healthy natural treats for puppies

The seven best healthy dog treats, according to a vet

Does your dog need treats?

Fortunately, many dog treats are nutritious, so dog treats can be part of a balanced diet for your pup. Dog treats are especially helpful when you are training your dog or rewarding them for good behavior. If your dog has food allergies, youll need to pay close attention to treat ingredients, and dogs that are overweight or with certain medical conditions should only follow a veterinarian-recommended diet and may not be allowed to have treats.

Choosing healthy treats for your doggie

When your best friend learns a new trick or behaves really well at the dog park, its tempting to reach for the first treats you can find to praise them. But not all treats are a good reward for good behavior. Unfortunately, some treats may have questionable ingredients or high-calorie counts that can be detrimental to your pups health. To keep your pup healthy and following good nutrition, opt for healthy treats instead.

What to look for in healthy dog treats

If youre ready to start shopping for healthy dog treats for your best friend, there are several things to keep in mind. Take a close look at labels to evaluate the ingredients and calories, but also keep things like size and texture in mind.

Ingredients. One of the most important things to look for in healthy treats is the ingredients list. Stick to treats with an ingredients list of whole, natural foods. Many treats include healthy ingredients like meat, peanut butter, fruits, and vegetables. Our vets also recommend treats with fish or salmon, because omega-3 fatty acids can help with brain and eye development in puppies or boost cognitive function in older dogs.

Brand. Some brands offer higher quality dog treats than others. Our veterinary team trusts brands like Purina Pro Plan, Science Diet/Hills, and Royal Canin. They all avoid cross-contamination between foods and treats during manufacturing.

Calories. Generally, treats should be just that treats! Treats should make up less than 10% of your dogs daily calories, so read the label for the calorie amount per treat and stick to the correct portion sizes.

Texture. You want to choose treats that arent too hard, otherwise, they can pose a choking hazard. Hard treats are difficult for a dog to bite into, so they might only be able to bite them into large pieces, which are hard to swallow. Too-hard treats can also fracture your dogs teeth.

Size. Treats can be a choking hazard if they are too large or too small for your dog. Opt for small treats for puppies or small dogs. Large dogs may enjoy large treats, but also make sure to keep an eye out. Even large dogs can choke on treats that are too big.

Labels. Treats labeled as all-natural can be misleading, as the treats may still be highly processed.

If your dog is overweight or has dietary restrictions, youll need to scrutinize the treat labels very carefully.

Types of dog treats to avoid

There are many popular treats out there that arent good for any dogs. Here are some common treats to stay away from.

Rawhides. Rawhides are inexpensive treats with little nutritional value. Some rawhides are treated with toxins like formaldehyde and bleach. They also pose a huge choking risk as they break down into pieces over time. However, some rawhide-like products, such as Purina Pro Plan Dental Chewz, are VOHC-approved and safe for consumption.

Animal bones. Sure, bones are all-natural but they can be covered in pathogens, such as E. Coli and salmonella. Some people may suggest boiling the bones to sanitize them, but this process actually makes the bones brittle and more likely to splinter. This is a choking hazard for dogs, and splinters and sharp pieces can puncture the intestines.

Jerky-type treats. Since 2007, the FDA has received reports of sick pets after consuming jerky pet treats. Learn more about their ongoing investigationTrusted SourceU.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)Government agency.Go to source and how theyre testing treats to determine why some jerky treats are making pets sick. While these cases are rare, we recommend avoiding jerky-type treats especially with so many other great options on the market.

Treats with additives. We like treats that dont contain lots of additives or artificial colors. Some additives, such as Red#3, used for coloring or preservatives have been linked to cancer in animalsTrusted SourcePubMed CentralArchive of biomedical and life sciences journal literature.Go to source.

Toxic human food. While dogs may love chicken and sweet potatoes as we do, there are many foods that humans eat that are not suitable for dogs. While you treat yourself with chocolate, you cant do the same for your pup, because the chemicals in chocolate can cause seizures and increased heart rates in dogs. Instead, you can give your dog human food treats like some fresh fruits and vegetables (avoid grapes and items with seeds or pits), like watermelon, broccoli, green beans, bananas, or carrots.

Can you make DIY treats at home?

Its easy to make DIY dog treats at home, and you might be surprised to find your mouth watering as the smell of our favorite peanut butter and oatmeal cookies (yes, these really are for your pup!) fills your kitchen. Making treats at home means you can customize the ingredients based on your dogs dietary needs and flavor preferences. Try one of our tried-and-true all-natural pet treat recipes for your best friend.

Best Natural Foods for Puppies: What to Look For

By Diana Bocco

More and more pet parents are looking for natural, holistic feeding options for their dogs. This is especially important for puppies, who are at a critical stage where good nutrition can make a world of difference for their health and development.

Defining Natural Food

When it comes to pet food, the word natural is tricky to define. Conventionally, the consumer would consider 'natural' to be something that is derived from nature and not from a man-made manufacturing process, explains Dr. Patrick Mahaney, DVM, owner of CaliforniaPetAcupuncture and Wellness(CPAW) and a popular holisticveterinarian.

