Feet, ears and everything in-between!

Lets talk; Natural Treats

What is a natural dog treat?

Natural dog treats are products which are made from real ingredients with no artificial additives, flavourings, preservatives or fillers. They are perfect to give a tasty reward whilst also being beneficial to your dog's health! Unlike most treats on the market which may contain synthetic or unknown ingredients, natural treats focus on quality of products as well as the nutritional benefit. 

Natural treats often consist of meat, fish, or plant-based proteins which are essential for the development of muscle and the energy levels of your dog. They may also contain things such as healthy fruits and vegetables, which provide vitamins, minerals and fibre which helps support digestive health and the immune system. Lastly, by avoiding any artificial colours, additives, flavourings or preservatives, this means there is a way lower chance of triggering any allergic reactions and other health issues caused by bad diets!

• Meat-based treats - these are a common favourite among most dogs due to their rich flavours and high protein content 

  • Jerky which is dehydrated meat, these are protein packed and great in big pieces as a snack or broken into smaller bites to be used in training. Often available in single proteins too

  • Freeze-dried treats maintain their nutritional value but offer a more crunchy texture for the dog, freeze dried offal treats are great, or freeze dried fishy treats. A personal favourite for my dog are freeze dried quail egg yolks! The options are endless!

• Vegetable and fruit treats - an alternative to meat based treats, they are often lower in calories but higher in sugars, whilst still being packed with healthy vitamins and fats

  • Sweet potato chews are rich in fibre and vitamins, however only feed these if you know your dog is not sensitive to yeast/prone to yeasty issues!

  • Fruit biscuits are treats made with things such as pumpkin, apple, blueberries, and bananas. These are antioxidants and often grain-free

• Dental treats - these offer a dual purpose, something yummy whilst also supporting oral health (none of these are an alternative to frequent brushing)

  • Rawhide alternatives are a great option, rawhide is a no go for dogs, it is chemically treated and not fully digestible so it can cause intestinal blockages and general yummy problems. However you can often find ones which contain things like sweet potato or chicken and may help to reduce plaque and tartar build up

  • Dried treats are things such as dried chicken feet, or dried rabbit ears, these are generally more of a crunchy texture and can help to keep teeth clean whilst offering a less common treat to your pup.

Benefits of natural treats

Natural treats offer a range of benefits, I will summarise them in bullet points here the best I can!

• Easily Digested - natural, whole ingredients are generally a lot easier for a dog's stomach to digest, and also mean more nutrients are absorbed! These together will massively reduce the likelihood of any gastrointestinal issues

• Coat and Skin - natural treats are often high in omega-3 and omega-6, these fatty acids can help to maintain a super shiny, healthy coat. Also because you know all of the ingredients, you can also eliminate skin conditions such as yeasty skin or allergy related dermatitis because you can avoid trigger foods

• Weight Management - natural treats are generally lower in calories and fats due to them not being packed with additives or bulking agents, this means they can help with dogs who are prone to weight gain (including post surgery when some dogs need a reduction in their meal allowance)

• Better Taste - dogs often prefer these treats as they taste how they are supposed to! They don't have chicken flavouring, they are chicken!

• Natural dewormers - treats with hair on them such as hairy rabbit ears, can actually help with worms. Let's dive a bit deeper. Hairy rabbit ears are a great source of digestive enzymes and fibres which can help to eliminate parasites from the dogs body. Think of a pipe cleaner, as the hairy rabbit ear travels through the body the furry fibres can help scrape along the intestinal walls moving them out of the body. Hairy rabbit ears also contain chitin (a structural polysaccharide composed of chains of modified glucose), which helps eliminate parasites from the digestive system, it binds to the parasites and prevents them from clinging to the intestinal walls. (NOTE - you still need to be doing frequent worm testing regardless of your method of deworming)

Not all natural treats are equal - age appropriate treats

Natural dog treats are suitable to be given from 8 weeks generally, however it is important you use your brain and look at the dog in front of you. An 8 week old Yorkshire Terrier puppy should not be offered the same treats as an 8 week old Sr Bernard puppy.

Puppies (8 weeks to 1 year)

Your main focuses at this age will be training, growing and gentle digestion. Let's get into it.

• Training - things such as 100% single protein dried meat cubes, 100% meat natural pate such as JR or drool.

• Growing - something like freeze dried liver is packed full of protein to help with growing puppies, or blueberry based treats as these are full of antioxidants and vitamins to support pups immune system.

• Gentle digestion - single protein treats are perfect to aid digestion in sensitive little tummies. Pumpkin based treats also tend to be quite gentle on the stomach, pair this with a bland protein like chicken or turkey and these would be ideal.

