The Healthiest Dog Treats You Can Give Your Dog
It is easy to give your dog treats, but some are better for your dog than others. Some can even be dangerous to their health. Finding a healthy treat that you and your dog like is important.
We’ve selected ten different dog treats to share our thoughts with you in this post. It will assist you in determining what types of treats you prefer. We also included a buyer’s guide where we looked closely at dog treats and what’s involved in creating them that might affect quality.
Keep reading to learn about each healthy dog treats brand. We will compare the ingredients, preservatives, packaging, and flavor to help you make an educated purchase.
Product Name | Product Image | Check Price on Amazon |
|---|---|---|
Blackwood Pet Dog Treats |  | |
Buddy Biscuits Teeny Treats |  | |
Pupford Freeze-Dried Treats |  | |
Milk-Bone Soft & Chewy Dog Treats |  |
The Top 10 Best Healthiest Dog Treats
The Blackwood Pet Dog Treats are our pick as the best dog treats overall. These treats are grain-free and have a duck as their main ingredient. The other ingredients are all-natural, without harmful chemicals or preservatives.
These four-ounce packages of food go fast because our dogs eat a lot.
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Cons
For the best value, we recommend the Buddy Biscuits Teeny Treats. These low-cost treats are made with all-natural, grain-free ingredients. They are also oven-safe.
These chicken treats don’t have harmful ingredients or weird meat byproducts but aren’t as good as some other treats. They are mostly made of flour, so they do crumble easily. You might also find that a couple of bags are mostly just pieces of the treats.
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Cons
The Pupford Freeze-Dried Training Treats are a good choice for healthy dog treats. Each of these treats has less than one calorie and has as few ingredients as possible. The only things in the freeze-dried beef are beef liver, beef heart, and a natural preservative. Each treat has more than 500 pieces and comes in chicken and sweet potato flavors.
Pros
Cons
A brand of dog treats called Milk-Bone Soft & Chewy Dog Treats contains 12 vitamins and minerals to support your pet’s health. The recipe starts with the chicken. Chicken is the first ingredient. These snacks have an appealing dog bone shape and are simple to chew.
The biggest disappointment about these treats is that they contain the chemical preservative BHA and artificial coloring. These treats also get stale quickly; they don’t stay soft for long.
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Cons
The Old Mother Hubbard Crunchy Treats are grain-free and have all-natural ingredients without artificial preservatives. The spearmint extract helps keep your dog’s breath fresh. They come in different flavors and sizes.
The calories in this treat are high, but there is no meat. The package uses a soft inner bag that isn’t sealed and doesn’t protect the environment well.
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Cons
Purina recently bought a set of dog treats called Zuke’s 61055 Superfood Blend Dog Treats. The greens in these treats are all-natural and full of nutrients. It means that there is no corn or wheat, which could hinder digestion.
These sweets have molasses in them. Molasses has a lot of sugar, which can make your teeth rot. It is not healthy for dogs to eat these treats.
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Cons
In addition to real bacon, the Blue Buffalo 801857 Health Bars Crunchy Dog Treats also include other natural ingredients. These treats are high in vitamins and minerals and omega-3 fatty acids. It can help with brain and eye development and other benefits. These treats do not contain any chemical preservatives like BHA or BHT.
Puppies and some medium-sized dogs are too small to fit through the bars. They break and crumble in the bag, leaving a lot of crumbs.
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Cons
The Hill’s Grain-Free Dog Treats are a soft treat that is easy for your pet to manage. These treats do not contain harmful preservatives and also do not contain wheat, corn, or soy.
These treats contain peas and molasses. Molasses is high in sugar and can promote tooth decay. Peas can lead to heart disease in dogs. These treats also break when they dry out.
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Cons
The Nudges 014125 Steak Grillers Dog Treats have beef as their main ingredient. There are no harmful preservatives or meat byproducts. All of the ingredients are natural and full of vitamins and minerals.
