Kibble Crack - The Dirty Dozen

We know that sugary pet treats are bad. When pet treats first started out, there wasn't any sugar added as an ingredient. As large companies began vying for shelf space, two factors became universally important - cheap ingredients and that dogs love them. One of the ways large manufacturers found out they could solve both problems was to use sugar or corn syrup. These in themselves are a cheap ingredient, but dogs have a sweet tooth, and lots of sugar meant that you didn't have to really worry about adding anything else they might want, like peanut butter or liver.

Dr. Ernie Ward, pet expert for WebMD writes

"What I want to bring attention to is what ingredients are in pet treats – and why. Pet owners must begin to question why there is sugar in a treat that claims to help teeth.” Following the trend of sugar-laden children’s snacks, pet treat manufacturers are tapping into a dog’s sweet tooth to boost sales. “One of the key reasons I became involved with fighting pet obesity was when I began seeing sugar added to pet treats. I think if more pet owners were aware of this, they may choose their treats more carefully.” says veterinarian Dr. Ernie Ward, founder of the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) and author of “Chow Hounds: Why Our Dogs Are Getting Fatter – A Vet’s Plan to Save Their Lives” (2010 HCI). “When you have popular treats such as Snausages SnawSomes that list sugars as three of the first four ingredients, you know there’s a problem.”

And the problem is huge. APOP estimates that 45% of US dogs and 58% of cats are too heavy. That equals an estimated 89 million pets that are at high risk for developing conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure and more.

Ward says the problem is linked to money – lots of it. With US pet treat sales estimated to be nearly $2 billion in 2010, the treat bowl has turned golden. “Sugar is incredibly attractive to dogs. If a dog gobbles a treat quickly, an owner is more likely to give another – and another. This adds up to more sales – and profits. In the race for pet treat profits, our pets’ health is being bankrupted.”

Ward also contends that added sugar has behavioral consequences. “Numerous studies in rats demonstrate that overfeeding sugar can create symptoms similar to drug addiction. A dog’s daily sweet treat may be contributing to overeating and other undesirable behaviors. This is why I call today’s high-sugar treats ‘kibble crack.’”

Dr. Ward has compiled a list of "The Dirty Dozen" = sugar pet treats you should avoid and why:

1. Canine CarryOuts Chew-lotta Dextrose first ingredient
2. Snausages SnawSomes! Beef and Chicken Flavor Sugars 3 of first 4 ingredients
3. Pedigree Jumbone Mini Snack Food for Small Dogs Sugars 2 of 3 first ingredient
4. Petrodex Dental Treats for Cats Dextrose second ingredient
5. Pedigree Jumbone Sugar third ingredient
6. Milk Bone Essentials Plus Oral Care Sugar third ingredient
7. Pup-Peroni Lean Beef Recipe Sugar third ingredient
8. Science Diet Simple Essentials Treats Training Adult Treats with Real Beef Sugar third ingredient
9. Cesar Softies Dog Treats Sugar third ingredient
10. Milk-Bone Chewy Chicken Drumsticks Sugar third ingredient
11. Meow Mix Moist Cat Treats Corn syrup fourth ingredient
12. Pedigree Marrobone Sugar third ingredient

Other common sugar-containing treats according to Dr. Ernie Ward:

• Beneful Snackin’ Slices – Sugar fourth ingredient
• Pit’r Pat Fresh Breath Mint Flavored Cat Treats – Maltodextrin first ingredient
• Three Dog Bakery Lick ‘n Crunch – Dextrose third ingredient
• Beneful Snackin Slices – Sugar fourth ingredient
• Busy Chewnola – Maltodextrin second ingredient
• Exclusively Dog Vanilla Flavor Sandwich Creme Dog Cookies – Sugars first two ingredients
• Canine Carryouts Dog Treats – Corn syrup second ingredient

You can read Dr. Wards full article here.

I know I don't really need to do this, but here is the ingredient statement from one of our most popular treats - Where is the sugar? There isn't any. I can't really put it any better than Dr. Ward. This has been one of our founding principles since we opened the bakery in 2006. I also completely agree with Dr. Ward - READ THE INGREDIENT STATEMENTS!

Bacon and Egg Piglets - Ingredients: Whole Wheat Flour, Oats, Water, Whey, Pork Fat, Bacon, Egg, Cheese, Yeast, Baking Powder, Garlic.