Tricky Ingredients in Your Dog's Treats:

Ingredients to Avoid in Those Tricky Treats

For the most part, the human body can process and eliminate the junk ingredients in “treats” like our kids gather at Halloween.
But even in small amounts, junky ingredients can cause problems for our dogs. Dogs are smaller than we are, with smaller organs of elimination (e.g., liver, kidneys). And smaller amounts of toxic substances can take more time and effort for our pets’ bodies to eliminate.

Many of the commercial dog treats available 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. 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 any artificial colors added to dogs’ treats are there to make the product look more appealing to us humans. Artificial colors in dog food and treats are often derived from coal tar. While research has been limited to date, some studies have found food dyes to be potentially carcinogenic and to interfere with dogs’ immune functioning.

Artificial Flavors – Many of these treat additives are there to mimic qualities of natural foods. Often these flavors are added to create an aroma that mimics a natural smell in order to enhance the appeal of a treat made out of goodness-knows-what. Minimal if any testing is done on artificial flavors in human or pet food. Given what we don’t know about them, we think it’s best to avoid these questionable ingredients.

Meat By-Products – These are a staple ingredient in many commercial dog treats. These ingredients are of poor quality, and are difficult for pets to digest. They come from offal in meat processing plants – leftovers that are unfit for human consumption. You wouldn’t eat them, and neither should your dog!

Sugar and Salt – There is an alarming amount of sugar and salt in our dogs’ 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 & blood pressure imbalance, or cause weight gain.

Chemical Preservatives – Propylene glycol, BHT, BHA, nitrites, nitrates, ethoxyquin, propyl gallate, and other chemical preservatives used in pet treats are associated with health problems in dogs, including liver damage, skin problems, and allergies. A good rule of thumb is that if you don’t know how to pronounce the ingredient, it probably isn’t food!

The best way to avoid the risk of tricky treats for your companion is to become a label reader and choose natural treats like those we carry Dirty Dogs

Choosing Treats for Your Companion

What kind of treats suit your dog best?

It may depend on quite a few things, including your dog's activity level and age, their dental health or other health issues, and of course, what type and flavor of treats your furry friend prefers!

We have scores of healthy treats for dogs, including raw bones, moist treats, chewy treats, crunchy treats, organic treats, grain-free treats, dental treats and other functional treats made to help dogs with certain health conditions like joint issues or blood sugar disorders.

Senior dogs may need softer treats to go easy on their teeth. If your dog's teeth are in good shape and especially for young dogs that may be teething, it's good to offer chewy treats - especially bully sticks and other chew treats, or bones to help keep teeth clean. Dental treats can also help with this.

Older dogs with slower metabolism or overweight dogs may also enjoy chewy treats that satisfy without adding a lot to their daily calorie intake. These long lasting chew treats can keep your dog amused for a long time - another plus if you need to keep your companion busy for a while.

Small 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 won't fill them up so that they lose interest in the lesson.

Most dogs appreciate variety, so mix it up with different types of treats to keep them interested. Also, as it is with foods, rotating the protein sources and ingredients in treats can help prevent food sensitivities from developing.

We've got treats with a wide range of natural ingredients, including: chicken, turkey, cheese, veggies, beef, lamb, venison, bison, fish, and duck, as well as traditional biscuit treats, including wheat-free varieties.

Come to Dirty Dogs to check out all of our healthy treats for dogs & Cats.

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• Weekdays: 9:30 AM to 8:00 PM
• Saturday: 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM
• Sunday: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM

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