Dog Food Made in China?
There has been a lot of press and information circulating around pet food ingredients that are sourced from China, particularly chicken. Thousands of dog owners have reported strange illnesses and even deaths after their dogs have consumed products that have ingredients that come from China. Although reports have shown that even after inspecting suspected sources, the FDA cannot definitively pin point that China is the cause. Many large retailers have announced that they will no longer carry dog treats that are made this way, which directly address the concerns of their customers. Yay!
This is why we decided to write this post about Natural and healthy treats for your dogs. It’s a trend in the right direction, as you can never lose with natural and healthy ingredients. So here we go…
Let’s review 5 of the most popular natural and healthy dog treats for your pet
Let’s face it. We want natural and healthy treats to give our pups, but we don’t all have the “Betty Crocker-ness” in us to do them from scratch or the time to shop around and figure out which are the best. So we thought we’d put together a list of five for you to take a look at.
Fruitables Dog Treats – 4 PAWS Rating!
The most common concern when it comes to dog food and treats is: where is it made? Fruitables Pet Foods snacks are sourced and made in the USA. On their website they state that they are 100% natural, selected organic ingredients, nothing artificial, healthy and calorie smart! They are free of grains, corn and soy, and contain no artificial colors, artificial ingredients, or preservatives. Hence, they are 100% natural and delicious as well. The size of the snack is great too! They are small enough to use as a training aid, and not too large as to add unwanted calories to your dog’s diet. They also come in a variety of flavors: We are reviewing the crunchy treats and they are available in crispy bacon apple, pumpkin blueberry, pumpkin apple, pumpkin banana, sweet potato apple, and pumpkin cranberry. Sounds so delicious I could eat them myself!
Positive comments:
- Organic ingredients, healthy, natural
- Dogs love them
- Great size for training
- Lots of flavors to choose from
- Low in calories
- Dog’s favorite treat
Negative comments:
- Some dogs didn’t like the taste
- One owner thought they were too hard
Additional Comments:
Fruitables makes a variety of textures as well. There are Greek Yogurt Crunchers, Chewy, Jerky, and Chewy Skinny Minis. Overall these treats were rated very well and well received by pups and owners alike!
Where to buy
![PetCareRX](http://<a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=btS6BafDHnE&offerid=291847.41726&type=2&murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.petcarerx.com%2Ffruitables-dog-treats-pumpkin-apple%2F26751"><IMG border=0 src="https://cdn.petcarerx.com/img/PrdImg/408x408/26751_001_xl.jpg" ></a><IMG border=0 width=1 height=1 src="https://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=btS6BafDHnE&bids=291847.41726&type=2&subid=0" >){kind=link}
Merrick Power Bites – 4 PAWS Rating!
To be honest, I am very impressed by Merrick’s chefs and recipe creators. All of the flavors and different kinds of treats they offer sound amazing, even for us humans! The flavors like real beef and real chicken makes it sound tempting, so you know you’ll want to pick up some of these for your dog.
Product description
- All-Natural Quality Ingredients
- Made in the USA
- Grain Free + Gluten Free
- No Corn, Soy, or Wheat
- Great Tasting
Positive Comments:
- Taste. The most common review point on Merrick Power Bites is the taste. Most dogs absolutely love these! Now let’s not assume the fact that your Fido does not have discriminating taste buds, but the reality is that there is no guarantee that your dog will love it (manufacturer’s product guarantee aside, we’re talking figuratively here) Love, love, love! Hopefully your pup will be in the jolly majority after feeding him these treats!
- Smell. Another popular review comment is the smell. Or should we say, the tempting aroma of these tasty morsels! Most people say they smell great, smell yummy, don’t smell like other dog treats. Makes me wonder if most dog treats’ scent comes from the filler ingredients, but let’s leave that for another post, shall we?
- Ingredients. Made in the USA, no corn, no soy, no wheat. And heavens, none of the ingredients come from China which again has been a topic of concern for many dog owners.
Negative Comments
- There really weren’t any. Of course all dogs have their own particular tastes and not every dog will love everything, but I didn’t see any to share with you.
Additional comments:
Buckle up kids, here are all of Merrick’s flavors for Power Bites – there are 7!
