Treats for dogs: types, best manufacturers and features of choice

Each dog owner will always have his own secret recipe for taming or encouraging a naughty pet. As a rule, the decisive argument is the animal’s favorite food. Treats for dogs today are widely presented on the market in ready-made form - in biscuits, chopsticks, sausages, sliced. But how to choose sweets that do not harm the pet? Should they be taken into account when calculating the total calorie intake?

The range of products in pet stores is amazing. Here you can easily find natural chewing sticks for puppies, dog treats from beef lungs and other types of delicacies that can make the heart of a dog tremble. But not all of the options for feeding are equally useful and safe. Moreover, giving the dog a tasty treat is also necessary according to the rules. How to avoid mistakes and make the right choice?

How to distinguish safe treats for dogs from those that can harm their health? For the most part, factory-made delicacies on sale do not pose a threat to health. A pet will not be able to poison them, even after eating a significant amount. But with regular extra calories, the dog will be at risk of obesity.

The main benefit of dog treats is associated with the taming of the obstinate temper of a pet. With the right selection of treats, you can encourage the dog to master the most complex skills. For small breeds, it is recommended to stock up dried fruits or vegetables as a delicious supplement. They are easily prepared at home, serve an additional source of vitamins and fiber.

Large dogs can receive additional cartilage - a source of collagen, useful for joints, offal, dried and cut into portioned portions (heart, liver). Allowed to give as a toy spongy bones that have not undergone heat treatment. Raw meat as a treat is good, but needs in thorough freezing.

Among the good treats for dogs, special sticks and veins to help relieve itching in the gums during the period of change of teeth in puppies. Adult dogs are given to get rid of bacterial plaque. There are special therapeutic treats that improve digestion or relieve inflammation, vitamin and mineral enriched goodies.

There are goodies that are sold quite officially, but can seriously harm the dog. You should know what applies to them.

1. Intestines of cows, goats, other ruminants. Both in industrial and in private manufacturing, they are dried, but when neglecting the cleaning rules, pathogenic microflora remain inside. Through such goodies, the dog can become infected with hepatitis, get an upset stomach, as well as other unpleasant concomitant diseases.
2. Rawhide and ears. Manufacturers rarely indicate that formalin is used as a preservative, and when cleaning skins from traces of organics, deadly chemicals are used. It is very difficult to say how the purchase of such a “tasty treat” will end.
3. Any goodies made in China. In this country there is no strict regulation, control over the quality of products for animals. The low cost of goods suggests that sellers are not averse to saving on the safety of raw materials.

Among the arguments not in favor of ready-made treats are the uncontrolled content of fats, sugar, and salt in them. Such feeding will not bring benefits, but the metabolism may well upset.

There are many types of goodies that differ in the form of release, appearance, composition of products. Among the most popular options are the following.

1. Natural treats for dogs. This includes beef lung, bovine root, dried strips of liver and meat, bone. The products are safe and tasty, high quality. With proper processing, careful selection of raw materials, such treats are safe for the health of the dog.
2. Sublimated products. It is sold in jars or spiders, produced by low-temperature processing of meat or fish. There is only one danger - with a violation of technology, a pet may get an intestinal upset.
3. Chewing sticks and sausages. They contain about 20% meat and filler additives, can only serve as a treat or act as a dentifrice, mouth freshener. Usually they are hypoallergenic, may contain calcium, vitamins.
4. Baked snacks. Usually these are healthy products, similar in composition to dry food. Additionally, amino acids may be included to enhance the performance of the dog. One of the most high-calorie options.
5. Biscuits. Dog biscuits are as nutritious as cooked for humans. But here is lower in sugar and fat. It is worth choosing small biscuits so as not to exceed the calorie content of the diet.
6. Useful gelatin. They are produced in the form of stones, beneficially affect the condition of bones and teeth. Suitable for juniors and teens during teething.

Separately, it is worth mentioning product options when a delicious treat is hidden inside the toy. They are focused on service dogs, animal athletes, are used during training.

Who makes the best dog treats? In most cases, the production of delicious delicacies is located in Russia, but foreign brands are also found. It is worth considering all brands in more detail.

