Dog treats are quite useful when you are training your dog. It is also a reward to dogs that have been behaving and following their pet owners diligently. With their heightened sense of smell, they can easily say that you are opening a treat for them. For sure, they’ll be filled with excitement and joy because dogs love any treats. Now, there’s a situation that needs to be addressed by the pet owners because not all dog treats are good for your dog. Just like human food, some treats should be avoided for your dog’s safety.
Pet owners are usually persuaded by the packaging and the so-called benefits it gave to your dog. Not everyone checks the labels and carefully inspects if they can do good to their pet. As long as what they’ve bought is a treat, they will instantly check it out and go home. But now, you can make better choices and save your dog from serious illnesses caused by bad dog treats.
Bad dog treats that need to be avoided:
JerHigh is a company that sells Dog Treats and is a popular pet food business in Thailand. They have produced different varieties of dog food that surely some of your dogs will enjoy.
However, let’s look at the JerHigh Beef treat, it contains everything that your dog doesn’t need. In short, it is not beneficial for them. It will be harmful if you give treats that contain carbohydrates such as wheat and sugar. In addition, the treat contains preservatives, coloring, and artificial flavoring. You should provide a treat that has fewer preservatives and known flavorings. Because, if you think of it, dogs only live 15 to 20 years and you ought to help them reach the maximum years of their life.
It does not matter which brand because this type of dog treat is widely used by pet owners. But, have you ever wondered what’s in the dog treat? It is composed of the cow’s inner layer and horse hides. The ingredients were cut and cleaned by the manufacturers and then formed into different shapes of dog treats. For it to be more delicious for dogs, flavorings were added to the treat.
So what makes this dog treat bad for your dog?
The treat contains toxic chemicals that will be harmful to your dog. The Salmonella and E-coli bacterias are present. Contamination is possible and even pet owners can acquire this if exposed to bacterias on the rawhide.
Some Dogs have digestive reactions to the ingredients of rawhide. Thus, it is discouraged to let them have it.
Rawhide Bones can impose a risk on your dog because as they continually chew the rawhide it might cause blockages to your dog’s throat, intestines or stomach. It will be much more harmful than contamination and digestive irritation. You’ll be needing surgery to remove the dog treat on your dog’s body. If not treated right away, it will cause death.
If you are using this to clean your dog’s teeth. It would be better if you just use a toothbrush than this. The Pedigree Dentastix, although can help your dog’s teeth it can also harm your dog. The dental chew is composed of flours, preservatives, and additives that pose a risk to your dog’s health when taken daily.
Products like this are allowed to list the ingredients in a category in which you will not know what’s really behind those categories. If your sole purpose is to have dog teeth cleaned then you can use a toothbrush and brush your dog teeth yourself.
Although, the Pedigree brand is known and offers quality dog food in all varieties.
From the brand itself, it says healthy treats however the list of ingredients does not provide a benefit for your dog. For instance, the salmon on the treat is not real. The product consists of Flour and cornstarch that are carbohydrates and will add up to the dog’s weight. In addition, the treat has salt and ascorbyl palmitate to taste. If you want to fish for a treat, you can make your treats and dehydrate them.
It has potatoes on the ingredients which are fine for dogs but should be taken moderately because it is still carbs. However, there’s a controversial ingredient used and that is sodium selenite. Like other dog treats, it has preservatives on it.
7 Type of Treats That Are Harmful to Your Dog
These are just some of the dog treats that should be avoided by your dog. There are still tons of treats in the market that you should watch for. To help guide you in choosing, here are some of the red flags in a dog treat that will be dangerous for your pooch.
1. Toxic Human Food
There are human foods that are toxic for your dogs. Watch out for these foods because you might be eating them and you just happily give your dog some of these foods.
Do not give your dog the following:
- Grapes
- Chocolates
- Nuts
- Garlic
- Alcoholic Beverages
- Apple Seeds
- Avocados
- Xylitol (Artificial Sweetener)
- Walnuts
- Tomato Leaves
- Coffee grounds
- Candies
- Onion
- Gums
- Raisins
- Tea
- Cherry Pits
- Peach Pits
- Macadamia Nuts
Be mindful of the stated food above if you are planning to give your dog organic treats so that they can avoid preservatives and unknown ingredients in commercial dog treats. Furthermore, it would be helpful if you also educate your children on this poisonous food for dogs. To help them remember, you can post it in your kitchen or above the dog house so that guests will also be aware.
2. High Starch Dog Treats
A lot of manufacturers nowadays use starches as fillers for dog treats. They mostly do it so that they can lower production costs and thus lowering the overall well-being of the dogs. A lot of pet owners nowadays prefer treats with less grain. They used starch as an alternative to wheat, corn, and rye. If you want your dog to have a grain-free diet then you should look for a quality that is made of complex carbohydrates and protein-based.
