As dog lovers we are all inclined to give our four legged friends treats. We use treats as rewards. We use treats to show our love. And we want to give only healthy dog treats.
We use treats to deter behavior we don’t want in our dogs and we use them to help train our pets.
But do we use treats to keep our dogs healthy?
In other words what are the treats produced commercially that are actually healthy for our dogs? With all the dog treats on the shelves in grocery stores and pet supply stores, how do you know which ones are healthy for your dog?
What should you look for?
Main Ingredients To Include:
- Real meat of any kind
- Healthy vegetables such as sweet potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, and potatoes, green beans, broccoli
- The right fruits such as sliced apples, watermelon, berries and bananas
Ingredients Not To Include:
- Grains, corn, wheat or soy
- Meat by-products
- The wrong fruits such as raisins, grapes, prunes
- Chocolate
- Onions
- Caffeine
You can read my article 11 Dangerous Foods to find out more about common foods your dog should not eat.
One more point before we start. This article is not trying to rank these dog treats.
All of these treats are healthy for your dog. You just need to choose the ones your think your dog will love the most.
With that understanding, let’s dive in and look at 5 great healthy treats you can give your dog.
Healthy Treat #1
Blue Kitchen Soft-Moist Dog Treats make your dog feel like a member of the family.
With only healthy, energy producing ingredients Blue Kitchen Meatballs keep the company promise of feeding your dog like she is one of the family.
You have a choice of these 6 flavors:
- Beef
- Chicken
- Duck
- Salmon
With a promise of no meat by products or meal, no corn, wheat or soy, Blue Kitchen treats are made with the kind of ingredients you would use to make your own healthy treat. They have no corn, wheat, or soy in them. And no by-product meats.
For an added bonus there are no preservatives, artificial flavors, or colors.
Healthy Treat #2
Best Bully Sticks are made of 100% free-range grass-fed beef. They are made without any fillers or preservatives.
They come in different sizes to make them suitable for all breeds.
In addition to tasting good they also promote help clean your pup’s teeth by helping to scrape away plaque.
The company recommends you only give your dog one of these per day. Why? Because they are high in protein and too much protein in your dog’s diet can cause stomach upset.
Best Bully Sticks are suitable for dogs of any size. How long it will take your dog to go through one depends on the size of your dog and how aggressively he chews.
Healthy Treat #3
Emmy’s Best Chicken Jerky is made from chicken breast meat that is sliced thin and turned into jerky.
Emmy’s Best makes their chicken jerky with no fillers, no preservatives, and no additives. It does not contain any corn, soy, or wheat.
In fact, you can’t beat the ingredient list: 100% Grade A USDA chicken breast.
Also, Emmy’s offers a simple guarantee: If your pet doesn’t love them, send back the empty bag and we will refund your purchase.
Emmy’s proudly proclaims that their treats are made in the USA with no sourcing or manufacturing in China.
Healthy Treat #4
Spot Farms All Natural Chicken Nuggets are made with human-grade ingredients only.
These treats do not contain any corn, wheat, or soy. In addition, they do not have any artificial flavors, preservatives, or colors.
These treats come as nuggets and each bag contains 50 – 60 pieces in the 12 ounce bag. They are soft enough so you can break them into smaller pieces.
You don’t want to give your pooch too many of these treats. On the bag they suggest these limits:
- dogs under 5 pounds only 1/2 piece per day
- from 5 – 15 pounds, 1 – 2 strips
- 15 – 30 pounds, 2 – 4 strips
- 30 – 50 pounds, 4 – 6 strips
- over 50 pounds, 6 – 8 strips
Healthy Treat #5
Bil-Jac Chicken Liver Dog Treats are healthy dog treats made with the real chicken and liver that all canines crave.
Yours will be especially grateful that you presented them to her. They contain no soy products. However, they do have some wheat flour.
The Little-Jacs are made especially for small dogs with big hearts.
These treats will both motivate and reward your small dog whether you are training or just playing. There are also reports of some veterinarians using them as treats when they examine dogs.
Please note that these treats come in several different sized bags. Make sure you are ordering the size that’s best for you! The 20 ounce bag contains over 100 treats.
Healthy Dog Treats are Easy to Find
There are a lot of great treats on the market that will keep your dog healthy and happy for the course of his lifetime and your love time with him.
Just remember what to look for and what to make sure you don’t find in your dog’s treats.
What a great way to show your pooch how much you love her!