As a responsible dog owner, you want to give your pup treats that reflect how much you care. Unfortunately, many treats contain cheap fillers and artificial flavors which could endanger his or her health.
These ingredients can lead to weight gain, diabetes and kidney failure in your pet. Luckily, there are some simple measures you can take to help ensure their wellbeing.
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Wheat Flour & Cornstarch
Wheat flour can be an allergenic trigger for some dogs. Cornstarch, on the other hand, can serve as an effective thickening agent in recipes both human and pet alike.
Gluten free treats are also a boon for people suffering from celiac disease or gluten sensitivities; wheat flour-containing products may irritate sensitive dogs as well.
Pup-Peroni Milk Bone treats begin with beef, an excellent source of protein for dogs. Unfortunately, however, subsequent ingredients do not meet up to their high standard: wheat flour, meat by-product and sugar are less desirable choices; in addition to these undesirable elements there’s also rawhide which has been known to cause digestive blockages as well as respiratory issues for some dogs and poses a choking hazard; finally the controversial BHA preservative makes an appearance.
By-Product Meals
Cheap treats might tempt you to save some cash, but many contain dangerously unhealthy ingredients that could actually do more damage to your pup than good – artificial preservatives, flavor enhancers, and food dyes being among them. For optimal health benefits the ideal treats should contain real meat with healthy ingredients like vitamins and minerals as the main components.
Many people believe that by-products and meat meals are unhealthy for them and their pets; however, these sources are actually an excellent source of protein and essential nutrients for both species. Furthermore, pet food manufacturers can utilize these affordable sources as part of their pricing strategies in order to maintain lower costs for production.
Meat meal is made up of ground, rendered and clean parts from slaughtered animals (such as heads, feet, undeveloped eggs, viscera and whole carcasses) other than bone and fat tissue, such as heads, feet, undeveloped eggs viscera and whole carcasses that have been rendered from ground up without the inclusion of hair, horns, hooves feathers and teeth. By-product meals are commonly found in commercial pet foods; according to the Association of American Feed Control Officers this term refers to parts from whole carcasses of slaughtered mammals other than skeletal muscle meat or certain viscera which exclude blood skin fat lungs spleen kidneys etc – often made from beef chicken lamb or any number of animal sources such as chicken, lamb or others.
Artificial Flavors & Colors
Many pet parents purchase treats such as rawhides or paddy whacks in order to improve dental health and keep their dogs occupied, but these chews pose a choking hazard and lack nutritional value as well as potentially contain dangerous chemicals and bacteria [1].
Artificial flavors and colors are added to pet treats to attract people who purchase them, yet these ingredients may have no benefit for your dog’s health and can even lead to severe allergic reactions in some instances.
Artificial preservatives such as ethoxyquin are also of concern to your dog’s safety, having been linked with certain cancers as well as digestive tract issues, liver disease and even kidney failure.
Meat By-Products
Avoid treats containing animal by-products as filler ingredients, such as heads, feet, beaks or hair sourced from slaughtered animals – particularly if these treats come from 4-D animals (dead, diseased disabled or expired).
Meat meal is another filler used to save money when creating dog treats, and can consist of any unused part from animals such as brain, kidney, lung, spleen and blood. Furthermore, this filler can come from unknown sources like waste from rendering plants.
The FDA continues to investigate reports of illnesses linked to chicken jerky pet treats imported from China. They have adopted NYSDAM testing methods into their own field laboratories and issued an import alert requiring all imported jerky treats be tested for antibiotic residues before entering the US, in order to intercept and detain shipments found containing illegal levels.
