My friend Marcia at Liberty Home And Pet Services posted this the other day and I found it fascinating. I am always reading and hearing how bad excess sugar is for our bodies and its ill effects on our human bodies. I was disappointed with food manufactures for sneaking sugar in under over 50 different names and buying their way out of food nutrition fact labels by omitting the % of daily requirements of sugar so that you have no clue of how much sugar you are ingesting. But hat disappointment turned to anger when I found it was also being sneaked into dog treats!
If you were making your own dog treats, using the freshest and most wholesome, healthy ingredients like Top Dog Kitchen makes, would you ever consider dumping sugar into the mix? Of course not. So why, then, do a number of the most popular dog treats on the market contain high amounts of sugar? Because dogs love it.
Dr. Ernie Ward, founder of the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention listed what he calls “The Dirty Dozen,” the 12 most popular sugary dog treats that should be avoided. Pet parents should be aware of what they’re feeding their pets, understand ingredient labels, and to avoid treats that masquerade as healthy and nutritious while silently contributing to the obesity epidemic.
“Numerous studies in rats demonstrate that overfeeding sugar can create symptoms similar to drug addiction. A dog’s daily sweet treat may be contributing to overeating and other undesirable behaviors. This is why I call today’s high-sugar treats ‘kibble crack.’” Still, pet treat manufacturers blame pet owners. They are, after all, the ones that purchase and feed the sugary treats.
So, Dr. Ward listed what he calls “The Dirty Dozen,” the 12 most popular sugary dog treats that should be avoided. Pet parents should be aware of what they’re feeding their pets, understand ingredient labels, and to avoid treats that masquerade as healthy and nutritious while silently contributing to the obesity epidemic.
His goal is to help pet parents to be more aware of what they’re feeding their pets. “Pet owners definitely have a feeding disorder when it comes to their pets. Ultimately it’s up to each owner to control how much they feed their pets. What I want to bring attention to is what ingredients are in pet treats – and why. Pet owners must begin to question why there is sugar in a treat that claims to help teeth,” he said.
Dr. Ward’s Dirty Dozen – Popular Sugary Pet Treats
Pet Treat |
Added Sugar |
Canine CarryOuts Chew-lotta |
Dextrose first ingredient |
Snausages SnawSomes! Beef and Chicken Flavor |
Sugars 3 of first 4 ingredients |
Pedigree Jumbone Mini Snack Food for Small Dogs |
Sugars 2 of 3 first ingredient |
Petrodex Dental Treats for Cats |
Dextrose second ingredient |
Pedigree Jumbone |
Sugar third ingredient |
Milk Bone Essentials Plus Oral Care |
Sugar third ingredient |
Pup-Peroni Lean Beef Recipe |
Sugar third ingredient |
Science Diet Simple Essentials Treats Training Adult Treats with Real Beef |
Sugar third ingredient |
Cesar Softies Dog Treats |
Sugar third ingredient |
Milk-Bone Chewy Chicken Drumsticks |
Sugar third ingredient |
Meow Mix Moist Cat Treats |
Corn syrup fourth ingredient |
Pedigree Marrobone |
Sugar third ingredient |
Other common sugar-containing treats according to Dr. Ernie Ward:
Pedigree Jumbone – Sugar third ingredient
Beneful Snackin’ Slices – Sugar fourth ingredient
Pit’r Pat Fresh Breath Mint Flavored Cat Treats – Maltodextrin first ingredient
Three Dog Bakery Lick ‘n Crunch – Dextrose third ingredient
Beneful Snackin Slices – Sugar fourth ingredient
Busy Chewnola – Maltodextrin second ingredient
Exclusively Dog Vanilla Flavor Sandwich Creme Dog Cookies – Sugars first two ingredients
Canine Carryouts Dog Treats – Corn syrup second ingredient
For more information, visit www.PetObesityPrevention.com or www.DrErnieWard.com.