Safely Feeding Natural Treats

Safety Guide Natural Treats Dog

Natural treats are a delicious option for your dog to enjoy as a complement to their main food. However, as with all things your dog puts in their mouth, we recommend following some safety precautions to ensure they enjoy their treats safely.

Retriever eating natural treats.

Treats should always be given under supervision

Hard chews are great for avid chewers as they can last a long time. However, they can stain furniture as they mix with your dog’s saliva. Your dog may also snap pieces off that are sharp or too large for them to safely swallow and digest. If your dog has any dental injuries, hard chews may make these worse.
If you hear snapping or sudden crunching when your dog is eating a chew, check if they have broken the chew. If a piece has come off, immediately check both the piece and main chew are still safe for your pet.
If your dog doesn’t tend to chew food, and is likely to swallow hard pieces whole, hard chews will not be the best treat for them.

Westie eating natural treat.

Treats should be stored correctly

Natural treats, like all foods, need to be stored correctly to avoid anything mixing with them that doesn’t agree with your pet. When you get your treats home, store them in a cool dry place out of direct sunlight. If you prefer to put them loose in a container, ensure the container is cleaned with a gentle soap weekly.
Most dogs can’t read, so don’t know how to store their treats if they want to save them for later. If your dog buries their treat in the garden, it’s best not to let them continue to eat it. Garden bugs, like slugs, can carry disease and common gardening products like fertilisers and weed killers are not good for dogs. If you want to save your dog’s chew for later, and it is still safe for your pet to chew, you can keep it in a cool place like the fridge, or freeze it. If putting it in the fridge, it’s best to dry it first and keep it in a container away from other food. If your dog doesn’t finish it after 4 days, dispose of the chew and give them a fresh one. If you choose to freeze it, the chew cannot be refrozen. Frozen chews can be harder and more likely to crack.
We all want our dogs to remain a happy, healthy size. Treats should not make up more than 10% of their calorie intake. All that chewing can make them thirsty too so they should always have access to fresh, clean water and somewhere to go to the toilet.