Pet Treats: Rewarding Your Pet Can Be a Risk to Their Health

As most pet owners know, one of the best things about owning pets is that we get to spoil them. We just want to make our pets happy, and it makes us happy, too! Although rewarding pets with treats comes from a place of love, most treats can pose a great danger to the health and well being of our dogs and cats.

The pet food industry is very loosely regulated.For instance, did you know that according to the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), when it comes to pet food and treats it is acceptable to use the 4 D's (dead, dying, diseased, and disabled livestock)? Also, according to the definitions outlined by AAFCO (The Association of American Feed Control) it is deemed acceptable to utilize roadkill, rendered farm animals, and euthanized pets in the production of pet products?

Before I go further, let me clarify that I am not a vet, nor do I consider myself an animal nutritionist. I have however, studied under a nutritionist, and have done my own research on the issue.

As a pet health food store owner, I have seen pet treats and food being the direct cause of many health problems. I have found it to be a daunting task staying on top of the treat industry with it changing as much as it does, and because of this, I have even began making my own dog treats. Things like itchy skin, paw licking, gas, weight gain, bad breath, and tear stains are usually caused by improper nutrition.

A common reaction by pet owners to such problems is to make an appointment with the vet, and we all know how expensive that can be. What many people don't know is that these issues can be curbed by providing pets with high quality, safe, and biologically appropriate food and treats.

One of the first steps in knowing what treats are safe is to take a look at the ingredient list. Some ingredients to avoid are ANY:

• Corn (90% of all corn is GMO-Genetically Modified Organism, meaning the DNA of the product has been altered on a molecular level essentially changing it's genetic make-up; very little research  has been done on the side effects of such products).
• Soy (toxic to animals and most soy produced is GMO and grown in China).
• Canola (GMO and is suitable for using as bio-diesel).
• By-products could be poultry litter (swept off the floor of chicken coops), feathers, feet, or fetal pigs to name a few sources of by-products.
• Wheat (an allergen for dogs and cats).
• The word "animal" (unspecified animal meaning it would not be labeled chicken, or beef it just says "animal" and this could be roadkill, or even euthanized pets). 

Furthermore, it is always a good idea to check where the ingredients are sourced from. Many manufacturers will claim their treats are "Made in the USA" which is extremely misleading. It does not mean the ingredients came from the U.S.

They can ship ingredients from China, manufacture a product here in the United States, and label it made in the USA just to make the consumer feel better about purchasing their product. This is why it is so important to know what the labels are actually telling you. Outsourcing ingredients from China is a common factor in many recalls involving pet treats.

Recently there have been numerous complaints involving chicken jerky treats imported from China that are making dogs sick and even dying. Another example is last years pig ear recall involving imported ears from China, causing many pets to become sick. With that being said, you should always check the brands of treats you use for any recalls. A few great resources to do this are:

• The FDA website
• The Truth About Pet Food
• The Pet Food List on Facebook

For some pet owners, being aware of what is in pet treats is necessary due to pet allergies. The most common allergens in treats are corn, wheat, and even brewers yeast (made from beer waste, and known to cause ear infections). Dogs and cats are carnivores and were not designed to process grains. When shopping for treats look for grain free varieties which are more biologically appropriate for both cats and dogs. Instead of grains, they will have ingredients like buckwheat, quinoa, or potato flour which can be digested much easier.

Some things I keep in mind when shopping for treats:

• Check for unfavorable ingredients.
• Where are the ingredients sourced from, never buy treats sourced from China. Canada has some of the highest quality pet food and treats available.
• Are they mass produced (manufactured in a facility that produces multiple  products, essentially lowering the quality and possibly cross contaminating your treats).
• Has the product been recalled, or does the company/manufacturer have a history of recalls.

It can be pretty overwhelming at first, once you start to realize what really goes into your pets treats. It will get easier as you become more familiar with what to avoid and your pet will appreciate you taking the extra time to find something truly safe and tasty for them to enjoy!

Christina Kirkwood is a co-owner of on West Street. For more about , visit the business website or follow them on Facebook.