Some people might buy steak because their dog is allergic to chicken. Unless you look at the list of ingredients, there’s no sign of chicken. These treats also tend to crumble into small pieces.
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Cons
The last dog treat producer on our list is ORIJEN High-Protein Freeze-Dried Dog Treats. There aren’t many ingredients in these treats, and they only have what a healthy pet needs. No grain is there. There are many different flavors, such as duck, beef, lamb, and boar.
It had a strong smell that would stick to your hands. These treats also come in small packages that go quickly, especially since they tend to break up.
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Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose the Best Healthy Dog Treat
Food vs. Treats
Dog food typically has a label stating that it is for food, not treats. Dog food comes in a large bag and is a complete meal. Treats come in a small container and are not supposed to be complete meals. Treats are for giving to dogs occasionally as a reward. These foods frequently have high sugar, fat, protein, and carbohydrate levels. Even though treats are meant to be delicious, we recommend avoiding sugars where possible because tooth decay is a common problem for dogs.
Ingredients
Examining the ingredients is one of the first things you should do before giving your dog any treat. Any byproducts from meat, as well as corn, wheat, or soy, should be avoided. A good treat has whole beef as its first ingredient. The better the quality of ingredients, the more you can give to your pet without causing any problems.
Grain vs. Grain-Free Dog Treats
If you are looking for a treat for your dog, we recommend finding a grain-free one. Grain can add weight to your dog quickly, and it can also cause digestive problems.
Peas
Peas are a common ingredient in dog food, primarily grain-free food. However, peas can cause heart disease in dogs. For this reason, we recommend avoiding them at all costs. Many brands are still reacting to the news and haven’t changed their formulations, so read food labels carefully.
Preservatives
As a result of their potential harm to your pet’s health, we advise avoiding abrasive chemical preservatives like BHT and BHA. These chemicals are also in our food, so we should avoid them in our diet too.
Treat Size
It’s crucial to purchase treats that are the proper size if you have a small dog or puppy. Many dog treats are large and hard, which can be difficult for a small dog to eat. On the other hand, large dogs will not need puppy treats. Always keep your dog’s size in mind when purchasing treats.
Soft vs. Crunchy
Your dog might have trouble with hard treats if it has a tooth problem. Keep an eye on your pet to prevent this from happening, and if it appears to be struggling, give it a smaller or softer treat.
The Best Healthy Dog Treats Reviews
Dogs will eat almost everything. However, as a good pet parent, you must provide your dog with appropriate snacks and meals to aid digestion and provide healthy nutrients for long and happy life. We’ve compiled a list of the top nutritious dog treats on the market.
Fruitables dog treats are oven-baked pooch biscuits made from a nutritious blend of superfoods. These include pumpkin and a variety of other fruits that are suitable for dogs to consume. The most popular flavors of baked dog treats include Crispy Bacon and Apple, Pumpkin and Apple, Pumpkin and Banana, Pumpkin and Blueberry, Pumpkin and Cranberry, and Sweet Potato and Pecan.
Each Fruitables treat is healthy for dogs and has only eight calories. They are also maize, soy, and wheat free, making them ideal for dogs with allergies or sensitive stomachs. These treats are handcrafted in a distinctive floral shape, and your canine companion will enjoy the crunchiness and flavor. The goodies are appropriate for dogs of all types and sizes.
The Fruitables baked dog treats provide a delicious and low-calorie option for rewarding good behavior in dogs. These grain-free snacks are ideal for dogs with allergies. The presence of highly nutritious fruits in the ingredients list ensures that pups get the best nutrition possible.
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Your pet will adore these smoked meat-flavored treats. They are produced entirely of natural All-American turkey. These treats were slow-smoked in tiny quantities for hours. They result in a soft, pliant, chewy, meaty texture that your dogs will love.
These treats are perfect for training your dog. Dogs love the real meaty flavor and the texture of these treats. They are easy to train with because they are not artificially enhanced.
