Packaged Dog Treats

Premade store bought treats are super easy and convenient. But a lot of them contain a bunch of ingredients that make them "junk food" for dogs. Read what you should be looking for to avoid!

I recently started this Substack Newsletter to get more content out to my readers that will actually be of use! There is a lack of information out there in pet care (or a lot of misinformation) which can be overwhelming for people when they are looking for guidance. Veterinarians patient load is still at an all time high, so it’s hard to talk in depth about certain questions or concerns at each vet visit. The goal of this newsletter is to provide information to questions I get frequently, and to dive into topics I feel that every person caring for dogs should be aware of.

The Public/Free posts will be helpful, but the Subscribers posts will have more in depth information. It takes time and energy to lay out all the information, so a Subscription base helps me continue with this work. Good dog treats are a common question, so here is my take on packaged treats!

Packaged dog treats are great to have in your pantry for your companions. There are so many options out there it can get overwhelming! See below for a few tips you can use the next time you’re in the treat aisle at the market or local pet store.

Small Batch Superfood bites I stuff into food puzzles and toys.

Avoid these ingredients:

If you see the ingredients below on packaging, then put them back on the shelf! Snacks and treats don’t need extra nutrients for your dog if they are eating a balanced meal for their main diet. Look for a list with less than 10 or so ingredients, and you should be able to recognize each of them. Also, dogs don’t care what color the food is - they care more about the smell, so there shouldn’t be any artificial dyes in the treats.

Read my previous post on foods from your kitchen you can give as treats to your dogs.

See below (or subscribe to get the details) for the list of ingredients to avoid in dog treats (and all food), plus a few brands I like.

Remember, treats and snacks should be less than 10% of your dogs total diet!