Following on from our previous article where we looked at natural dog treats for puppies and younger dogs, we are now looking at treats that would be suitable for those of us with dogs in their middle to later years.
Many of us are guilty of feeding treats, such as gravy bones, from convenience shops. These are not good for dogs as they are essentially carbs that are simply sprayed with fat to make them more appealing to dogs. A great alternative to these are our Nurturing by Nature dried meat treats, which are small pieces of pure dried beef. They are 100% meat and contain no grains or cereals. They are also small enough that you can feed them at regular intervals throughout the day without over feeding your four legged friends.
The next natural dog treat we are looking at are the cow hooves. This type of treat is a more time consuming treat that will keep their attention. However, these are not advisable for stronger chewing dogs due to the risk of them breaking in to pieces are potentially damaging the mouth or throat areas.
If you have a breed such as a French Bull Dog or Pug that have wider mouths but small throats, then a treat we mentioned in the previous blog, the dried pig’s noses natural dog treats, are ideal. Again, they take slightly longer to chew and don’t suffer from breaking into harmful shaped pieces that could hurt your pet.
Hairy cows ears are the next treat that are great for older dogs. They are a relatively easy chew so they aren’t too troubling on teeth and gums, but the fact they have hair on them acts as a filter as they pass through the digestive system cleansing the gut of troubling parasites.
For all dogs whether they be young or old that have allergies, a great natural dog treat are the Norwegian fish treats. They are hypoallergenic, packed full of Omega 3 and 6 and come in a variety of sizes, so you can buy the ones that are best suited to your dog. Again they contain zero grains, cereals or fillers. They are purely 100% air dried Whitefish.
Older dogs often start to have issues with their teeth and gums. If this is the case with your beloved companion then easier chews are suggested. A good natural dog treat that it easier to chew but is packed full of flavour are Stinky Sticks. They are essentially dried tripe sticks that are known to soften the tartar that can build up on your dog’s teeth to aid cleaning.
If however, Stinky Sticks are not a favourite with your older dogs then a best seller here at Nurturing by Nature are the range of JR’s Patѐs. They come in a wide range of flavours and are easy to break up into smaller pieces. They are also soft and easily digested making them ideal for the older generation of dogs. The patѐs are great for stuffing into previously emptied marrow bones as well.
Ultimately, as we mentioned previously every dog is different, so it’s a case of finding out what works best for your dog but also to remember to account for any treats when looking at the daily food intake so you don’t accidentally over feed your beloved companion.
If you are unsure of where to start then you could always give us a call, or if you are local, pop into one of our shops where we would be delighted to help you make the right choice for your pet.
Checkout our full range of natural dog treats here.