Are these treats ok?

bluejelly

Hi,

I give my labs a daily treat when I leave for work which they love but I'm wondering if they are considered ok or not. Not sure if I can mention the name so I will just list the ingredients:

Cereals min 4%, meat & animal derivatives, protein 27.5%, moisture 12%, crude ash 7%, oils fats 5%, crude fibre 2%.

I would appreciate people's thoughts.

Thanks

maggiepip

The ingredients are a bit vague and wouldn't be top notch at all, what type of cereal, meat/protien etc? At least theres no sugar! You're allowed say the name of them.

dazed+confused

This isn't the BBC, feel free to mention the name.

IMHO treas are fine as long as they are largely based on a good quality dog food.

bluejelly

Pointer sticks (lamb & rice, chicken & rice) and I also get the pointer bone shaped biscuits which are gluten free or at least they used to be, must check the packaging again.

It does mention various sugars as an ingredient also.

Ashbx

Don't quote me but as the odd treat, they will do no harm at all. They are not the most healthiest (a easy guide is meat should always be listed first as an ingredients and preferably not meat derivatives). But in moderation would be fine! However, a lot of these treats are VERY high in fat so just be careful of that.

The likes of Dentastix are full of calories. I give my dogs rice cakes (I have to dip it in peanut butter for my collie - obviously a fussy eater!) or carrots and they are happy out. I give them kongs for an extra special treat!

tk123

Ashbx wrote: »

Don't quote me but as the odd treat, they will do no harm at all. They are not the most healthiest (a easy guide is meat should always be listed first as an ingredients and preferably not meat derivatives). But in moderation would be fine! However, a lot of these treats are VERY high in fat so just be careful of that.
!

+1 Is a treat once a day not their diet full-time. We got free cup cakes in work today - are they super healthy...no... but it's a TREAT!

Ashbx

tk123 wrote: »

+1 Is a treat once a day not their diet full-time. We got free cup cakes in work today - are they super healthy...no... but it's a TREAT!

Of course! But if you have ever owned an overweight dog, you will know what damage just one treat a day makes! One of my dogs was over weight and she was lucky if she got a treat once a week.

If the OP gives the same sort of food as their full time diet (i.e. with 4% meat derivatives etc. e.g. pedigree chum) then no, its not healthy at all so a daily treat on top of that would not be good for the dog. Hence my suggestions of healthy treats.

Ashbx

tk123 wrote: »

+1 Is a treat once a day not their diet full-time. We got free cup cakes in work today - are they super healthy...no... but it's a TREAT!

However, I wouldn't mind a full time diet of cupcakes mind you!

VonVix

Personally? Looking at the ingredients I wouldn't give that to my dogs. The ingredients aren't clear at all. I like to know most of what I'm feeding my boys.

muddypaws

Treats don't need to have a high percentage of meat, I give my dogs sweet potato, carrots etc as treats. They also get frozen yogurts in the summer, mixed with peanut butter, honey etc. There is a growing market of home baked dog treats, which contain very little, or no meat at all. Treats are fine to give, as long as you deduct that value from their meals, so they don't get overweight.

bluejelly

Thanks for the responses. She gets half a stick a day which comes out of her daily allowance. She is not overweight at all, recently at the vet and he said she was in excellent shape with a great coat. I have tried carrots and other veg but she won't eat them. I make my own biscuits for her too and she gets frozen yoghurt mixed with peanut butter or banana etc in her kong. Her main diet is gain elite nuts, boiled chicken or tuna etc. now obviously she doesn't get all of these together but I care very much what my dogs eat hence my post (1 is only a pup so she is on a limited diet). The pointer sticks are the only items I have my doubts about but your responses have made me definitely decide now to cut them out. Thanks!

mymo

Try getting sweet potato and slice it about half an inch thick, spray with olive oil and roast in a low temp oven or in the bottom of oven, until they get leathery.
Mine go nuts for them!

maggiepip

Or get a whole carrot and cut out small deep holes all over it, stuff the holes with something like pate or cheese, they love trying to chomp their way through to the tasty bits. Keeps them busy for a little while too!

Tranceypoo

mymo wrote: »

Try getting sweet potato and slice it about half an inch thick, spray with olive oil and roast in a low temp oven or in the bottom of oven, until they get leathery.
Mine go nuts for them!

maggiepip wrote: »

Or get a whole carrot and cut out small deep holes all over it, stuff the holes with something like pate or cheese, they love trying to chomp their way through to the tasty bits. Keeps them busy for a little while too!