However, that isn't necessarily the case with pet foods. In fact, if you expect a natural pet food to contain 100% natural ingredients or ingredients that are completely untouched from their original state, Mahaney says you're unlikely to find one.

The governing body that creates standards as applied to pet foods and treats is called AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials). They are the ones who defined the term natural when it comes to pet food. While the definition might be confusing, it essentially boils down to natural pet food meaning a feed or feed ingredient derived solely from plant, animal or mined sources. Natural foods can be unprocessed or subjected to physical processing such as heat processing, extraction, purification and other options.

However, for a food to be considered natural by AAFCO standards, it cannot contain any additives or processing aids that are chemically syntheticexcept in amounts as might occur in good manufacturing practices. Simply put, this means that natural foods cannot contain flavorings, preservatives or colorants. Most states have adopted AAFCO labeling practices, which means that in order to use the word natural on their labels, pet food manufacturers must comply with this definition.

But labels can be trickyand often misleading. For example, based on the AAFCO definition, a natural pet food cannot contain synthetic vitamins, minerals or trace nutrients. However, manufacturers are allowed to label a product as natural with added vitamins, minerals and trace nutrients. This is a disclaimer that means the food is all natural except for the added, synthetic nutrients.

Ingredients to Look For in Natural Puppy Food

When reading labels, look for names you recognize. You should be able to pronounce every ingredient, says Dr. JudyMorgan, DVM, a holistic veterinarian and the author of "What's For Dinner Dexter? Cooking For Your Dog Using Chinese Medicine Theory."

Look for real named meats, not unnamed meats like meat by-products or meat meal. And when searching for grains, look for whole grains or the actual nutritive part of the grain, not the hulls, bran, or indigestible parts, she adds.

The words meal or by-products are particularly troubling, says Mahaney. When looking at the label for natural pet foods, owners should look for ingredients that actually exist in nature, he says. Grain and meat 'meals and by-products' dont exist in nature. In many cases, by-products mean parts of the animal that are not particularly digestible or nutritious.

Benefits and Risks of Natural Foods for Puppies

When it comes to purchasing a natural dogfood for your puppy, Morgan says it's important to understand exactly whats on the label. Ingredient splittingnaming corn multiple times as corn gluten, corn meal, etc.means there is a LOT of corn in that food, she says. The same occurs with grain-free foods; they are just using a lot of peas, lentils, potatoes, or other starchy ingredient instead of grainswhich are not necessarily better.

Among the benefits of a natural diet for puppies, what your puppy is not consuming is key. For example, Mahaney says natural foods cannot contain ingredients such as Propylene Glycol (PG), which is often used in semi-moist dog food to keep it from drying out. PG is the safer chemical derivative of toxic Ethylene Glycol (EG), which is the antifreeze put into most vehicular engines, he explains. Although PG is much safer than EG, it still has no place in food or treats as it does nothing to promote pet health.

Natural foods will also not include other chemicals, such as BHA and BHT additivesboth of which have been linked to an increased risk of cancer, according to the University of California, Berkeley.

The downside to natural foods for puppies? There arent many, according to Mahaney. With any food or treat, there is always some degree of risk that it wont be digestively tolerated and vomit, diarrhea, decreased appetite, or other health concerns can arise, he explains. Yet, when feeding foods that that dont contain chemical preservatives, moistening agents or artificial colors, there generally should be less risk for toxic exposure or the development of cancer and other diseases.

Raw Diets and Homemade Meals for Puppies

For pet parents who want to take natural a step further, there's always the option of feeding their puppies foods prepared at homewhether raw or cooked.

While many meats can be fed raw or cooked, other ingredients need more specific handling. If using grains, they have to be cooked, as digestibility is very low if fed raw, says Morgan. Vegetables can be fed cooked or raw, but need to be processed in some manner, again for digestibilitysimply running them through a grinder or food processor will do the trick. Raw ingredients, especially meats, may also be associated with an increased risk of food-borne illness in pets who eat them and people who handle them. Excellent food hygiene is essential.

Are these diets for everybody? Not exactly. While Morgan says many of her clients start their puppies on raw food diets straight from weaning, switching from a commercial diet to a homemade diet might require some planning. Pets need to have a pretty healthy digestive system to digest raw food, she explains. Adding enzymes and probiotics to the diet can also help, according to Morgan.

One problem with homemade diets is that it takes planning to ensure dogs are getting all necessary nutrients in the correct amount. An unbalanced home prepared diet is worse than feeding a processed diet, Morgan says. For example, Morgan says the most common mineral lacking in homemade diets is calcium, and pet parents need to make sure puppies are receiving the proper amount of calcium and other vital nutrients. Too much of a nutrient can be just as dangerous as too little.

Because feeding a homemade diet can be tricky, Morgan recommends always speaking to a veterinarian or pet nutritionist to help you develop a healthy, balanced diet for your puppy.

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