I see it in my practice every single day. A concerned owner brings in an overweight dog. "But doctor," they say, "we only feed him one cup a day. Exactly what the bag says."
Then I ask about treats. The answer is always the same: "Oh, just a few." A few milk bones. A few pieces of cheese. A few scraps from dinner. A few licks of peanut butter from the spoon.
Here is the math. A medium milk bone is about 40 kcal. Give five a day? That is 200 kcal. For a 20-pound dog needing 600 kcal total, that is 33% of daily calories. From treats. That the owner "forgot" to count.
The Hidden Calories
I made a chart for my clients. Here is what common treats actually cost:
- Medium milk bone: 40 kcal
- 1 tbsp peanut butter: 95 kcal
- 1 slice cheddar cheese: 110 kcal
- 1 small dental chew: 75 kcal
- 1 hot dog slice: 35 kcal
- 1 pig ear: 180 kcal (yes, really)
Five milk bones + one dental chew = 275 kcal. For a small dog, that is nearly half their daily need. No wonder they are overweight.
Low-Calorie Alternatives
You do not have to eliminate treats. Just switch to low-cal options:
- Carrot sticks: 4 kcal each. Crunchy, sweet, dogs love them.
- Green beans: 3 kcal each. Fill them up without filling them out.
- Ice cubes: 0 kcal. Surprisingly popular, especially in summer.
- Air-popped popcorn (no butter/salt): 5 kcal per piece.
- Small apple slices (no seeds): 8 kcal each.
Bruno, my rescue pit bull, thinks carrot sticks are the best thing ever. I am not sure if he actually likes them or if he is just happy I am giving him something. Either way, it works.
The rule is simple: treats should not exceed 10% of daily calories. For a 800 kcal diet, that is 80 kcal in treats. Two milk bones. That is it. Everything else comes out of the meal portion.
— Dr. Anika Patel
