Why I no longer buy Schamackos

Dogs go whacko for Schmackos! I’m sure almost every Aussie dog owner has heard that slogan at one time or another. 

Schmackos was one of the first dog treats we ever bought for Fergus. It had one of the most recognisable bags on the dog treat shelf in the supermarket and that created a lot of confidence in our purchase decision. Fergus loved the Schmacko Straps the most. We used it for training mostly at home as it wasn’t quite effective for recalls at the park or when there were too many distractions, but still there was not a lot he wouldn't do for some Schmackos. 

That is until one of our neighbours, a health conscious dog owner said in passing “Yeah, but Schamackos is like McDonalds for dogs”. Curious, we started reading the ingredients on the packet and were quite shocked at what actually goes into making the “real beef” flavour of Schmackos. 

First of all, it’s made from more than just Beef. Lamb, ‘and/or’ Sheep ‘and/or’ Pork are also listed as ingredients. Along with Sucrose (sugar), Cereal Protein (full of grains), Humectant (used to keep food moist), salt, flavour (of real beef!), preservatives, colours and antioxidants. 

That’s a doozy of an ingredient list! With no % composition of each ingredient, you can’t be sure if there’s more meat or sugar in these treats. 

However, there was no denying that Fergus loved Schmackos. I mean it’s baked into their brand philosophy: “It's because SCHMACKOS treats are specifically designed to smell and taste absolutely amazing.” But at exactly what cost?

We’re not saying Schmackos is all bad, a lot of hooman treats are also filled with artificial ingredients and unknown composition lists and yet we buy them all the time because they just taste so damn good.

But it’s not something you should have regularly and if you’re on the path to becoming more health conscious or are at risk for certain diseases and conditions, then it might be wise to keep a natural diet and know exactly what’s going in your body. 

One of my guilty pleasures - Allen's lollies party mix whose ingredients list is not much better than Schmackos'

And that’s where our journey to discovering natural treats for Fergus started. After lots of research and speaking with more experienced dog owners, we now prefer treats with as short an ingredient list as possible. Even better when there’s only one ingredient listed, like every treat at Ferguson’s (except of course our secret pawmula mix) 

You are exactly what you eat and it shouldn’t be any different with your doggos. A lot of canine diseases and health issues can arise from unhealthy diets and if there’s a chance of extending Fergus’ life by even one day by improving the quality of his food and treats, then we are all for it. 

Dogs do indeed go wacko for Schamackos but do we want them to?