Not that long ago it would have been absurd writing such an article. As if people needed help in remembering that dogs are basically small carnivores evolved from wolves not that long ago.  That they caught animals for a living, and so evolved to eat meat, and so meat would be the easiest thing for them to eat. THE NATURAL THING, and so, the main ingredient in NATURAL dog treats.

Humans and dogs have become so far removed from the food chain since humans began intensive farming practices, that it almost seems like some kind of secret that dogs could even eat something as common as beef.

The sad state of affairs is that these are some of the top Google search auto fill in phrases about dogs and beef jerky you will find.

“can dogs eat beef jerky” or  “can beef jerky kill dogs”

Why Natural dog treats

It might surprise many of you that a little meat is included in dog food, or that grains are so plentiful in dog food depending on what news source you prefer. But considering that dogs are mainly carnivores who have been forced to evolved into stomaching vegetables, for our cheapness and entertainment purposes. It makes sense that there could be this basic confusion.

While dogs do best on meat products, very few dog food companies use anywhere near 50% meat, because they can get away with 30-40% meat to reach the aafco minimum protein needed in dog food of a low 18% !

So, let’s present the case for Natural Chews for dogs based on MEAT, and consider that just because plants are NATURAL, they are not natural for dogs to eat.

We note that digestibility should be equivalent to bio-availability (i.e. how much of the single ingredient a dog can actually use in its body.

The higher the percentage, the more value (less waste).  Noting that foods interact with each other changing digestibility and there is such a thing as the limiting amino acid factor (too low amount of one amino acid, can limit the uptake of the other amino acids by your dog).

Ignoring the fact that most commercial dog food and dog treats have a lot of grains in them, and that grains have very low absolute levels of protein in them.  It’s worth looking at the digestibility of Natural dog treats (comprised of single ingredient meats) and grains (that can make up 70 to 90% of some unnatural dog treats.

MEAT DIGESTABILITY in NATURAL dog treats

Chicken:   Digestibility for DOGS is around 90-95%. It’s a primary protein source with HIGH dog palatability (they like to eat it) and it has a high bio availably and its high total protein amount.

Beef: Beef is also highly digestible; some sources say 85-90%.  Still a good level.

Fish (such as Trout, salmon or hoki): are HIGHLY digestible, often with the range of  85-90%. Besides this they are often high in omega-3 fatty acids, in the right chemical composition to be used most efficiently by your dog

Lamb: is lower than the above meats being around 80-85%.  But still well ahead of the most common grains found in dog treats and dog food.

What happens when grains commonly found in dog food are used in NATURAL DOG TREATS TOO?

Corn’s digestibility percentage is typically between 50-70%. That is why you see it so commonly undigested in their stools. Many dogs have sensitivities or difficulty digesting corn. Corn is a filler, not a major provider of nutrition to your dog.

Wheat typically ranges between 70-80% digestibility for your dog.  It has a low absolute protein value (near 10%) and contains gluten, which can trigger some dog allergies.

Soy’s digestibility % is typically around 70-80%.

Why natural dog treats SHOULD NOT contain any plant matter

Because dogs get plenty of the plants and fibre in their commercial dog food. And you have already paid plenty for this filler. So why not make their next treat, an actual healthy and NAUTRAL dog treat, that is 100% single ingredient meat? Or 0ffal.

But that is just the beginning of the story.

Natural Meat dog treats do NOT need preservatives. When it is a 100% single ingredient, and oven dried. All bacteria are killed off, and the treats do not require preservatives to last when stored in ideal pantry conditions for 6 to 12 months.

It’s not that natural or low levels of preservative are necessarily bad, but if you can avoid them for your dog, why wouldn’t you?

Grains are also bland in taste to most dogs, so they tend to come with added fats, sugars and salt that NO DOG NEEDS in its diet, besides that found in animal Natural dog treats.

Sugars make them more palatable, even though sugars are very low in animal based natural dog treats.  High sugar intake can lead to diabetes in any animal.  The salt will potentially make your dog crave for the treat more, but can mess with your dog’s hydration, kidneys and a whole new level of issues they shouldn’t have to deal with.

100% single ingredient meat animal dog treats also just have natural colouring. You want to see a whole cut of meat and the striations in the muscle.  Grains however are processed into powder often removing the last of their natural plant nutrition, and have colours added to please the owner.

Dogs can only see half the colour spectrum so the colour additives are just for you, not your dog.

CONCLUSION

Natural dog treats are single ingredient animal-based dog treats (meat or offal).  They are high in quality protein that your dog needs, and have natural fat included they use for energy, not extra oils that plant-based makers often add to fool your dogs into eating more.

They have high absolute levels of protein that are HIGHLY digestible or bio available to your dog. Meaning they are species appropriate.

Whereas grain or plant matter inclusion is unnatural and typically low in protein.

for people who want the best for their dogs, and to get what they pay for try MEAT based natural dog treats.