Read this before you buy new treats for your small Tibetan Mastiff puppies and want them to be healthy.
What are the best healthy treats for puppies?
For small-sized dogs, a healthy treat needs to be small enough to fit their tiny mouths and teeth. Besides their size, you should also consider your Mastiff puppies age when choosing the best treats to feed them. Also consider the nutritional value of the treat, and whether it is certified organic.
Providing they are small enough for their mouths, some treats are okay for puppies of all ages, generally speaking.
Blue Wilderness All-Natural Chicken Jerkies
One seemingly (!) good example is all-natural chicken jerkies from Blue Wilderness Trail Treats. These jerkies are made from high-quality chicken – no mysterious chicken by-products – and they contain no chemicals and no artificial additives, such as flavors or colors.
However, are they really healthy, or do they mostly LOOK healthy on the package?
The treats do contain sugar, which is a no-no. And when studying the package, it is hard for me to see exactly how much sugar is in it!? 1% or 45%? (Why even add sugar in dog food?! And why add sugar to chicken?! Of everything else you could use instead…)
I begin to sniff marketing manipulation… but cannot tell for sure yet…
All-Natural vs. Organic Chicken Jerkies
Looking more closely, I can see that the chicken is not organic, and I cannot see if it is human grade or feed grade chicken? (Probably feed grade. If it was human grade they would likely show that with big letters on the package.)
Please double-check this in Thixton’s Petsumer Report, or ask the manufacturer (and “hope” you get an honest and well informed answer, if you get an answer at all).
Zuke's Beef Recipe Treats
What about Zuke’s Hip Action Beef Recipe treats? These treats are not necessarily for puppies only, but also for older dogs, but let’s investigate them anyways. They are tender, natural treats with nutrients such as chondroitin and glucosamine that support joint health and dog’s mobility. It contains no corn, wheat, or soy.
Wow, at a first glance this looks good! But…
… at a second glance, I would not feel fully confident feeding this to a Mastiff puppy.
For example, look at the top 5 ingredients: Beef, Rice, Oats, Malted Barley Extract, Maple Flavored Syryp. Why serve maple syrup to a dog? Why so much rice, oats, and syrup to a carnivore animal?
The manufacturer’s “guaranteed analysis” shows 9% crude protein. Isn’t that interesting? The main ingredient is beef and yet the protein is just 9%? As far as I know, raw beef contains over 20% proteins and dried beef contains far more proteins than that. What does that tell us?
Is it certified organic? No. Is it human grade or feed grade? Likely feed grade, but I cannot tell by just looking at the package. So no, a picky consumer like me wouldn’t serve this to a TIbetan Mastiff puppy, or any other dog.
Organic Raw Paw Dried Treats And VOM Treats
A much healthier alternative is the Swedish certified organic Raw Paw treats. Or the Norwegian certified organic VOM treats. If you find anything commercial of higher quality than both these, hat off for you!
However, both these treats are not something a consumer in the USA, Australia, or elsewhere outside of Scandinavia can easily buy with a few mouse-clicks.
So, it seems that extreme commercial greed and manipulation is still ruling on the US pet market. At the cost of your dog’s well-being.
What treats should I give my Mastiff puppy?
Pick a puppy treat that’s soft enough for your pup’s developing teeth, and make sure that it is organic and free from artificial ingredients that could harm its young tummy.
Some say that soft-baked treats are a good option for puppies because they’re easy on their teeth.
Other claim that you’ll feel “safe” giving your pooch a vegan, soft-baked, rewarding treat, such as Applenoon Delight’s.
Ok, let’s investigate if that is true.
Applenoon Delight's Treats - Good Or Bad?
When looking at the Applenoon Delight Soft-baked dog treats I see that they are (partially) made with upcycled ingredients. This reduces food waste and greenhouse gas emissions: every six bags of this product equals one pound of food rescued.
Well, that’s ok for the environment in general (great!), but means no poop whatsoever for your dog’s health.
So, is it certified organic? No. Human grade or feed grade? I cannot see whether it is human grade.
Top six ingredients: Sunflower meal, apple pomace, potato, flaxseed meal, coconut glycerin, glucose syrup.
Sunflower as a first ingredient? I have no idea how they processed it. Probably not in a way that optimizes your dog’s health, but again, I do not know for sure.
I look at the great customer reviews, but the comments are about whether their dogs love eating the treats. That doesn’t guarantee that the treats are truly healthy. The dogs loving them is one thing. Whether the treats are healthy is something else.
Please investigate this before you buy, if you truly care about your doggie’s long-term health.
Freeze-dried Treats For Mastiff Puppies
Freeze-dried treats are generally fine for puppies. They’re small enough, easy to chew and keep most of their ingredients flavor. They require no refrigeration to keep them fresh and are healthier than many traditional treats.
Some mention that Vital Essential Freeze-Dried Minnows is a “popular and healthy” treat that drives puppies crazy when they smell the morsel scent.
