Natural Dog Treats vs Processed

May 21, 2025

Understanding the difference between natural dog treats and processed dog treats can be a game changer for your dog's health. While processed treats may be convenient for you, they often lack in nutrients that your pup truly needs for a healthy, balanced diet.

In this post, we'll explore seven reasons to switch to natural dog treats. A smarter, healthier choice! Read more to find out:

The Difference Between Natural and Processed Dog Treats
Are Natural Dog Treats Good for your dog?
The Benefits of Natural Dog Treats:
Our verdict
Our favourite natural dog treats

The difference between Natural Dog Treats and Processed Dog Treats

Natural dog treats are made from whole ingredients like meat, vegetables and fruits, with minimal processing to retain their natural nutrients. So, processed dog treats are the opposite, often containing artificial additives, preservatives, fillers and other junk that may reduce their nutrition value.

We manufacture most of our dog treats, and the process includes slowly air drying or cooking them to preserve their nutrient dense qualities, while processed treats undergo high heat extrusion, which can strip away essential nutrients.

Understanding these differences is crucial for your dog's health, as natural treats offer so many more health benefits than processed treats.

Are Natural Dog Treats good for your dog?

They couldn't be better for your dog! Natural dog treats are packed with nutrient-dense ingredients like real meat, fruits and vegetables, making them a smart choice for your furry friend. Unlike processed treats, natural options avoid artificial ingredients that may effect your dog's health over time.

Not only do they offer so many health benefits, they also support your dog's natural chewing instinct which is great for mental stimulation, stress relief and jaw strength. By choosing natural, you're making a conscious decision to support your dogs long term health and overall well being. Let's dive into why they're good for you.

The benefits of natural dog treats

1. Protein Rich

Natural dog treats are typically high in protein because they are a single ingredient chew, nothing added, nothing removed. It's like giving your dog a piece of meat, such as chicken breast: very high in protein, low in carbs and fats. But why is protein important for dogs? Protein supports healthy muscle development, fuels a strong immune system, and overall body function. It also helps to maintain a shiny coat and healthy skin, while providing energy, especially for those active or growing dogs. Choosing high protein dog treats over processed dog treats is a simple way to elevate your dog's everyday health.

2. Dog Allergies

As mentioned earlier, natural treats are usually a single ingredient chew, which means that they aren't full of junk, fillers and additives that can upset your dog's stomach. They are typically easier to digest, and ideal for dogs with sensitivities or allergies. Also, when you go to buy your dog treats, you don't want to be scanning ingredient labels trying to spot hidden nasties, you want to know (and should know) exactly what you are feeding your dog. Fewer ingredients = fewer triggers, making natural dog treats a smart, wholesome option for supporting digestive health and overall wellbeing.

3. Improved Dental Health

Natural dog treats help to reduce the buildup of plaque and tartar while supporting fresher breath and long term dental health. Crunchy and chewy treats like roast knuckle bones, Beef Tripe Sticks, or Rabbit Ears act like a natural toothbrush, by gently scraping the teeth and stimulating saliva production, which naturally cleans the mouth. Feeding your dog highly processed treats can do the opposite. The artificial preservatives and sticky textures can actually contribute to your dog's decay. That's why choosing natural dog treats isn't just about taste, it's about protecting your dog's smile.

4. Joint Care Support

Treats that are naturally high in glucosamine and chondroitin support joint health without relying on synthetic additives. These nutrients naturally occur in treats like pigs ears, chicken feet, and beef trachea helping to maintain cartilage, reduce inflammation, and keep your dog moving comfortably and happy. Processed treats on the other hand, rely on artificial ingredients and empty calories, offering little to no joint support and contributing to weight gain, which can strain your dogs joints further and lead to long-term discomfort.

5. Better for Overall Health

Natural dog treats offer clean energy that supports your dogs immune system and long term health. With fewer ingredients, and fewer allergens, they're a safer, healthier way to treat your furry friend. They offer so many health benefits like joint health, dental health, natural worming and many more. While single ingredient dog treats like pigs ears and rabbit ears don't contain probiotics, their simplicity and digestibility help support gut health by reducing common irritants and promoting cleaner digestion.

Our Verdict: Natural Treats are the only option

While some processed dog treats offer convenience and longer shelf life, they often come with artificial ingredients, fillers and empty calories that do very little for your dog's health and may even cause harm over time.

Whereas natural treats are made from real, nutrient dense ingredients that support everything from joint care and dental health to digestion and a shiny coat. Most of our treats also have a shelf life of 12-18 months, sometimes even 24 months. For parents who care about long term health, natural treats aren't just the better choice, they're the only choice.

Our Favourite Natural Dog Treats:

You can shop our natural dog treats with free next day delivery and 10% off your first order- all you need to do is sign up to our newsletter here. Stuck on what to treat your dog? Try our current best sellers and our top picks:

Still unsure on what to feed your dog? Check out our top 10 recommended treats for your dog.

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