultimate moocher.  If he even hears the fridge open, he is on the prowl, yapping at whoever is grabbing a snack and not giving him any.  Now the problem his owner has created is that every time the family is eating, Bolt is whining.  Not a good thing.

Table scraps are not necessarily the most nutritious thing to give a dog, either.  The more he eats of your food, the less he will eat of his.  Dogs’ nutritional needs are not the same as humans, so if you continually offer him table scraps, he is being deprived of what he needs to be healthy.  That is why they make dog treats for dogs and human treats for humans.

Just as you know that when you continually snack, the excess pounds are sure to pile on, the same principle applies to dogs.  Load him up on treats and table scraps, and watch the needle on the scales move up.  Besides not looking their best, overweight pets are merely inviting health problems.

Think of all of the rich foods you enjoy, too.  Guess what?  They can wreak havoc on a dog’s digestive system.  With all of the very different foods and spices we have in our food these days, they can contribute to gas, stinky breath, and loose stools in your pet.  Gross!

Finally, if you continue to let your dog enjoy bits and pieces of your juicy steak or your yummy hamburger, his dry dog food will lose its appeal, and he may never want to eat it again.  Can you afford to give your dog steak every night?

Well, that is my rambling for the day.  It has been a challenge to get back into the groove, but I suppose one way to deal with my grief is to still poke fun of Bo!  That mangy cat…even in his passing he still comes to mind!  I suppose he will start haunting me now!

(Thanks to peteducation.com for this great information!)