Really? Let’s check this up.
Vital Essential Freeze-Dried Minnows - Good or Bad For Your TM Puppy?
It has one single ingredient: Fish (Minnows). Except for being non-organic and non-human grade, this treat looks rather healthy, at a first glance. It looks like it has zero additives and fillers. Not the best treat in the world, but I actually would feel almost ok (not perfect, but ok) with serving this to a T Mastiff puppy.
However, I would first consult the Petsumer Report to check that it has written proof of quality and origin.
What about jerky bites? Pups of all breeds love these puppy-sized treats because they’re chewy.
Jerkies serve both as a tool for training and as a solid snack.
The good thing about them is that, if they’re too big for your pup, you can easily break them into smaller pieces.
Newman's Own Jerky Bites For Puppies
Newman’s Own claims to offer jerky treats and snack bites that your bestie will love. And all the profits are donated to charity, so you will be helping other people while rewarding your pooch with a tasty treat.
This sounds weird. How can they run a business with zero profits? Do we have another false pet food claim here?
So, let’s check Newman’s Own. Does it live up to an acceptable standard?
After 3 seconds, the webpage shows an annoying pop-up that makes me want to leave immediately. But I stay, to write this article for you.
Top 5 products are Chicken, Chickpeas, Cane Molasses, Sweet Potato, and Coconut Glycerin. Not organic, and they make it very clear it is not for human consumption.
Seems to be feed grade rather whan human grade? Yet, the ingredient list is remarkably short, which is a good sign.
So, this product would be worth investigating further. Check written certifications of origin and content, and thereafter make a final decision: in the end, would you buy it?
Future will tell. Again, stay updated with the petsumerreport.com. It is one of extremely few sources you can actually trust for healthy pet foods.
What flour is best for dog treats?
Many commercial treats are made with flour, and if you plan to bake treats for your pooch by yourself, then you may want to add some limited amount of healthy flour to the mix. It’s just a matter of knowing which one is best for a dog’s diet.
None of the flours you can find in a grocery store are highly dangerous for your dog. But some are healthier than others.
Consider the nutritional value each one has, in order to pick the most adequate to bake healthy dog treats.
Natural, Wholesome Unprocessed Flour For Dog Treats Without Gluten
In general, wholesome, natural flours are better. That’s why white flour, which is highly processed, is not the best option. Besides, it has little nutritional value.
Setting aside white flour, whole-wheat flour is the easiest to find. It contains a protein called gluten, which is problematic if your pooch is allergic to it or can’t digest grain.
You can tell if your dog has gluten sensitivity if it shows some signs, such as chronic ear infections, weight loss, frequent diarrhea, and constant chewing of paws.
After consulting your vet, you can try eliminating all gluten sources from its food, and see if those health conditions stop.
You can use other kinds of flours you can use to make healthy treats for your dogs like brown rice flour, oat flour, quinoa flour, and chickpea flour. Organic is almost always healthier than non-organic.
What human food can you give TM puppies?
Human food that is organic, and rich on proteins and essential fatty acids work well for your dog. If it is not organic, at least make sure that the human food for your dog is free from GMOs (genetic-modified organisms).
A small slice of organic bread is not the absolute best choice, but a simple treat that is always at hand to sometimes reward your small pooch. It should be plain bread, with no raisins and no spices.
It’s better if the bread is made with a whole organic flour, which improves its nutritional value. On the other hand, regular, white bread has little nutritional value and elevates the calorie and carbohydrate count unnecessarily.
Homemade Human Food For A Puppy
When considering human food to feed your dog, homemade is usually better (if assuming you made it accurately for your dog’s nutritional needs). Most commercial non-organic human food at the grocery store contains preservatives and chemicals that are not favorable for your dog’s health.
Organic diary, such as cheese and milk, are okay to feed a small dog and puppy, if in moderate quantities.
You just need to be cautious in case your pet turns out to be lactose-intolerant. This condition’s common symptoms are bloating, abdominal sensitivity, vomiting, diarrhea, and drinking excessive amounts of water.
These Ingredients Should Not Be In Treats For Tibetan Mastiff Puppies
– Corn syrup: Though it’s not toxic, it is GMO and contains a lot of processed sugar, which is absolutely not recommended for dogs.
– Sugar alcohols (such as Xylitol): They are extremely toxic for dogs.
– Brewer’s rice: it sounds like whole grain, but it is a cheap carbohydrate source often used in low-quality foods.
– Propylene glycol: You can find this substance in “pet-safe” antifreeze products, but it poses a risk to pets if they ingest it.
– Vegetable oil: As well as bacon, butter, and grease, most of them cause more damage than good to your pet.
Avoid feeding your barking friend any treat that contains excessive salt, artificial colors or flavors, or is treated with chemicals.
Learn To Read The Dog Food Label
To help your Tibetan Mastiff to a healthier life, learn to read the ingredient lists without getting too fooled (watch video below).
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