Dog And Cat Treats: Finding The Best Ones For Your Pets

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We pet parents love our dog and cat treats. We love buying them, baking them from scratch, dehydrating them, and looking for the newest ones to bring home to our furry family members. We use them for training, give them as stocking stuffers at the holidays, and, on occasion, aren’t above utilizing them as bribes. Giving our pets treats makes us feel good; who doesn’t love seeing the look on their dog’s or cat’s face when they reach for the treat jar?

The American Pet Products Association estimates that pet owners in the United States alone spent approximately $61 billion on their pets in 2016. Of that, approximately 40 percent was spent on food and treats. And according to a Packaged Facts research report, in 2014 treats made up 16% of all U.S. pet food spending. Clearly, we take our dog and cat treats very seriously.

But when it comes to identifying the best types of treats for your pets, where do you start? Just trying to find the right food for your pet can be overwhelming enough!

Here are a few things to keep in mind the next time you’re choosing what types of treats to give your dog or cat.

What To Look For When Buying Dog And Cat Treats

This is actually simpler than you might think. If you’re health-conscious, think about what you look for when buying food for yourself. The same rules apply when shopping for your pets.

Treats for your pets should consist of ingredients that are fresh, high-quality, and minimally processed. If you’re buying commercially-manufactured treats, look for the following:

• Treats that are made of real food, with ingredients you can recognize and pronounce.
• Whole food ingredients instead of by-products or food fractions. For example, “whole-grain oats” is better than “oat flour”, since the more highly processed an ingredient is, the more nutrients it loses.
• Organic ingredients. Just as in food for human consumption, organic ingredients in pet treats are grown without pesticides, chemicals, and radiation, and are not genetically-modified. They also receive extra scrutiny from inspectors. The more organic ingredients in your pet’s treats, the better.
• Fresh, local ingredients. If you’re in the United States, try to look for products made in the U.S. Domestic ingredient sources are usually the best.
• Natural preservatives instead of chemical preservatives. Two of the most common natural preservatives are Vitamin C (listed as “ascorbic acid”) and Vitamin E (listed as “alpha tocopherols”). Some treats contain no preservatives at all, but these should be stored in the refrigerator and used as soon as possible.
• Natural sweeteners, or no sweeteners at all. If sweeteners are used, honey, molasses, fruit, and applesauce are better than artificial sweeteners.

Avoid these ingredients:

• Artificial colors. These are unnecessary chemicals added to treats to make them look more appealing to humans. Your dog or cat doesn’t care what color the treat is, only that it tastes good!
• Artificial preservatives, like BHA, BHT, sodium nitrate, potassium sorbate, calcium propionate, and ethoxyquin.
• Propylene glycol. This is a chemical ingredient used in both human and pet foods to keep them moist and prevent discoloration. It also happens to be an ingredient found in antifreeze, and it can cause kidney damage in large amounts. Vegetable glycerin and molasses are safer, natural ingredients that can be used instead.
• Soy. This is often added to pet food and treats as a filler because it’s a cheap substitute for meat. However, soy is a common allergen for dogs and has little nutritive value. It’s also been linked to thyroid damage and blood sugar issues in cats.   

Avoid These Treats Like The Plague

What if I told you there are 2 treats on the market that are downright dangerous to dogs… yet they are huge bestsellers that people still buy every day?

Yes, I’m talking about you, Rawhide and Jerky.

Rawhide is, in my opinion, one of the worst things you can give to your dog. Not only is it prepared using caustic chemicals like lye, bleach, and arsenic, it’s also been found to be contaminated with mercury, lead, insecticides and antibiotics. Additionally, it swells when it comes into contact with  saliva, which can cause a choking hazard and intestinal blockage.

According to the FDA, jerky treats have been linked to over 5,000 reports of pet illnesses in the United States alone, and to over 1,000 deaths in dogs. Although initially thought to be caused by jerky treats manufactured in China, it’s been determined that these issues are not isolated to one type of jerky treat or country of origin. Aside from the fact that jerky treats have extremely high levels of sodium and fat (which can lead to pancreatitis in dogs and cats), these treats have also been linked to the development of Fanconi Syndrome, a rare kidney disease.

