Single-Ingredient Dog Treats: Why Fewer Ingredients Matter

Flip over most bags of dog treats and you'll find a long list: meat, then flour, glycerin, sugar, salt, preservatives and flavorings. Single-ingredient treats skip all of that. What's on the front of the bag is the only thing inside.

What is a single-ingredient treat?

Exactly what it sounds like: one food, nothing added. Our dehydrated chicken breast treats are just USDA Grade A chicken breast, dried until crunchy. No fillers, no vegetable glycerin, no sugar, no salt.

Why fewer ingredients can help

• You know exactly what your dog is eating. If your dog has a sensitive stomach or itchy skin, vets often suggest keeping the diet simple so it's easier to spot what's causing trouble. A treat with one ingredient doesn't add any mystery extras.
• No added sugar or salt. Dogs don't need either, and a lot of treats use them to make cheap ingredients taste better.
• Easy to break up. Dehydrated chicken snaps into small pieces, so one strip can become several training rewards.
• Works for cats too. Plain chicken is a treat most cats are happy to accept.

If your dog is on a special diet or you're working through a food allergy with your vet, check with them before adding any new treat, even a simple one.

How many treats can I give my dog?

Veterinarians commonly recommend that treats make up no more than 10% of your dog's daily calories, with the other 90% coming from their regular balanced food. So a dog that eats 700 calories a day can have about 70 calories of treats.

Our chicken treats have about 88 calories per ounce, so for that dog, a little under an ounce a day is the upper limit. For small dogs and cats, a few small pieces is plenty. Break them up and the bag lasts longer too.

What to look for on the label

• The ingredient list. For a single-ingredient treat, it should be one item. If you see "chicken" followed by a list of other things, it's not single-ingredient.
• Where it's made. Our treats are made in the USA and hand packed in California.
• The guaranteed analysis. Plain chicken breast treats are high in protein and low in fat. Ours are at least 79% crude protein.

Why it takes so much chicken

Dehydrating removes the water, which is why the treats stay crunchy and keep well. It also means it takes about 24 ounces of raw chicken breast to make one 6 oz bag of our treats.

Try them

Our single-ingredient chicken breast treats work for training, everyday rewards, or as a topper on your dog's regular food. One ingredient, made in the USA, and dogs and cats both love them.

Sources: UC Davis Veterinary Medicine: treat guidelines for dogs; Chewy: limited ingredient diets.