Healthy pet treats

Pets love treats, so why not treat them with nutritious snacks? Healthy nibbles can be baked, mashed, steamed, given raw and even cut up into smaller pieces.

Dogs can smell a treat from over 20 yards away and get a pretty good idea of the main ingredients, so here's some tips for snacks that can keep your pet happy and healthy.

Carrots

Keep some carrot sticks handy for an on-the-go treat. You can even cook them and mash into your dog’s usual dinner for a sweet and healthy option, or freeze them in the warmer months. They even naturally clean their teeth!

Tuna

Cats and dogs both love tuna. You can mix boiled rice with it as an alternative or bake the tuna into balls for a fun treat. You could also use another dry unsalted fish for a similar taste.

Frozen snacks

Freezing meat juices into ice cubes seems to be a popular treat for our Co-op community pets. Frozen nibbles are a great way to keep your pet cool, but be careful when giving them ice cubs as they could obstruct their throat.

You can also try frozen peas, bananas or sardines. Keep a bag of them in the freezer for a quick fresh treat.

Other fruits and veggies

Peppers, pumpkin, cauliflower, cabbage and apples are also great choices. Mix and match your healthy treats with other fruits and veggies, but check what's best for them as not all are suitable. Healthy snacks should be part of your pets normal eating routine and not additional food. If you are feeding them treats, then you make their other meals smaller.

Ingredients and information

When choosing a treat, keep in mind that your pet has a different stomach to a human so our snacks aren’t necessarily good for them. When deciding how much they should eat, always take into account their age, weight and shape as well as veterinary advice.

Remember that pets have allergies too. Chocolate is poisonous to dogs and some fruits and veggies are not suitable. It's also good to chop treats into small pieces to avoid choking and keep them handy when outdoors.