return to Natural Dog Health Remedies

All Natural Dog Treat Products

All natural dog treat products should be the only snacks for your dog. Learn how to select healthy nutritious dog treats for your dog companion.

All Natural Dog Treat

Are you feeding your dog natural dog treats? It makes a big difference in terms of nutritious value between all natural dog treats and treats that contain harmful ingredients.

Like dog foods, therefore, we should be mindful while shopping for treats for our dogs. We need to read the label carefully and be able to identify ingredients that are harmful. Getting and feeding our dogs all natural dog treats is particularly important because dogs are smaller than people, and as such, they have smaller organs of waste and toxin elimination (e.g. liver, kidneys). Even a small amount of toxic substances can take more time and effort for our pets' bodies to eliminate.

This page takes a look at:

Ingredients to Avoid in Dog Treats

All Natural Dog Treat

Many low-quality commercial dog treats include ingredients that give the treats the consistency, aroma, and color that make them appeal to people, or that give them a longer shelf life. However, not all substances used for these purposes are safe. Check the list of ingredients in treats you routinely serve to your dogs, and avoid any treats with the following ingredients:

Artificial Colors

Dogs have limited color vision, and they really don't care whether their treats are red or green! Any artificial colors added to dog treats are there to make the product look more appealing to the dog parents. Artificial colors in dog treats (and commercial dog food) are often derived from coal tar. While research has been limited to date, some studies have found food dyes to be potentially carcinogenic, and the chemicals may interfere with dogs' immune functioning.

Artificial Flavors

All natural dog treat products do not need to add artificial flavors because the natural flavors are already appealing to dogs (sometimes even to people!). However, many treats of questionable quality tend to add loads of artificial flavors in order to mimic the qualities and aroma of natural foods. Minimal testing has been done on artificial flavors in human or pet food. Given what we don't know about them, it is best to avoid these questionable ingredients.

Meat By-Products

These are a staple ingredient in many commercial dog treats (and dog food). These ingredients are of poor quality, and are difficult for dogs to digest. They come from offal in meat processing plants, as well as such useless and often harmful ingredients as feathers, hair, and other unidentified meat parts and fat that are not good nutrient sources.

Sugar and Salt

There is an alarming amount of sugar and salt in dog treats, usually listed under ingredient names like: corn syrup, dextrose, sucrose, sodium chloride, and monosodium glutamate (MSG). As with human food, they can cause dogs to become addicted and lose their taste for healthier options. Worse, they can cause blood sugar and blood pressure imbalance, or cause weight gain resulting in obesity.

Chemical Preservatives

All Natural Dog Treat

Natural preservatives, such as mixed tocopherols (vitamin E), vitamin C (ascorbic acid), extracts of rosemary, sage, or clove, are perfectly acceptable and in fact are necessary to prevent the treats from getting rancid.

However, chemical preservatives, such as propylene glycol, BHT, BHA, nitrites, nitrates, ethoxyquin, or propyl gallate, which unfortunately are very commonly added to dog treats are harmful - they are associated with health problems in dogs, including liver damage, skin problems, and allergies.

The bottom line? Be an alert label reader and choose dog treats with ingredients that are natural and beneficial to your dog.



Top

Choosing All Natural Dog Treat Products for Your Dog

There are so many different kinds of treats. What kind of treats suit your dog best? It may depend on quite a few things, such as your dog's age and activity level, as well as their dental health or other health issues, such as allergies, joint issues or blood sugar disorders.

Here are some recommendations:

All Natural Dog Treat Products - Chewy Treats

Obese dogs or older dogs with slower metabolism may benefit from some chewy treats that satisfy without adding a lot to their daily calorie intake. For example, these Only Natural Pet Beef Tendons or Bones Galore Free Range Bully Sticks and Braided Bully Sticks Extra Thick Bully Stick are perfect treats. They last for a long time and clean the dog's teeth too.

In addition, all natural bully sticks, such as Redbarn Bully Sticks and Braided Bully Sticks, are also excellent for young puppies that may be teething.

All Natural Dog Treat Products - Small Bite-Sized Treats

Small, bite-sized treats, or treats that break apart easily are great for dogs that need to have calories kept in check. Small treats are also great for training, since they help dogs focus on the task and will not fill them up so that they lose interest in the lesson.

Only Natural Pet Chicken All Meat Bites Freeze-Dried Treats is an all natural dog treat product that is excellent for training.

All Natural Dog Treat Products - Soft Treats

Senior dogs can enjoy an all natural dog treat product that is softer to go easy on their teeth, such as Wellness WellBites Soft and Chewy Treats.

Natural Treats for Dogs with Special Needs

  • If you have problem getting your dog to take pills such as vitamins and supplements, try:

    Pill Pockets Pill Delivery Dog Treats

    This unique treat has a built-in "pocket" in which you can hide a pill or supplement, making it much easier for you to give pills to your dog!
  • For dogs that need extra support in their immune systems, try:

    Fungi Perfecti Muttrooms Baked Organic Mushroom Dog Treats

    These organic dog treats consist of a unique blend of five certified organic mushrooms: Cordyceps, Reishi, Maitake, Shiitake and Turkey Tail, and are designed to give dogs whose immune systems need an extra boost. Yummy and healthy!
  • For senior dogs who have joint problems, try:

    Zukes Hip Action for Dogs

    This great all natural dog treat product is formulated to help treat and prevent the common symptoms associated with canine hip and joint problems such as dysplasia, arthritis and stiffness. It is fortified with Chondroitin and Glucosamine HCL, proven effective supplements for arthritis. In addition, nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin E, copper, zinc, selenium, manganese and numerous amino acids have been added for their enzymatic benefits and to assist in the transportation of Chondroitin and Glucosamine to aching hips and joints.

    Another great treat for dogs with joint issues is:

    Plato Smart Dog Treats

    These organic treats use all natural ingredients, fortified with antioxidant vitamins, proteinated zinc, and glucosamine.
  • Does your dog have a flea problem? If so, then try these treats:

    Grrr-Lick Garlic Snacks for Dogs

    Garlic repels fleas and to some extent ticks. Give your dog these treats and they will be flea-free!
  • For dogs with allergies or skin irritations, try:

    California Natural Health Bars

    These all nature dog treats contain ingredients (lamb meal, brown rice, oatmeal) for dogs who cannot tolerate typical pet food ingredients. In addition, these health bars are fortified with vitamins E and C, chelated minerals, and are rich in essential fatty acids.
  • For older dogs with heart, blood pressure or blood sugar problems, these treats are beneficial:

    Dogswell Happy Heart Functional Dog Treats

    These all natural dog treats are high in protein, low in fat and sodium, and easy to digest. They are fortified with with flaxseed oil and taurine, and are perfect for helping maintain your dog's heart health.


Remember that most dogs appreciate variety, so get different types of treats and mix them up to make life more interesting for your dog! Also, as it is with foods, rotating the protein sources and ingredients in treats can help prevent food sensitivities from developing.




Related Topics

Natural Diets for Dogs
How to Read a Dog Food Label

TOP of All Natural Dog Treat
Fun Stuff


Only Natural Pet Store



Subscribe to This Site:

XML RSS

Enjoy This Site?

Then why not use the button below, to add us to your favorite bookmarking service?

Page copy protected against web site content infringement by Copyscape

| Homepage | Join Our Community | Funny Dog Pictures | Dog Ecards |
| Links | Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Template Design |

Information on this site is for educational purpose only.
It is not intended to replace the advice and treatment of a veterinarian.

Return to top
Copyright© 2008-2009. Natural-Dog-Health-Remedies.com