Healthy Puppy Treats

We all know that puppy eyes are hard to resist and it is nice to give your little fur baby a tasty snack once in a while. Training also requires a healthy stash a goodies, but it can be difficult to decide which is best. Today we are talking about how to choose healthy puppy treats.

Which type of treat- biscuits or chews? What size? Which ingredients are safe? It can be a real minefield, but there are some simple things you can look out for to ensure you are picking safe and healthy options.

What to avoid — Some Treats are not the Best for your Puppy!

Did you know that your treat choice can actually make your puppy’s behaviour worse? Some pet treats brands use artificial sugars in their recipes. Some cheaper ingredients also contain sugars. These sugars can cause your puppy to experience a sugar rush just like a human child.

This can lead to destructive behaviours, hyperactivity and also health issues like diarrhoea and dental decay. Some cheaper ingredients also contain sugars. Healthy treats should always have no added sugars and use high quality, natural ingredients.

Grain is another ingredient that should be avoided. Companies use grains as fillers because they are cheap. Dogs do not get any nutritional benefit from grain. Puppy treats should use filler options such as natural yoghurt, sweet potato or

When choosing a training treat for your puppy the ingredients list will give you a good indication of quality. By law, ingredients must be listed in order of quantity within the recipe. The best treats are those that list the protein source (meat, poultry or fish) as the first ingredient. The minimum requirement for animal products in dog food and treats is 4%, but this can be any meat source.

“Meat and animal derivatives” is a company’s legal get-out. They do not need to specific what animal meat it is i.e. beef, chicken, pork etc, and they also do not need to say which animals parts they have used. Using this term also allows them to change the meat they use between batches, so the bag you bought last week may not contain the same meat products as the bag you buy this week.