Adult dogs (1-7 years)

In adult dogs you generally won’t need to focus as much on training or growth and you might have even figured out their favourite proteins by this stage! Instead you will probably be focusing on some daily rewards e.g. if you leave them maybe you leave some treats, or an evening treat etc. you will also want to ensure you are offering some sort of dental treats and giving them an active lifestyle

• Daily rewards - if you leave your dog alone you may want to leave them with a Kong or some sort of lick mat or slow feeder. I will be doing a blog on fillings for these so keep an eye! But for now you could fill them with things such as bone broth, 100% pumpkin paste, 100% plain yoghurt, berries and even some of the dogs daily allowance of food.

• Dental health - treats which are a bit larger that make your dog chew can really help, things such as chicken feet for a smaller dog, or stuffed tracheas (bonus if they are frozen and stuffed with things such as parsley to help promote dental health!)

• Active lifestyle - by this age, as long as there are no underlying health issues, your dog should be living an active lifestyle. Through this you can incorporate small treats still in training such as the 100% meat cubes I mentioned for puppies, or again something like jr pate.

Senior dogs (7+ years)

In senior dogs your main focuses will be joint support, general health support and dental care. You want to keep up the good work you have put in since they were a puppy and not give up just because they're older now and have mastered the puppy dog eyes when you eat your burger!

• Joint support - just like us, older dogs are prone to joint related issues, whilst this is something we can think of throughout every life stage it becomes increasingly important in older dogs. Things such as 100% fish cubes are fantastic sources of omegas for the joints, also things such as chicken feet are high in glucosamine which is another fantastic option when keeping joints in mind!

• General support - general health support doesn't stop just because they're older now! We still want to focus on generic health and wellness, training, as well as longer lasting chews are still fantastic options for older dogs (older dogs with less teeth may need softer treats rather than hard chews).

• Dental care - so many dogs end up with dental issues in their adult and senior lives and these are almost all preventable. Although the best dental care is brushing your dogs teeth there are definitely treats that can help you out! Dogs who already have dental issues may need softer chews if they have lost teeth but losing teeth doesn't mean you give up, if anything it makes it even more important to focus on it! Still things like trachea, stuffed with healthy bits such as parsley for fresh breath!

Recommendations

• Mersey Raw - A personal favourite of mine, but I may be biased as I raw feed so also use them for their minces! However this is about treats so back to it. They offer a variety of treats from small training cubes to bigger strips, or rabbit ears with fur! They also stock some broth and kefir products which can be great for a warm day! https://www.merseyraw.com/gattsusgrub (this is an affiliate link if you use it we do receive a small percentage as commission. This doesn't cost you any extra but would mean the world to us! You can use our code GATTSUSGRUB for 15% off your first 2 orders)

• Country Barn - Country barn are a newer company for us, they sell food and accessories but we're here to talk treats! They have a range of treats from general yummy treats to targeted treats e.g. they have turkey dental bites which have specific ingredients to help with dental health! https://www.countrybarn.co.uk/?ref=gattsusgrub (this is an affiliate link if you use it we do receive a small percentage as commission. This doesn't cost you any extra but it would mean the world to us! You can use our code COUNTRY10 for 10% off your order!)

• JR Pet Products - Another fantastic option for natural treats! JR offer longer lasting treats such as pizzle, as well as the pate which I mention in a few of the sections above!

• Get NAW - another great brand who offer every dried treat you could think of, they even have a handy quiz on their website where you can answer questions about your dog and their preferences and they can point you in the right direction of treats they might love!

• The Spoilt Doggo - this is a smaller ran business and they offer such a great host of treats! Their website is super easy to get around on, you can choose to buy some natural treats yourself or look at their fun boxes already put together! They also currently have their spring/easter items which look so cute!

• Drool Pet Products - A bit like Mersey I mentioned above Drool do sell raw food, but they also have a great host of natural treats on offer! They have training treats, some longer lasting chew treats and also pate!

• Anco Dog Treats - My dog is a personal lover of ANCO as they offer camel treats which are some of the only ones he will eat! He is super fussy so to have this as an option for him is fantastic. They have a great website where you can filter by protein, type of treat etc.

• Frozzies - I am sure we have all heard of or seen Frozzies out and about, they sell doggy ice creams! Perfect for those warm summer days whilst you enjoy your Mr Whippy, your pup can enjoy a delicious frozen yoghurt! They do offer other options such as regular yoghurt and a few treat choices too!

• Embark - I absolutely love the range embark offer, I feel like every time I see someone post and tag them its a new treat or meal topper that I have never seen before! They not only offer healthy natural treats but they will definitely make your dogs bowl Instagram worthy!

References

The Ultimate Natural Dog Treats Guide | The Stately Hound (Natural Dog Treats UK: The Complete Guide to Healthy Canine Snacking)[2025]

What Are Natural Dog Treats? A Comprehensive Guide for Pet Owners | Houndsy (What Are Natural Dog Treats? A Comprehensive Guide for Pet Owners) [March 18th 2025]

Did you know.... Natural treats can be used as dewormers! – Sunday & Dollys Natural Dog Treats (Did you know… Natural treats can be used as dewormers!) [June 12th 2023]

Chitin - Definition, Function, Structure and Examples | Biology Dictionary (Chitin)[April 28th 2017]