Treats could be the hidden cause of weight gain and health problems. Beware of ALL treats brand claiming to be the best.
by Michael S. Brooks on Jan 10, 2021
Michael has been in the pet nutrition space for over 12 years and is also an avid outdoorsman. He frequently takes his 8-year-old labrador/border collie mix with him on frequent camping trips. His passion for pet nutrition is focused on extending the life-long mobility and life expectancy of dogs.*
You want to give your dog a treat for training, special occasion, or just for a good behavior. Well who doesn't? However, in the market today, we see tons of dog treats claiming the number 1 spot. To check whether their claims are true, our team has decided to do their own research reviewing more than 30 different dog treats to know which dog treat brand is actually the best for dogs.
We narrowed it down to the top 3 best dog treats based on these attributes: palatability, nutrition, affordability, and recall history. Let's check first the reasons we need to give dog treats and what types of dog treats we should consider and what to avoid so we can use dog treats in the best way possible.
One thing for sure is to never give rewards to an excited and over-stimulated state of mind. Use treats to reinforce a calm and submissive state. For training, studies indicated that rewarding with high value treats such as meat and liver significantly decreases the time needed to learn various tricks and behaviors. But keep this in mind: tastier treats mean higher calories.
For its look and texture, we shouldn't be deceived by its rich tasty color as dogs can't see red and oranges. Treats can be the hidden cause of sudden weight gain as most of treats are high in fats or sugars. This puts them at higher risk of health problems.
With this considered, when choosing the best treat for your dog, it should be something your dog likes, rich in nutrition facts, and something that's appropriate to give to your dog based on his condition i.e., food sensitivities, weight-related issues, or other concerns. It's also important to choose the appropriate variety of treat to give to our furry friends.
Rawhide - This treat undergoes a chemical process that includes toxic substances including glue.
Real Ham Bones and Hooves - The bone comes apart with the dog bites it, creating sharp debris that can stuck in the small intestines resulting in vomiting, diarrhea, or worse, death.
Milkbones - It contains BHA that is highly toxic preservative and is identified as a cancer-causing agent. It also contains high amounts of sugar.
Table scraps - These tend to be high in fat and sugar and upsets your dog's appetite and digestion
The go-to for millions of people looking to purchase products. However, most don’t realize that up to 60% of the positive reviews are written by paid promoters. Some of them are also promised free products in exchange for positive feedback.
Crunchy Treats: This type of treat is sometimes called dog biscuits, which are available in different variety of flavors, shapes, and sizes. Make sure the size is appropriate for your dog
Soft Treats: Often, this treat comes in chewy, pleasing taste and soft texture. Use small sizes during training for immediate gratification
Freeze-Dried And Jerky Treats: This type of treat is available in different forms such as meats, liver, poultry, and seafood.
Dental Chews: These are not made from bones - some are made from corn starch and other digestible materials. This promotes dental health as the degree of chewing required is high.
Hip And Joint Dog Treats: These treats are specially made with glucosamine, MSM, and organic turmeric for healthy aging and hip and joints. It is greate for small and large breeds alike.
This comprehensive list was made after extensive research and analysis, measuring the full value of each product by considering the ingredients, safety, efficacy, refund and return policies, and overall customer satisfaction. We also collect research from the latest studies and clinical trials to ensure that our criteria takes into account the most important details, presenting you with the results, and, in the process, saving you time and money.
After extensive data gathering and clinical trials and testing, we proudly present to you our compiled list for the best dog treats available in the market today. The research includes precise scoring for ingredient safety, projected effectiveness, value, return policy and history, and customer satisfaction along with the average grades of common dog treats. To paint the whole picture, we have also listed down the pros and cons, and identified the total ranking and overall grade.
INGREDIENT SAFETY
PROJECTED EFFECTIVENESS
VALUE
RETURN POLICY
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
Zuke's Mini Naturals Chicken Recipe is the #1 on our list. It contains all of the essential ingredients for dogs to be healthy and smart. The best thing about the product is it contains less than 3 calories per treat (2.3 kcal/treat) so you don't have to worry that it might contribute to your dog's obesity and poor health.
It contains grains like ground rice, ground barley, and malted barley. However, some of their formulations explicitly removed the grains for sensitive dogs. Overall, because of overwhelming positive reviews, essential nutrients, and value, we give this product the highest grade among the treats available in the market.
INGREDIENT SAFETY
PROJECTED EFFECTIVENESS
VALUE
RETURN POLICY
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
The #2 on our list is Milk-Bone Original Biscuits. It contains 12 vitamins and minerals, glucosamine, and chondroitin - essential ingredients found in a good treat. It cleans teeth and freshens breath as it help removes plaque and tartar buildup.
However, there's 120 calories per biscuit so you might be extra careful and moderate when giving this treat to your dog. Since this is a crunchy biscuit, the product contents might be broken in little pieces especially if shipped and didn't handled carefully. Considering the texture of the biscuits, it might create messy crumbs upon consumption. Hence, we give Milk-Bone the #2 spot in our best treats list.
INGREDIENT SAFETY
PROJECTED EFFECTIVENESS
VALUE
RETURN POLICY
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
We place the Greenies Dental Treats on our #3 spot. Greenies is the best when it comes to promoting dental health and oral care. It contains natural ingredients designed to control disease-causing plaque and tartar. Additionally, it prevents gum disease and other oral-related problems.
As a precaution, as with any edible product, ensure that treat is adequately chewed. The size of the treats are not compatible with the prescribed size of the dog in their labels. Some customers reported frequent dog choking and throwing up while consuming the product despite it being soluble. Greenies products are also susceptible to molds and fungus when exposed to air for too long. With this, we give the #3 place for Greenies Dental Treats.
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