What's Actually in Your Dog's Store-Bought Treats?
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Most people read labels on their own food. We check for saturated fat, added sugar, mystery preservatives. When did we stop doing that for our dogs?
Commercial dog treats are a $6 billion industry. A lot of that money goes into marketing words like "natural," "wholesome," and "real meat" on packaging that, if you flip it over and actually read the ingredient list, tells a very different story.
Common additives worth knowing about
BHA and BHT are synthetic antioxidants used to prevent fats from going rancid. They're approved by the FDA for use in pet food, but they're also listed as possible carcinogens by some agencies. They extend shelf life significantly — which is why manufacturers use them.
Propylene glycol keeps semi-moist treats soft and chewy. It's generally considered safe for dogs in small amounts, but it's a petroleum derivative that serves no nutritional purpose.
Artificial colors like Red 40, Yellow 5, and Blue 2 appear in many commercial treats. Dogs can't see the color difference anyway. These additives serve human aesthetics, not canine nutrition.
Ethoxyquin is a chemical preservative that was originally developed as a pesticide. It's been restricted in some countries' pet food and remains controversial.
Labels that sound better than they are
"Meat by-products" can mean organs, which are actually nutritious, or it can mean much less desirable material. The term is deliberately broad.
"Natural flavors" is nearly meaningless in regulatory terms. It doesn't require the flavor to come from a recognizable whole food.
"With real chicken" means chicken is an ingredient — not that it's the first or main ingredient.
What a clean label actually looks like
A genuinely clean treat label has a short ingredient list — ideally fewer than 10 items — made up of things you recognize as food. Oat flour. Peanut butter. Sweet potato. Blueberries. Chia seeds. If you can visualize every ingredient as an actual food, you're in good shape.
The freshness advantage of homemade treats is directly relevant here: because baked-at-home treats don't need to survive a distribution chain and months on a shelf, they don't need preservatives at all.
What's in every Scratch Treats kit
Our full ingredient list for each kit is on our ingredients page. Every ingredient is named, explained, and there for a reason: oat flour, rolled oats, chia seeds, golden flax seeds, parsley, and a flavor-specific ingredient. That's it. Nothing you can't pronounce. Nothing you'd hesitate to feed.
If you're new to baking at home, our beginner's guide to baking homemade dog treats covers everything you need to get started.
