There are 3 types of dog treats I just would never buy again. Unfortunately, they are still stocked in supermarkets and pet stores all around Australia and no one is any the wiser on the dangers of these treats to our doggo's short and long term health.
The treats below are also popular due to their attractive packaging, price point (usually on the cheaper end) and they're usually owned by mega corporate companies who doll out dog treats with little care about what goes into making them and more into their profit margin.
So it is becoming more important for pet pawrents to educate themselves to identify what's good and not-so-good for your dog's diet. Here are the 3 dog treats I would never buy again.
1. Rawhide Treats
Rawhide is made from the inner layer of cow hide (skin). The hide is then treated with lots of chemicals to clean it before it is pressed into a chewable dog treat of various shapes and sizes.
A common sight in your dog food aisle at the supermarket: Rawhides are commonly pressed into bone shaped treats
In addition to the use of chemicals and non-transparent rawhide manufacturing practices, the ultimate problem with Rawhide is that dogs cannot digest hide very well, if at all. Big chunks of rawhide, if swallowed, can end up as an gastrointestinal blockage and cause serious consequences.
2. Treats that contain Artificial Colouring
Some artificial colourings like Red 40 and Yellow 5 require a warning label in Europe. So, any time your dog treats contain artificial colours, it is best to avoid. We're not 100% sure of the long term effects of artificial colouring on humans (some studies have shown linkage to cancer but it's not conclusive) let alone dogs, but personally I like to avoid artificial non-natural ingredients when possible.
3. Treats that contain Sugar
Like in humans, sugar can induce the same addictive response in doggos causing them to want more sugar filled treats leading to obesity and have an impact on various organs and metabolic processes. Many treats contain sugar to improve palatability but there is no nutritional need for dogs to have any sugar in their diet.
Safe to say that there are no rawhides stocked at Ferguson's Treatos! Nor are there treats with artificial colouring or sugar.
All of Ferguson's Treatos are minimally processed (cut and dried only) and single ingredient because this is the way we can retain the most flavour and nutrients out of the amazing human grade ingredients used.
Not only is this the healthiest way to feed dog treats but it is also the yummiest way for the doggos to enjoy them!
If you haven't already, check out our treato bundles today where you can save up to 10% off our best selling favourite treatos.