- Big Bites Real Beef
- Big Bites Real Chicken
- Power Bites Chicken
- Power Bites Real Rabbit + Sweet Potato
- Power Bites Real Salmon
- Power Bites Texas Beef
- Power Bites Turducken
Where to buy:
Amazon Walmart
Zuke’s Mini Naturals – 3 PAWS Rating!
Product description
Training is a natural part of the dog/owner relationship, and a tasty reward is a very good incentive for the pet to continue doing well. Zuke’s Mini Naturals are the perfect small size treat for training, so you can keep each and every activity fun and nutritional at the same time! Zuke’s are made in the USA and use the best ingredients like protein-rich meat, wholefood berries, savory herbs and No corn, No soy and No wheat. Feeding your dog the best ingredients is crucial to keep your pup healthy and active for many years to come!
Positive Comments:
- Less than 3 calories per treat
- Soft and the small size is convenient
- Yummy, dogs love them
- Great for training and putting in your pocket
- Great choice in flavors
- Love that they are made in the USA, contain no wheat, soy or corn
- Healthy treat for your pet
Negative Comments:
- Have to keep the bag closed tight because they dry out fast
- Size was too big for their puppy but too small to try to break it up
Additional Comments:
Zuke’s Naturals come in a variety of flavors and textures. There are mini, tiny, and puppy naturals. Also Crunchy naturals comes in yogurt and honey, peanut butter and berries, and berry flavor. They even have selections with beef from New Zealand! We gave Zuke’s a 3 PAW rating because a common complaint was that they dry out if you don’t close the bag tightly. I keep my treats in a separate jar so I don’t have that problem. Please visit our price/product page for side by side comparisons!
Where to buy:
![PetCareRX](http://<a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=btS6BafDHnE&offerid=291847.45487&type=2&murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.petcarerx.com%2Fzukes-jerky-naturals-formula-treats%2F29094"><IMG border=0 src="https://cdn.petcarerx.com/img/PrdImg/408x408/29094_001_xl.jpg" ></a><IMG border=0 width=1 height=1 src="https://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=btS6BafDHnE&bids=291847.45487&type=2&subid=0" >){kind=link}
Blue Wilderness Trail Treats Biscuits – 4 PAWS Rating!
Product description
This company, simply called “Blue” has a great motto. Love them like family, feed them like family. We love our dogs and treat them like they are a part of our family, so it makes sense that the food and treats we give them are made of healthy and wholesome ingredients, so they can live a long and happy life with us. Inspired by the diet of Wolves, Blue Wilderness is a protein rich, grain free food that contains more of the delicious meats that dogs love. Their food and treats are categorized by your dog’s life stage, Puppy, Adult or Senior products are choices that make sense for every doggy family. The treats are made with no preservatives, no artificial ingredients, colors or flavors. They use high quality protein sources and also contain Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids.
Positive Comments:
- Made in the USA
- Ingredients sourced in the USA
- No wheat, soy or corn ingredients
- Dogs LOVE these snacks
- They use real meat products in the snacks, not fake
Negative Comments:
- Expensive
- Can make it myself for less
- Pieces are too small, sometimes come crumbled in the bag
Additional Comments:
It seems everyone is looking for that perfect solution in one product and that cannot be the case for the majority of the time. These treats (and dog food) are made from real food, made in the USA, don’t have any additives or artificial anything. It is a high quality product. However, everything comes at a price. High quality demands a higher price, conversely, a low price will deliver a less than quality product so it all depends on what you want and what your budget will allow. Overall we found Blue Wilderness to be an excellent company with healthy, wholesome treats your dog will love, and you will love giving them to him!
Where to buy:
![PetcareRX](http://<a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=btS6BafDHnE&offerid=291847.40653&type=2&murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.petcarerx.com%2Fblue-buffalo-wilderness-turkey-biscuits%2F26073"><IMG border=0 src="https://cdn.petcarerx.com/img/PrdImg/408x408/26073_001_xl.jpg" ></a><IMG border=0 width=1 height=1 src="https://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=btS6BafDHnE&bids=291847.40653&type=2&subid=0" >){kind=link}
Hills Ideal Balance Baked Naturals – 3 PAWS Rating
From the makers of Science Diet and Prescription Diet come dog treats that are healthy, good tasting and nutritious for your pet! Made from all natural ingredients, real meat and real vegetables, Hill’s Ideal Balance Baked Naturals sounds yummy enough for us to snack on with their tempting ingredients like Chicken and Carrots, Beef and Sweet potatoes, and Duck & Pumpkin treats. Let’s take a look at some of the features and benefits of these wonderful doggie snacks.
