A Simple Low-Fat, Low-Calorie Snack

If you have Mastiffs that are overweight but you can't resist giving them treats, try sweet potatoes! Dogs cannot readily digest raw vegetables, so they pass through their digestive tract practically undigested, thus absorbing almost no calories. My Mastiffs love them, I just wash them and cut into 1/2 inch to inch thick disks and they are ready to eat. Carrots can also be used, but all of my Mastiffs prefer sweet potatoes. They are also excellent snacks for teething puppies. If you are not concerned about the calories and would like your dogs to get more nutrition out of them, try baking the sweet potato disks until they are just soft, let them cool, and serve.

(Ed. Note: Mine love them as well, but when feeding as part of their natural rearing diet I noted that the inside of their ears became quite red or flushed shortly after eating. This did not seem to affect them in any other way, and the redness went away not too long after the meal. The only thing I can think of was they were getting more of the vegetable at one time than would be given as a snack. Drs. Stockner and Mosten had no explanation for the condition).

Other Veggie Facts 2/2003

I always tell my puppy owners to offer carrots and sweet/regular potatoes to their teething pups. Before offering my babies raw veggies I wanted to find out how much nutrition they actually obtained from these snacks or if they were harmful in any way to the dogs, so I did some investigating. What I found was astounding, thought I'd share it with you.

Sweet potatoes are rich in Vitamin C, calcium, iron and beta carotene and also contain "soluble" fiber, which can aid the dog's digestion. They are high in complex carbohydrates, a great filler up for weight loss. Red & White (Idaho) Potatoes contain B vitamins, vitamin C, potassium and fiber. Most of the fiber and potassium are in the potato skin. The bulk of the vitamin C is in the flesh closest to the skin. However, the "green" bits on the skin are poisonous and should be removed. Carrots are the richest source of beta-carotene and are beneficial to the heart, circulatory system, eye sight, skin and lungs.

Broccoli is high in antioxidant vitamins such as beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E and rich in folate. It also contains iron and potassium. Broccoli is one of the best sources of glucosinolates which are proven to reduce cancer, especially lung and colon cancer.

Dr. Are Thoresen gave a seminar for us on Mastiff Talk. According to his research, "green vegetables, especially broccoli, aids liver function". Since the liver is a major component in development this can deter certain health problems from occurring. Glucosinolates "block" carcinogenic effects of environmental carcinogens in animals. Animal and "in vitro" studies demonstrated that Glucosinolates suppressed cancer cell division and enhanced controlled cell death of cells containing damaged DNA.

**However, extremely high doses may cause adverse effects.

Now the BAD news !!!!

Marketed (non organic) Raw veggies usually contain a certain amount of various pesticides. It is extremely important to thoroughly WASH veggies (using a vegetable brush) before offering them to the dogs. The three pesticides found most often on carrots and all types of potatoes were: Chlorpropham, Thiabendazole, and Endosulfans. Chlorpropham & Thiabendazole can damage the Reproductive System as well as the brain and Nervous System. Endosulfans can interfere with hormone production and weaken the immune System. These pesticides accumulate in the dog's system over a period of time and can result in significant health problems.