The Best Natural Raw Treats for Dogs
Raw Dog Treats: Market Overview
A quick search on the internet in 2022 brings up conflicting advice on what to give your dog as a safe treat. There are so many products on the market, including dried treats such as dog biscuits, semi-moist, freeze-dried, or air-dried chews, alongside raw meat like our yummy sausages.
There are both mainstream and independent providers, selling packs of all sizes and almost all are advertising their 'natural' benefits, particularly the ones that come with a higher price tag, so it can be hard to sort the good stock from the bad.
Why Dried Treats Can Hide Nasties
Dried treats like dog biscuits and some chews might seem like an easy choice. They are less messy, easy to store, often come at a reasonable price and you don't have to search hard to find them in every supermarket.
Most of these claim to contain calcium and protein that are good for your dog's teeth and bones, but please read the label carefully. A dog's digestive system simply isn't designed for processed, refined foods so beware any manufacturers of dried food that add fillers, sugars and chemicals to their product.
Think: the general advice for humans is to stay away from processed foods, so why should it be any different for our beloved pups?
What Treats are the Best for Your Dog?
Wild at Heart
Remember that in the wild dogs join together to hunt for their meals, and wouldn't eat anything that has a high sugar content or is highly processed. It is hard for dogs to overeat on a natural diet as it meets all their nutritional requirements, and satiates them. That is why we recommend only natural dog treats.
Avoid The Unhealthiest Options
Anything processed, wheat-based or high in sugar should be avoided as your dog's digestive system cannot handle them, and these products don't have any added nutritional benefits.
What About Homemade Treats?
You can give your dog homemade treats but you must think about what a 'treat' means for a dog. Their digestive systems are different from ours. Biscuits for example are wheat-based and full of sugar, and chocolate is actually toxic to a dog!
Many dog owners assume that if something is good for a human, it must be for dogs- so just like chocolate, you must avoid grapes & raisins, cocao (nibs or powder), onions, garlic and chives, avacado (stones), corn, any sweetener containing xylitol and citrus fruits to name a few.
A Spoonful of Goodness
A natural, balanced diet will add the nutrients that are essential for dogs of all ages, so a raw treat is a great way to add nutrition, help build lean muscle and limit weight gain. We recommend giving dogs a spoonful of their normal Rawgeous meal or one of our tasty sausages as a treat.
Good Nutrition, Dog Treats and Training
Treat your Pup
As any good trainer knows your dog needs more than discipline and practice, they sometimes need a treat to reinforce good behavior and keep them on tip-top form.
A Natural Treat can help with Performance
A nourishing treat can help your dog train for two reasons. Firstly, you can rest assured that despite being high value, the treat is actually good for them and isn't doing and long-term harm like dried foods can. Secondly, raw dog treats work by boosting performance levels and can be used as a reinforcer when you first start training with your dog to reward good behaviour.
Can you Over Treat?
The short answer is yes! Reward your dog too much and it can lead to excess weight gain.
Obesity can threaten your dog's overall wellbeing just as it does with humans. In an ideal world, you should minimise the quantity as much as possible - as a rule of thumb that should be no more than 10% of their overall diet.
If you're struggling with how to portion your snacks, you can use a spoon to give your pup mini-feeds or, cut up some sausages for bite-sized snacks.
When you start training a dog you may need to keep offering them a treat repetitively to reinforce good behaviour, but as you progress you should find you can wean them off these as they perfect their technique.
The Health Benefits of Natural Dog Treats
Good Nutrition
Good nutrition is essential for all dogs, but it is especially important for puppies whilst they are still growing and developing and for dogs who are training. This applies not only to their main meals but to their treats. You want to ensure every bite they take is naturally packed with nutrients and free from additives, e-numbers and preservatives (yuk).
Raw Treats are Great For Teeth and Bones
We recommend raw dog treats packed full of high quality protein to keep them interested, focused and motivated and full of flavour to keep your dog coming back for more.
A 100% raw diet and natural treats will not only help keep your dog healthy, it can help to boost your dog's natural energy levels.
Why A Raw Diet is important for Your Dog's Health
Treat your Pet to 100% Raw
Raw dog treats can be fed as part of a total raw diet containing a variety of prime-quality meat. We recommend a 100% natural diet for your pet, filled with prime cuts of meat, a range of fresh vegetables, a blend of vitamins, probiotics and omega 3 oils, and totally free of shop bought processed products or dried kibble.
Quality Protein
Quality raw pet meals and raw dog treats like Rawgeous, have the best choice cuts of human grade, butchers-best meat and bones. It is important to choose premium products for your dogs to ensure they contain all the natural nutrients, enzymes and amino acids that your dog or puppy needs to help them stay healthy.
Clean, Shiny Teeth
Rawgeous raw dog food will help to clean your dogs teeth, keep their gums healthy and prevent tartar buildup. Alongside Rawgeous' complete meals and sausages, chewing raw bones will massage dogs gums and help strengthen the muscles in their jaw, unlike kibble which can clog up and damage teeth as it is often full of sugars and fillers.
Sign of Health
Within a few months of feeding raw natural goodness to your dogs, you'll notice a sign of better health. Raw really is the perfect treat. Although premium food can be more expensive, as a customer we hope you agree that you can't put a price on health.
You can read about all the raw dog food benefits here in our handy guide!
Rawgeous: The Highest Quality Raw Dog Treats
As a pet owner, you only want the best reward for your furry friend. You provide them with the best food, shelter, and love that you can. So why not add the best natural treats too?
Rawgeous has a range of sausages that are ideal for your dog's teeth and bones. Take our advice and get them into your shopping basket today.
The Rawgeous Range
Our easy-to-eat variety of 42g sausages are the perfect treat for your pet; the only supplies you need to get in your cupboard, to use when you're limited on time.
Our customers agree that our raw dog treats are great products with many benefits for your dog's health and the perfect way to provide a healthy snack and keep your dog fit. Not only are our sausages packed with nutrients and full of flavour, but they also help keep your dog's teeth and bones healthy.
Perfect raw dog treats to add to your shopping list in 2022!