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Cons
The Wellness CORE Grain-Free Marrow Roasts turkey snacks are crafted with high-quality, natural ingredients that taste just like real turkey. These dog treats don’t contain wheat, corn, or soy, making them a good option for dogs with food allergies.
These biscuits are irresistible. They are made with two textures and a burst of savory bone marrow flavor. It makes them perfect for treating or training dogs over a year old. We recommend them because they are grain-free and full of flavor.
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The phrase “assorted flavors” catches our attention. We like the Blue Dog Bakery Natural More Crunch Assorted dog treats because they have a variety of flavors.
Your pet will like our snacks, which come in various flavors such as bacon and cheese, grilled chicken, natural cheese, peanut butter, and molasses. These snacks help clean your pet’s teeth and keep their breath smelling fresh.
These treats are all-natural and low in fat, so you can be sure they’re good for you. The freshness of these treats is evident as soon as you open the package. We recommend them because of their variety of flavors and freshness.
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The Yak Stick dog treats are a good source of high-quality protein and healthy fats. They have been formulated based on natural nutritional science to provide better pet food. The Yak Stick can function as a chew toy and a treat, which is great for teething puppies and older dogs that love to chew.
This healthy dog treat is fantastic because you can microwave the end of the stick treat when it gets too small. As a result, it does not pose a choking threat like other stick snacks. The Yak Stick is available in various sizes, allowing you to tailor the stick to your dog’s specific needs.
The Yak Stick has 37 grams of protein and 5 grams of fat. It makes it a perfect balance of nutrients and calories. Rogue Pet Science also goes the extra mile by providing third-party testing to validate the quality of their dog treats.
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Buyer’s Guide
It is important to give your dog treats every once in a while to keep them happy. Make sure the treats are healthy, though. It will help your dog stay healthy.
The guide below will help you choose healthy and safe dog treats. This guide will discuss the dangers of unhealthy dog treats, the importance of natural dog treats, and how to choose them.
Dangers Of Unhealthy Treats
Think again if you thought walking your dog twice a day or letting him run around in your backyard in the evenings would help avoid obesity.
It has many things to do with the type of food you offer and is mainly caused by the amount of sugar and preservatives in dog treats.
Not only do overweight dogs have a higher risk of getting cancer, but they are also more likely to get heart diseases. These diseases are hard to heal and can be expensive. They can also be very painful for the dog.
One way to avoid these problems is to prevent them from happening in the first place. It is possible to achieve this by removing the elements that may be producing obesity.
Here are some of the dangers that obesity may cause to your pet:
- Difficulty Breathing: Excess fat prevents the lungs from functioning correctly.
- Heat Tolerance: Unwanted fat cells interfere with the body’s heat-regulating system.
- Compromised Liver Function: The liver accumulates excess fat, leading to hepatic lipidosis disorders.
- Obese dogs suffer reproductive issues and require veterinary assistance to give birth.
- Immune System Impairment: Fat accumulation inhibits the natural immune system, allowing more bacterial and viral illnesses.
- Skin Issues: Skin folds and collects fungus and bacteria between the folds. It causes hair shedding and skin diseases.
What Is The Importance Of Healthy Treats?
It makes the treats even more tempting because we are all drawn to sugar which tends to give us instant sugar spikes.
Because different breeds of dogs have varying calorie requirements, it would be beneficial if you gave your dog healthful treats. If you provide your dog with unhealthy snacks, you’re giving it a lot of empty calories. And it’s not good if you simultaneously give your dog a lot of treats.
Veterinarians told us that dog snacks should not make up more than 10% of your pet’s diet. It is the same as for humans – we should not get more than 10% of our calories from crisps and chocolates. The reason for this is to avoid too much fat. For example, dried chicken strips are healthier than cheesy chews because the latter is high in saturated fats and heavily processed.
Always Make Sure – All-Natural Ingredients
The best dog treats and food include natural ingredients that help improve your pet’s health. Because celery, yams, and green beans are healthful for dogs, most dog owners like them as snacks.
