Nutrition Resources
Canine Nutrition
Treat recommendations for dogs
How many treats can my dog receive?
Giving too many treats to our pets may add unnecessary calories and lead to medical issues. Your pet should only receive up to 10% of their daily calories from treats to avoid unbalancing their complete diet!
For example, if your dog receives 500 calories per day from a complete and balanced diet (such as dry or canned food, or a home-cooked diet formulated by a veterinary nutritionist), only up to 50 calories per day should be provided from treats or all other types of food (for example table scraps, supplements such as fish oil, or pill pockets).
What are some food options or treats adequate for my dog?
- Some fruits and vegetables are great treat options for dogs as they are typically low in calories. Commercial treats are also good options as long as they are cooked (NO freeze-dried, raw, airdried, or dehydrated treats). Here’s a link for further information regarding raw animal products: WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee: Raw Meat Based Diets For Pets.
- Please avoid harmful food items including chocolate, garlic, onions, macadamia nuts, grapes, and raisins. You can check out the ASPCA website for a list of all the toxic foods you should never feed your pet (http://www.aspca.org). Bones, raw hides, and bully sticks should be avoided as these can cause stomach upset, gastrointestinal obstructions, or teeth fractures.
- Jerky pet treats (including dried meat or dried sweet potato) are currently not recommended. Here’s a link for further information: FDA Investigates Animal Illnesses Linked to Jerky Pet Treats.
A few examples of treats are the following:
Raw vegetables
- Baby carrots, raw – 4 baby carrots (40 grams) provide 14 kcal
- Broccoli, raw -1/2 cup, chopped or diced (45 grams) provides 15 kcal
- Cucumber, raw with peel -1/2 cup, sliced (52 grams) provides 8 kcal
- Green beans, raw -1/2 cup (50 grams) provides 16 kcal
- Tomato, raw -1/2 cup, chopped or sliced (90 grams) provides 16 kcal
- Cherry tomatoes- 5 cherry tomatoes (45 grams) provide15 kcal
- Celery – 2 stalks (100 grams) provide15 kcal
Cooked vegetables (no salt or other seasonings added)
- Carrots, boiled, drained -1/4 cup, sliced (40 grams) provides 14 kcal
- Broccoli boiled or steamed, drained -1/4 cup, chopped (40 grams) provides 14 kcal
- Zucchini, boiled, drained -1/2 cup, sliced (90 grams) provides 14 kcal
- Green beans, boiled, drained -1/2 cup, boiled, drained (63 grams) provides 22 kcal
Fruits
- Apple, raw, with skin -1/4 cup, sliced (27 grams) provides 14 kcal
- Bananas -1/8 medium banana (20 grams) provides 15 kcal
- Watermelon, melon, cantaloupe, raw -1/2 cup (77 grams) provides 24 kcal
- Raspberries -15 raspberries (30 grams) provide 15 kcal
Other foods
- Honey -1 teaspoon (7 grams) provides 21 kcal
- Applesauce, unsweetened -1 Tablespoon (15 grams) provides 6 kcal
- Miniature marshmallows -10 miniature marshmallows (7 grams) provide 22 kcal
- Air/popped popcorn (no salt or butter added) -1/2 cup (4 grams) provides 16 kcal
- Pumpkin, canned, without salt – 2 Tablespoons (30 grams) provide 15 kcal
Commercial Treats
- Charlee Bear Grain-Free Crunch Dog Treats (all flavors) provide 3 kcal each
- Zuke’s Mini Naturals (all flavors) provide 2 kcal each
- Zuke’s Puppy Naturals (all flavors) provide 2 kcal each
- GREENIES Original TEENIE Dental Treats provide 25 kcal each
- GREENIES Original Petite Dental Treats provide 53 kcal each
- GREENIES Original Regular Dental Treats provide 86 kcal each
- GREENIES Original Large Dental Treats provide 139 kcal each
Always consult your veterinarian if your dog has a medical condition, as some of the listed foods are not adequate in pets with specific medical conditions.
Feel free to give us a call and schedule a nutrition specialty appointment with Dr. Belen Barragan if you would like to discuss customized recommendations for your dog!
Feline Nutrition
Treat recommendations for cats
How many treats can my cat receive?
Giving too many treats to our pets may add unnecessary calories and lead to medical issues. Your pet should only receive up to 10% of their daily calories from treats to avoid unbalancing their diet! For example, if your cat receives 300 calories per day from a complete and balanced diet (such as dry or canned food, or a home-cooked diet formulated by a veterinary nutritionist), only up to 30 calories per day should be provided from treats or all other types of food (for example table scraps, supplements such as fish oil, or pill pockets).
What are some food options or treats adequate for my cat?
- Some vegetables (if accepted) are great treat options for cats as they are typically low in calories. Commercial treats are also good options as long as they are cooked (NO freeze-dried, raw, air-dried, or dehydrated treats). Here’s a link for further information regarding raw animal products: WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee: Raw Meat Based Diets For Pets.
- Please avoid harmful food items including chocolate, garlic, onions, macadamia nuts, grapes, and raisins. You can check out the ASPCA website for a list of all the toxic foods you should never feed your pet (http://www.aspca.org).
- Jerky pet treats (including dried meat or dried sweet potato) are currently not recommended. Here’s a link for further information: FDA Investigates Animal Illnesses Linked to Jerky Pet Treats.
A few examples of treats are the following:
| Food | Amount | Calories (kcal) |
| Egg, hard-boiled, shell removed and not fed | 1/4 large egg (13 grams) | 20 |
| Chicken breast, boiled and drained | 1 Tablespoon (~9 grams) | 15 |
| Greek Yogurt, plain, nonfat | 2 Tablespoons (28 grams) | 15 |
| Pumpkin, canned, without salt | 2 Tablespoons (30 grams) | 15 |
| FELINE GREENIES Dental Treats | 1 treat | 1.4 |
| Inaba Churu Lickable Cat Treat (all varieties) | 1 treat tube | 6 |
Always consult your veterinarian if your cat has a medical condition, as some of the listed foods are not indicated in pets with specific medical conditions.
Feel free to call and schedule a nutrition specialty appointment with Dr. Belen Barragan if you would like to discuss recommendations customized for your pet!