Instead of rawhide or jerky, consider purchasing organic bully sticks instead. Bully sticks are single-ingredient, highly-digestible treats that are high in protein and low in fat, and most dogs love them.

Healthy Human Foods That Make Great Dog And Cat Treats

Just because there are literally thousands of pet treats on the market doesn’t mean you have to purchase your treats. More than likely, there’s food in your kitchen right now that would make  excellent treats for your dog or cat!

The biggest benefits of using human food as treats for dogs and cats is that the food is fresh, single-ingredient, and unprocessed. You know where it came from, and it’s unlikely to have any chemical additives. It also tends to have fewer calories than commercially-prepared treats.

And did you know that both dogs AND cats enjoy fruits and vegetables as treats?

Here are just some of the “people” foods that are safe for your dog or cat:

For Dogs:

• Chicken
• Eggs – raw or cooked
• Salmon – cooked, dehydrated, or freeze dried
• Unseasoned turkey (slightly more rich than chicken, so be aware that it can cause diarrhea in some dogs)
• Yogurt
• Oatmeal
• Coconut
• Pumpkin (canned pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling)
• Cheese (watch quantity, since cheese can be high in fat and salt)
• Carrots
• Green Beans
• Peanut butter (make sure it does not contain xylitol, which is toxic to dogs)
• Broccoli (use in small quantities, as it can cause gas)
• Blueberries
• Watermelon (seedless)
• Apple slices (with seeds removed)
• Strawberries
• Bananas
• Sweet potatoes, cooked (watch quantity, since these are high in sugar)
• Cantaloupe
• Peas – frozen, raw, or cooked
• Spinach – raw

For Cats:

• Salmon – cooked, dehydrated, or freeze dried
• Chicken
• Tuna (make sure if you give the juice from the can that it is water only, not oil, and doesn’t contain onions, garlic, or soy)
• Unseasoned turkey
• Cheese (cats are lactose-intolerant, so they tolerate hard cheeses better than soft ones)
• Sardines – canned or dehydrated
• Pumpkin (canned, pure)
• Eggs – cooked
• Peanut butter (no xylitol)
• Blueberries
• Watermelon (seedless)
• Bananas
• Sweet potatoes – cooked
• Cantaloupe
• Peas – frozen, raw, or cooked
• Spinach – raw

When giving your pets human food, avoid anything spicy, rich, or fatty, since this can cause intestinal upset. And never give your pets grapes, raisins, or anything containing onions or garlic, as these are toxic to dogs and cats.

Just like people, pets have their own taste preferences, so experiment to see what human food treats are your dog’s or cat’s favorites. You can also create your own homemade dog treats from scratch in your kitchen. Puppy Leaks has a great list of 23 dog treat recipes made with 5 ingredients or less that are simple to make, even for beginning bakers.

How To Keep Treats From Making Your Pet Pudgy

Although giving treats to our pets feels great, keep in mind that treats have calories too – they’re not freebies. These calories need to be factored into the total amount your dog or cat consumes each day, or they could gain weight.

According to veterinary recommendations, treats should only make up about 10% of your pet’s total daily caloric intake. Your veterinarian can help you calculate how many treats that equates to based on your pet’s species, size, weight, and activity level. Since pet obesity is a major health issue, treats should be given in moderation to avoid weight gain.

It’s also important to remember that “treats” are whatever your dog or cat enjoys, and do not have to be in the form of food. Some great alternatives to food treats for cats are cat grass, catnip, and new toys, while dogs enjoy getting walks, toys, and verbal praise. Play sessions with you and lots of love and attention are also wonderful gifts you can give to your dog or cat… and they have zero calories!

Do you give treats to your pets on a regular basis? What treats do they enjoy the most? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments below!