A German brand that produces super-premium products standardized according to EU standards. A clear leader in safety and product quality. On sale you can find branded meat-containing "bones", sausages made from natural raw materials, cookies and crackers of different sizes.

A Canadian company specializing in the production of freeze-dried treats of the holistic class. The composition does not contain preservatives, hazardous ingredients. The line of flavors is quite diverse.

An international concern with branches around the world. Treats for dogs meet the standards of super-premium class, GOST, European safety standards, do not contain dyes and preservatives, hypoallergenic. The brand has 14 varieties of products - penne and salami sausages, snacks (slices, balls, weights, rings), pits with a high calcium content. Both traditional types of meat are used - turkey, chicken, lamb, and exotic (quail, venison).

Domestic company offering unique goodies. Reindeer horns are being shipped to the market.

Russian brand of dog treats that does not use high-temperature processing - in case of improper storage of raw materials or finished product, cases of spoilage of treats can be detected. Among the products available for purchase are snacks, sausages, dried meat fibers, dried delicacies, pits and baked biscuits.

Brand with production in the Netherlands, Austria, Germany. Products do not contain GMOs and hazardous additives.

The Russian brand, offering products from fresh meat and offal. The choice is quite diverse, there is a straw from light, beef, rabbit and other types of meat. You can find more interesting options for treats - from meatballs to barbecue. The production process uses gentle sublimation technology that preserves the natural composition of the product, but heat treatment at low temperatures does not kill pathogens.

Products of the Mars concern are produced for the Russian Federation at the company's domestic plants. Among the offered treats you can find dog biscuits, sticks for brushing your teeth, bones. In terms of quality, brand products It is much inferior to analogues of premium rulers.

Chinese brand co-production with Canada. The company is positioning itself as a manufacturer of delicacies; natural dried pieces of shrimp, squid, salmon, rabbit and other rare types of meat are packaged in individual jars. A delicacy is worth a lot of money. But quality issues periodically arise.

French company with a representative office in the Russian Federation. Launches goodies for training. Treats for active dogs are also available.

The main criterion for choosing a treat is the age of the dog. For puppies of 2 months, the optimal solution would be to refuse any new dishes, except for the recommended diet. A three-month-old pet will appreciate small pieces of dried and not very salty cheese, finely chopped fresh vegetables and fruits.

Ready-made dog treats worth offering from 5-6 months. Dried straws are well suited to relieve itching during teething. Before buying a treat, you should consult a veterinarian.

The specificity of the breed, the presence of allergies, the individual propensities for poor digestion of certain foods - all these points are also worth remembering. For obese animals it is worth choosing a dietary incentive. Small breeds need to be treated “by the teeth” - the size of the pieces should allow the dog to chew them freely.

Preservatives are acceptable if it is glycerin or other safe ingredients. Do not buy treats flavored with BHT, BHA, propylene glycol.

Volumes of one serving of goodies should not exceed 10% of the daily diet. You should not buy large packages - after opening they can not be stored for a long time. In addition, the dog may be fed up with a monotonous encouragement. It is better to periodically offer your pet new tastes.

How to give a treat to a pet? It is worth following a number of certain rules.

1. Train using delicacies before evening feeding, on an empty stomach, not exceeding the recommended serving.
2. Use single doses of the minimum size. Top dressing should be enough literally for “one bite”.
3. Choose foods with minimal fat content. They are convenient to carry in your pocket, hold in the palm of your hand.
4. Do not use goodies for brushing your teeth without the prior approval of the veterinarian. It is better to choose small granules or sticks that are easy to crack. Soft toothpicks when swallowing large pieces can lead to bowel obstruction.
5. You can cook goodies yourself by baking them in the oven. To take is a scar, a liver, a heart. The product is cut into small pieces, subjected to heat treatment. You can also offer your pet dried sugar slices without sugar.
6. After reaching the daily caloric value, you should not go on about the dog. The next portion can be given only the next day.

Following all the recommendations, you can safely please your pet and not harm its health. Properly selected treats will allow you to diversify the dog’s diet, beneficially affect its success in training. The main thing is not to save, give preference to really high-quality and useful products.

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