You will know if the snacks are working if you see changes in your pet’s health and behavior after trying them out.
However, you would be better off avoiding the following ingredients:
- Grapes
- Garlic
- Onions
- Raisins
You should avoid giving your pet vegetables if they consistently refuse to eat them. Dogs are designed to eat meat. Still, if you give them vegetables early in life, they will be more likely to eat them as adults.
Avoid Cooked Bones And Scraps As Treats
Giving your pet bones and scraps before or after meals is not a good idea. Because it can harm your pet, pets that are given bones and scraps often will start to expect them and beg for them during the day.
If you can’t keep your dog from the table during family meals, try giving him healthier snacks instead of fried chicken wings. It is widely assumed that a dog should chew on fried scrap bones. However, this is not the case. This belief was discredited when veterinarians established a link between canine bones and tooth decay. Your dog might easily break a molar or swallow bone splinters, which can cause gastrointestinal difficulties.
Instead, opt for healthy alternatives such as chicken liver and chicken chews. Dogs are unable to make informed dietary choices. The pet owner is responsible for ensuring that the food given to the animal is nutritious and healthy. It is necessary to form habits so that nothing has to be compelled. Dogs will eat whatever it is that they are instinctively drawn to devour. Still, it is our discretion as pet parents to offer balanced meals with a little bit of everything.
Final Thoughts
We have talked about many different types of snacks for your best friend. We hope these reviews will help you choose the right snack for your best friend. It might be hard to change how you give snacks to your best friend, but it is worth it. Your best friend will feel better and be healthier if you make this change.
Obesity can cause many problems for your pet. It’s better to avoid this by teaching them healthy habits early on. All of the goods featured here are excellent options that promote a healthy lifestyle for your pet.
Read more: When It Comes to Gifts: Dog Treats
Frequently Asked Questions About Best Healthy Dog Treats
Dogs can eat Milk-Bone without any issues. Milk-Bone shouldn’t hurt your dog’s health if you give it one of these biscuits once in a while. Like other treats, they’ve been around for over a century.
About halfway down the list of ingredients, you don’t find anything suitable for your dog. Instead, you see things that could make your dog fat and diabetic. But finally, near the end of the list, you find bacon. We all know that bacon is not healthy for dogs because it contains sodium nitrite, which is carcinogenic.
Eggs are safe for dogs to eat. Eggs are an excellent way for dogs to get healthy food. They have a lot of protein, fatty acids, vitamins, and other nutrients that help keep your dog healthy. Don’t forget that an egg is only as good as the chicken it came from.
About 69% of pig ears are made up of protein, which will help your dog build strong muscles and have a healthy coat and skin. They are also a great source of essential amino acids your dog needs to stay healthy. Chewing on something like pig ears is suitable for your dog in many ways.
You can give your dog cheese, but you should be careful. Cheese is high in fat, and feeding too much cheese can make your dog gain weight and lead to obesity. Obesity can cause health problems for dogs, like pancreatitis, a severe and potentially fatal illness.
Beggin’ Strips are dog treats that look and taste like bacon. Dogs love the taste of these delicious snacks and won’t even notice that they are low in fat. Please use these treats as tasty rewards when you train your dog. This treatment is suitable for dogs of all ages.
There are many healthy options for dogs, like raw and cooked carrots. Carrots are a healthy food to give to your dog. It is essential to cut carrots into small pieces before feeding them to your dog to prevent choking. It is necessary for small dogs.
JerHigh (Beef) These treats contain wheat flour, preservatives, colorings, flavoring, salt, and sugar. We don’t want these things in our dog’s food and treats. They are unnecessary and unhealthy. It is unclear precisely what the preservatives, flavorings, and colorings are.
It is essential to buy healthy dog treats. Dog treats with sugar and fat are not suitable for you or your dog. Look for dog treats with whole grains like oats or quality, single source proteins like chicken or lamb. Fish is an excellent snack for dogs and is low in fat and calories.