Going to try both of these myself! Usually I'd give raw carrot, older dog will eat anything, miss fussy doesn't like veg, there's some good healthy treats in pet shops too, got some fishy ones the other week, 100% dried fish stick things, they absolutely honk but the mutts go mad for them!

tk123

Tranceypoo wrote: »

miss fussy doesn't like veg,

I have a dehydrator and would do sweet potato, carrot, apple, green beans etc. My friend's dog who would bark at her for her cheek of feeding that to him raw/cooked LOVES it dehydrated!! I always put some aside for her in a bag when I make them - last time she left them in the press and he managed to open the press and steal the whole bag when she had her back turned!! :pac:

I do give healthy/free stuff but I do give small biscuits and stuff like Zukes treats to them too - the Zukes ingredients are clean enough no soy, wheat etc etc the other's mightn't be the healthiest choice but one or two a day won't hurt them and they're both fine weight wise.

bluejelly

I'm going to try the sweet potatoe & stuffed carrot too. I feed my dogs better than myself! Haven't heard of a dehydrator but will google it now. Great ideas!

maggiepip

bluejelly wrote: »

I'm going to try the sweet potatoe & stuffed carrot too. I feed my dogs better than myself! Haven't heard of a dehydrator but will google it now. Great ideas!

Lol same here, dogs definitely eat healthier than we do.

bluejelly

Just an update to say the sweet potatoes are going down very well! I tried carrots stuffed with pate too & at first I thought it had done the trick as she was munching right into it but only to the pate bits, rest of carrot was left in pieces! Pointer sticks are no more, I have been making more homemade biscuits, i just need to figure out how to make them more crunchy than chewy!
Anyway thanks for the tips, I'm happier to have her on healthy treats only now.

mymo

I've made sardine biscuits for the dogs, they went nuts for them, I think it was just a can of sardines in oil, some parsley, and rice flour (ground rice).

Will look it up, also did cheesy bics and cookies with sweet potato, for the sweet potato ones I roasted them, them mashed with a bit of rice flour and coconut oil.

Both my dogs and my friends dogs loved them, we gave some to my friend for her dogs birthday, warning though, friends husband nearly ate one as my daughter used cookie cutters to make animal shapes and wrapped them up with a bow!

tk123

I've done meat ones too - if you had a nonstick sheet I'd say they'd work in the oven too. I take some lean mince like turkey or rabbit, add some veg and sometimes garlic/rosemary and mix it with a hand blender..then take spoons of it between two pieces of cling film to get it really think and dry it. They go mad for it!! You might need to turn it half way depending on how thick they are.

mymo

Just had a look at my notes, the sardine biscuits were
1 tin of sardines in oil
Some (sorry I don't measure) parsley (fresh smells better)
Rice flour and oats, half of each, about 2 mugs
Should be sticky but not wet, bit like human cookies.

Cheesy ones were oats, riceflour, half tub of soft cheese (cheap philideldia knock off), grated strong cheese and little Parmesan on top.

I'm sorry I just try stuff and write down results, but each mix should be like the consistency of human cookies. Add a bit of whatever you need to get it right.

Dogs aren't fussy

Edit: consulted the chef (daughter) as notes were messy, it's 1 slash 2 tubs, not 1/2 as in half as I thought!
Sorry, also cheesy ones goes like moist breadcrumbs, you squeeze them into balls, roll in your hand and flatten.

Fafasmurf

I use the Lidl Orlando treats. I've two Boxers and a wee JRT and they LOVE them.

They get one going to bed and when I say one, I mean one strip divided into three wee bits because I know it's not exactly the healthiest thing to give them.

My oldest Boxer has a very very sensitive tummy and any other treats... Jumbone, pick and mix in the pet shop etc.. makes her ill.

bluejelly

Mymo, I'm going to try those cheesy biscuits......sounds like something they will love. I made bacon & cheese biscuits last night & my pup nearly had kittens trying to get at the mix!!

I tried Supervalu for rice flour this evening but they didn't have it.

mymo

bluejelly wrote: »

Mymo, I'm going to try those cheesy biscuits......sounds like something they will love. I made bacon & cheese biscuits last night & my pup nearly had kittens trying to get at the mix!!

I tried Supervalu for rice flour this evening but they didn't have it.

I got it in Tesco I think, Dunnes and supervalu do gluten free flour, that works too, but is more expensive.
We tasted cheesy biscuits, they were nice