We all enjoy the occasional treat. 

Whether it’s healthy or not, that is another thing.

Some of us are more capable of controlling our sweet tooth, or salty tongue, urges than others.

There are actually people who can turn away from a banana split blizzard or chocolate cake and opt for a fresh piece of fruit; alas, I am not one of those people.

As a groomer, I see a lot of people do the same for their pets when it comes to giving them treats.

A lot of people give their pets treats everyday, and on grooming days, their pet will get an extra special treat.

I’m not going to talk about if giving treats is necessary or how many per day a pet needs, but I do want to remind you that sometimes the treats that we like to have for ourselves aren’t always the best treats to share with our furry friends.

One particularly popular treat on grooming days is a hamburger from a fast food joint. It’s sounds like an extra special treat, but it’s actually an extra bad snack for pets. A sodium-rich, greasy piece of meat, topped with various toppings which can lead to a gassy stomach or even can be toxic, that is sandwiched between a bun that contains no nutritional value, not only is a poor choice for us but for our pets as well.

Here are some other foods that we should veer away from when giving our pets treats:

Grapes

Raisins

Nuts

Chocolate

Citrus

Onions

Garlic

Avocados

Cherry and peach pits

Apple cores and seeds

Chicken bones

Gum

Mushrooms

Yeast

Uncooked meat

Coffee, tea, milk or alcohol

Anything with Xylitol – an artificial sweetener

Here are some people foods that do actually make good treats for dogs:

Cooked chicken or turkey

Cheese

Carrots

Yogurt

Pumpkin

Eggs

Green beans

Oatmeal

Apple slices

Peanut butter – but only full fat/sugar/calorie because a lot of lite peanut butters have artificial sweeteners

So next time you want to give your four legged friend a treat, reach for something healthier for him and remember that although we all love treats, treats shouldn’t be more than 5-10 percent of your pet’s daily diet intake.

Tina Clem operates The Loved Canine Pet Salon in Tifton. She can be reached at 859-494-8462.