Can I give my dog a “Naughty” Easter Treat?
Most of the time I write about supplementing your dog’s diet with something that is REALLY GOOD for them, that is, a meat-based treat.
But I DO UNDERSTAND that when you are sitting on the lounge enjoying a chocolate treat while your dog is giving you a desperate and deprived look, it can be hard to be strict!
My two top suggestions for special ‘once-in-a-while’ treats that a) won’t harm your dog and b) have a small benefit to their health are:
Carob Button Treats
Carob button treats are the perfect chocolate substitute for your dog. No longer do you have to feel bad about eating chocolate in front of them and knowing you can’t give them any.
Chocolate (cocoa) is toxic to dogs because it contains theobromine – NONE OF OUR TREATS USE CHOCOLATE! While it might take a fair amount of chocolate to get a dog very unwell, getting them used to eating any chocolate risks the chance they will eat a block while you are away and get very sick.
You don’t want to train them on the scent of chocolate with those very powerful nose abilities. AND really, you don’t want your dog having any toxin that you can avoid.
But your dog CAN enjoy the smooth sweet, SAFE taste of carob.
The carob used in dog treats is extracted from the carob bean that grows on the carob tree. A little flowering shrub. The bean is ground down into brown powder and used for the bulk of the treat will providing natural flavour and sweetness. Carob has a sweet taste, but also has vitamins A, B, and D and minerals: calcium, magnesium, iron and potassium. The button also has a small amount of plant protein (like its pea cousin).
Carob used in this dog treat also has fibre and pectin (a soluble fibre which also has a sugar acid derived from galactose) and good for flushing toxins from the body.
These buttons are typically only 15 mm diameter with the centre about 5 mm tall. They are soft and easy for ANY dog to eat. This means that you get many individual buttons even in the small packs. NOTE, over the last ten years (EST. 2011) that we have been selling treats, the buttons have changed shape and colour slightly .. but the ingredients have remained essentially the same. The simpler the better.
Yoghurt Drop Treats
Our Yoghurt drops treats contain real yoghurt and have lactose removed so the dog can enjoy the smooth milky taste.
Yoghurt provides dogs with good bacteria. Our yoghurt drops contain yoghurt powder that has a sufficient level of good bacteria to make the treat beneficial to your dog. We understand the importance of lactose free milk for dogs and cats as a calcium source.
We use only lactose-free yoghurt and ensure that there is no added milk powder that has lactose in it, since most dogs and cats have a bad digestion reaction to the lactose sugar (milk from cows).
The reason we stand by our yoghurt drops as being the healthiest in the industry is that we ONLY makes dog treats. We study it – we live it!!
Could you make your own yoghurt dog treats?
The problem is that many yoghurt dog treat recipes are written like a yoghurt treat for a human, with no understanding or real care of dog nutrition. Unfortunately, they are predominantly written by marketers who have never researched dog nutrition, saying things like, “add 4 cups of yoghurt (flavoured or plain, non-fat if needed).”
They can include way too much sugar and other things that humans tolerate better than dogs.
When random yoghurt dog treat recipes say something like, “flavoured or plain, non-fat if needed” they don’t understand that the yoghurt flavouring can harm some dogs, and plain yoghurt can contain lactose. Plus, a dog requires a certain level of fat in its diet, so low-fat can actually be bad for many dogs.
So, while you could make your own yoghurt treats, we have perfected a recipe with the best mix of quality ingredients. If there is an ingredient in the product, it’s there because it’s necessary.
Our products have the bare minimum ingredients to reduce any possible allergies and side effects.
In summary, if you are looking for great ‘once-in-a-while’ treats for your beloved dog then Carob Button Treats and Yoghurt Drop Treats should be your top two for sure.
Happy Easter to EVERYONE!