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Beagles/rawhide bones

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Expert: - 2/5/2002


Question
Our beagle is slightly overweight and I'm concerned about how bad rawhide bones are for our dog - do they contain alot of fat/calories? She is an only pet (don't have room for more) and she seems to get bored easily - she loves the rawhide bones but i'm just concerned about her weight - we give her one a week.

Answer
Hi, thanks for writing to me!

Beagles have a tendency to be overweight as a breed. You have to be very careful that you are not feeding ANY human food and that their dog food portion is just right. Bisquits and treats that are given should be done sparingly or if given frequently the normal portion adjusted down accordingly. Rawhide once a week is fine and probably wouldn't contribute to your dog being overweight.

My two beagles (and whippet mix for that matter) are fed twice a day and at each feeding they receive 1/4 cup of a quality brand of kibble. The only addition to that is that in the AM feeding they get about one tablespoon of wet mixed in with warm water because I put medications in with their food. This way they don't notice it. Mine do not get a lot of extra exercise (unfortunately I work two jobs and go to school four nights a week) but between the food portion and running around a large yard they stay at a perfect weight according to the vet.

Hope this helps!
Have4Paws

Beagles

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Have4Paws

Expertise

I am happy to answer BEAGLE BREED SPECIFIC behavioral questions. Please DO NOT ask CRATE TRAINING OR MEDICAL questions! I am not a vet nor an expert in the use of crates.

Experience

I currently have one beagle, a male age 5, an 12 month old Pit Bull, and a 8 year old min. poodle. I have had to let go of three of my dogs, 2 beagles and 1 whippet/rat terrier mix in the past 5 years, most recently my whippet mix. The two beagles lived to 15 and the whippet mix to 13.5, it has been hard to say goodbye to them. I have done rescue work on and off for years as well as fund-raising for the local animal shelter. I worked for a dog magazine in the past (Southern California Dog Magazine). Being a psychotherapist has encouraged me to do in depth studying of animal behavior as well. I have worked with many people to help curb undesirable behaviors in their dogs (or them!) or to form good behaviors. My life is devoted to and surrounded by my dogs........The picture you see here is Zeppelin but we also call him the "miracle dog". He was hit by a car April 2010 while out with the dog walker and had very serious injuries... 4 surgeries and $17,000 later my boy is whole again and back to loving life. He is so special to me and he weathered a lot of pain and trauma yet is still the sweet boy he always was! I also work to stop Breed Specific Legislation and help to get pit bulls adopted.

Organizations
HSUS, PETA, SPCA DONT SHOP...ADOPT!!

Publications
Dog Fancy

Education/Credentials
I am a Marriage and Family Therapist licensed in the state of CA and am also credentialed as a Certified Addiction Treatment Specialist

Awards and Honors
Honored by the Agoura Animal Shelter for my volunteer work.

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