Product description
Hill’s brand is the parent company of Ideal Balance Baked Naturals and their slogan is “Clinically proven nutrition that can transform your pet’s life.” That’s a powerful statement and you gotta love a company that feels as passionate about your pets as you do. For the duck flavor, they use REAL duck as the #1 ingredient. That’s great! I like knowing that there is protein and not a lot of fillers. Also, there is no wheat, soy or corn in the ingredients and never any added artificial preservatives, color or flavor. If humans ate this way we’d eradicate cancer…but that story is for another day.
Positive Comments:
- Low salt treats for dogs. Love it that salt is listed on the ingredients list
- Nice and soft, great for older dogs and easy to break up and give with medications
- Dogs love the flavors. Since meat is the main ingredient, dogs eagerly eat them up
- No grains, corn or soy is a feature that many customers are happy about
- Doesn’t upset dog’s tummy
- Taste great, dogs love them
Negative Comments:
- One common negative comment I found was that randomly the treats are stale when the bag is first opened. I think this is a shipping defect and can easily be resolved by returning the product and ask for a replacement. The number of negative reviews was negligible compared to the positive.
Additional Comments:
All in all I think these treats are yummy and dogs love them. Majority of the comments I’ve found were positive and indicated they would buy the treats again.Hill’s is the parent company and are the creators of Science Diet, so it seems they are keenly focused on proper nutrition for your dog. Their food is designed with the age of your pet and also addresses health issues such as joint issues, weight issues, kidney, digestive problems as well as skin and food sensitivities. Overall I think Hills is a great brand and recommend you try their treats for your pup!
Where to buy:
Conclusion
There is a lot of information out there and a lot of companies that provide nutritious treats for our furry little friends. When we take the time to do a little research on the kinds of foods we are feeding our pets, we contribute to their longevity just as we do for the rest of our loved ones. Healthy and nutritious food is available, you just have to do some research into the food and treats to find one that best suits your dog.
6 Comments
Thank you so much for this post! My kids and I were just talking about getting out dog some new treats and I was hesitant to but any of the ones that are regularly advertised such as the bacon dog treats or pup-eroni. From what I understand those are not as beneficial a the ones you posted about. This has given me a better insight and placed to go and get what I am looking for!
Hey Alicia! I’m so glad I could be of help to you and your family. Just like humans, dogs need healthy treats to put into their bodies so they can be happy and healthy to live with us for a long, long time. My dogs love the Fruitables and Zuke’s Mini Naturals because I have one old dog and 2 small dogs so these treats are suitable for them all.
Thanks again for the feedback! Please come back and see us again soon!
Aloha
This is very informative article about healthy dog foods. I don’t have a dog. But I do plan to get one in the future. I have a friend that loves dogs. I will get this information over to her. I like how you list the pros and cons of each product. That was very helpful information to have before making a decision to buy a product. Thank you so much for sharing. Keep up with the good work.
Hey Hong! Thanks so much for your feedback. I appreciate you taking the time to leave me a comment as I am just starting to build out my blog and feedback from my readers is very valuable in helping me to bring relevant content to them.
Please come back and visit again soon, and I’ll do the same for you. Have a blessed day! Aloha
I’m glad the retailers are actually doing something about consumers concerns. I think my dog would like some of these. Are they okay for small dogs? I have a shi tzu.
I chose to review these treats because they seemed the most liked by the majority of people. If your dog is small and young, the crunchy treats would be ok. But if she is older, she may like the softer ones better. Or if you want to use it as a training tool, the soft ones are easier to break apart and offer as a reward. Dogs love treats (who doesn’t!) but too many unnecessary calories are not good as they may cause your dog to gain too much excess weight. So breaking them apart and offering small bits are a good way to give a reward and not too many calories. You might choose to get them from Amazon because their return policy is very generous (in case she doesn’t like the taste.) Good luck! I hope she likes her new treats!