Healthy Dog Treats

What are Healthy Dog Treats?

It is only natural that we want to give our dogs healthy treats, but what is healthy? Different dogs have different dietary needs. One thing I'm sure of, healthy dog treats start with wholesome ingredients.

Dog Treat Ingredients

One of the great things about making homemade dog treats is you control what goes in them. When choosing the ingredients for your recipes consider nutritional value, flavor, freshness, and safety.

Of course, there are Foods to Avoid such as sugar, chocolate, onions, etc. But where do we go from there? Check out our Dog Treat Ingredients page to see the ingredients we commonly use in baking our homemade dog biscuits.

It is always best to consult with your veterinarian about what is healthiest for your dog. Weight, age, activity level and other health factors should be considered when choosing treats.

Sometimes dogs have special dietary needs that will determine what ingredients to use in baking healthy dog treats.

Vegetarian Dog Treats

When most people think of foods that dogs love they think of meat. Who can’t envision a dog chewing on a nice meaty bone? The truth is though, plant based foods are an important part of any dog’s diet. Many dogs LOVE vegetables.

Our own dog, Sammi, absolutely loves her veggies. She's been known to harvest more green beans for herself than we did for our meals. Whenever I'm chopping up veggies Sammi works hard to get me to throw a sample her way.

Green beans are a great vegetarian treat for dogs. They are nutritious and low in calories. The general recommendation is to cook the beans first…this helps to reduce any gastric distress that may be caused by eating raw veggies.

If your dogs are like mine they'll still want baked dog treats in addition to their plain veggies. These Honey Carrot Crunchies are a vegetarian dog treat my dogs really enjoy.

And here is another vegetarian treat that also uses carrots and honey as ingredients. Larry's Soft Dog Treats are great for older dogs that have teeth problems.

Wheat Free Dog Treats

Many dogs suffer from food allergies. Wheat is a common food allergy among dogs. Many dog treat recipes contain wheat flour…including a lot of the recipes found on this site. However, there are wheat free treats available. Some alternatives include green beans (as described above) or meat jerkies.

Many dog bakeries offer healthy dog treats that are wheat free by using ingredients such as oat, rice, or rye flour. You can adapt many recipes to be wheat free by replacing the wheat flour with one of these alternatives. You may have to adjust the liquid or flour amounts to get the right consistency.

Here is one Wheat Free Dog Treat recipe that our dogs love.

And here is another delicious recipe for Hypoallergenic Dog Treats.

Low Fat Dog Treats

Just like us humans, our canine friends can suffer from weight issues. As dogs age and their activity level decreases the likelihood of gaining weight increases. Controlling their calorie intake is important.

But it can be so hard to limit the treats we give to our pets. They love eating them and we love giving them! The good news is that treats can be part of a weight maintenance diet if we keep a couple important rules in mind.

First, calories count! Reduce food at meal time to compensate for treats given throughout the day.

Second, control the types of treats. As noted above, vegetables can be part of a healthy canine diet…and many dogs love them. Beyond veggies, many homemade dog treats are very low fat.

Try these Chicken and Rice Crunchies for a great dog biscuits that are both low fat and wheat free.

And these Chicken Barley Bites are another low fat dog treat your dogs are sure to enjoy.

Diabetic Dog Treats

Owning a pet that suffers from diabetes is very challenging. Diet plays a vital role in maintaining the health of a diabetic dog. Always work closely with a veterinarian to monitor your dog's food intake. Dogs with diabetes should eat foods that are high in fiber and protein, low in fat, and high in complex carbohydrates.

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