3. Artificially Sweetened Treats
A dog treat shouldn’t have sugar in it. Manufacturers add sugar so that they can enhance the taste of the dog treat. Most of the time, if the ingredients are low-quality and cheap, they will add sugar to make the taste more appealing.
It can be very dangerous for your dog because your dog might get diabetes, dental problems, and weight gain. To avoid having an obese and diabetic dog, you should read the labels of every dog treat that you’ve been checking out in the market.
Watch out for artificial sweeteners such as Xylitol, and Sorbitol because it leads to a lot of health issues. Xylitol is poisonous and one of the symptoms for dogs is seizures, clotting, and even death. Sorbitol can cause stomach problems for dogs.
4. Cancer-Causing Treats
Some additives used in a dog treat can cause canine cancer. Look out for additives such as:
It is a food dye used to make the treat look more appealing. The additive is now banned in some countries like France, UK, Austria, Norway, and Finland. For you to be sure, search the products that are reported containing the additive Red#40.
Also known as BHA or E320 which can be found in dog treats. It is a chemical antioxidant that causes cancer in dogs. BHA is used on cosmetic products. Despite its harmful effects the chemical antioxidant is still legal to use in the US.
5. Animal Part Dog Treat
Hooves or antlers were used as a dog treat and they can be nutritious and beneficial for your dog when it is processed properly by manufacturers. The downside to this is that it is hard and can break your dog’s teeth, create blockages on the throat and injure your dog’s mouth. It is not ideal to give your dog this type of dog treat because there’s a possibility that your dog will swallow a big chunk of the treat.
6. Animal Bones
Watch out for animal bones that are used as a chewy treat because usually, this type of treatment has bacterias. Your dog will be contaminated with these pathogens. In Order for these harmful bacterias to be killed, the product should be cooked. You can make your protein treats cooked and fresh from the kitchen. This way you will not harm your dog plus you are sure that the treat is clean.
7. Dog Treats From China
Of course, you can’t discriminate against all dog treats that came from china because not all impose harm to dogs. It’s just that some products that were found in question by the US Food and Drug Administration were from China. There is this condition Fanconi Syndrome which will cause serious kidney failure to dogs that were acquired by eating treats. As a pet owner, you have to choose your trusted brand and research where the ingredients were coming from.
How To Buy Healthy Dog Treats?
Here are the following factors that will help you in choosing a healthy treat for your dog.
- The Calories Per Treat is known in the packaging.
- The Treat should not contain too much fat percentage.
- Look for nutritional adequacy labels of AAFCO in the packaging. It is usually written in small prints and it means Association of Feed Control Officials. AAFCO is a non-profit organization that advocates safer and healthier ingredients in animal and pet food.
- Choose Vegetable Treats for your Dog.
- Consider Peanut Butter as a Treat for your dog.
8 Natural Healthy Treats You Can Give Your Dog
If you want dog treats that are inexpensive and healthy for your dog, then you can use the following natural treats that your dog will surely love. It’s packed with the needed nutrition for your dog. You can prevent sickness plus you can help improve your dog’s overall well-being.
1. Apples
Give some apple slices to your dog. It’s a great source of fiber plus it is a nutritious snack. Be sure to take apple seeds right away because it is poisonous for your dog.
2. Green Peas
Great for training and easy to pack. This natural dog treat is yummy and easy to chew.
3. Carrots
A snack for your dog that is full of beta carotene and vitamins. Just be careful with dogs that swallow the whole piece of treat. Slice a bite-size and encourage them to chew the carrot.
4. Watermelon
Best treat to bring with you when you are having a walk in the park or doing your usual 30-minute exercise. The fruit is hydrating as well as tasty.
5. Bananas
Bananas are a great source of nutrients and it is also ideal for dogs for them to acquire the nutrients and vitamins they need. However, the treat should be taken in moderation due to its high sugar content.
6. Broccoli.
Some humans avoid broccoli but your dog might like the taste of this one. If you have a puppy, practice them eating this vegetable so that when they grow old it will not be a problem.
7. Squash
Good for the eyes and good for the health of your dog. Be sure to cook the squash before you give it to your dog.
8. Strawberries
Great snack for your pooch is just like bananas. Just be sure to not do it frequently because it is harmful to your dog.
Pet parents must be mindful of what they’re giving to their dog as a treat. Because unlike humans they don’t have a choice in the type of food or treat they’ll be having. As a responsible owner, make sure that you are reading the ingredients and taking the time to research its benefits. You don’t want your dog to be sick in the future because you are not mindful of their food and treats. Try to incorporate homemade treats to dog’s diet so that they are healthier and lives longer
