Dog Treat Ingredient Guide
What's Actually In Dog Treats?
A guide to understanding what you're really feeding your dog.
The pet treat industry has a transparency problem. "All natural" claims are everywhere, but ingredient lists tell a different story. This guide breaks down what's actually in most dog treats, and what you should be looking for instead.
The "All Natural" Problem
Here's what "all natural" can legally include:
Dextrose - Pure sugar
Glycerin - Sugar alcohol
Powdered Cellulose - Wood pulp used as filler
"Natural Flavour" - Chemically synthesised in labs (despite the "natural" label)
"Preservative" - Completely unspecified chemicals
Guar Gum - Highly processed thickener
Rice Malt Syrup - Concentrated sugar disguised as "organic"
All of these can appear in treats labelled "100% natural."
Protein Sources: What They Don't Tell You
What Sounds Good (But Isn't)
Chicken Meal
Rendered parts including beaks, feet, and feathers. Not actual chicken meat.
Meat By Products
Organs, bones, and parts deemed unfit for human consumption.
"Poultry" or "Meat"
Vague labelling means they're hiding the source. If it was quality, they'd name it specifically.
What Actually Is Good
Named whole meats - "Chicken," "Beef," "Lamb" (not meal, not by products)
Eggs - Complete protein, easily digestible
Organ meats from named sources - "Chicken liver" not just "liver"
The Filler Problem
Common fillers that add bulk but little nutrition:
Corn, Wheat, Soy
Cheap, common allergens, used to bulk up treats
Potato Starch
Filler with minimal nutritional value
Tapioca
Another filler masquerading as a wholesome ingredient
The test: If the first 3 ingredients are grains or starches, you're buying filler with a bit of protein added.
Preservatives: The Hidden Chemicals
Artificial Preservatives (Avoid These)
BHA, BHT, Ethoxyquin
Synthetic preservatives linked to health concerns
Propylene Glycol
Used in antifreeze. Also used in some dog treats. Think about that.
"Preservative"
If they won't name it, there's a reason
Natural Preservatives (Better Options)
Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E)
Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C)
Rosemary Extract
These work, but many brands still choose cheaper chemicals instead.
What "Natural Flavour" Really Means
The pet food industry's favourite loophole.
"Natural flavour" sounds wholesome. It's not. These are chemical compounds synthesised in laboratories to make low quality ingredients taste good.
Real food doesn't need "natural flavour" added. If banana is in the ingredients, it should taste like banana. If it needs "natural banana flavour" added, you need to wonder about the quality of the bananas.
Sugar By Any Other Name
Ways brands hide sugar in treats:
- Dextrose
- Glucose
- Fructose
- Corn syrup
- Rice malt syrup
- Molasses
- Honey (in excess)
- Cane sugar
- "Organic" cane sugar (still sugar)
Dogs don't need added sugar. If it's there, it's to mask poor quality ingredients.
The Label Reading Test
Good ingredient list looks like:
- 5-15 ingredients maximum
- You recognise every single one
- Specific named proteins (not "meat meal")
- No "flavours" or unspecified "preservatives"
- Short, readable, honest
Red flag ingredient list looks like:
- 20+ ingredients
- Multiple sugars (different names, same problem)
- Vague terms ("poultry," "animal fat," "natural flavour")
- "Preservative" without naming what kind
- Ingredients you can't pronounce
Ingredients That Should Never Be There
Toxic to dogs:
- Xylitol (extremely toxic, even in small amounts)
- Onions, garlic (in significant amounts)
- Grapes, raisins
- Chocolate, cocoa
Unnecessary additives:
- Artificial colours (dogs don't care what colour their treats are)
- Excessive salt
- Added sugars
What Quality Actually Looks Like
Signs of a quality treat:
✅ Short ingredient list - Real food doesn't need 30 ingredients
✅ Named ingredients - "Chicken" not "poultry meal"
✅ No mystery additives - Everything is identified
✅ Human grade - Would you eat these ingredients yourself?
✅ Transparent sourcing - Brand tells you where ingredients come from
✅ Natural preservation - Or honest about what preservatives they use
The Raffi Standard
This is why we started Raffi.
We were tired of "all natural" treats that contained wood pulp, mystery preservatives, and ingredients we couldn't pronounce.
What Raffi uses: 10 human grade ingredients. Fresh banana (not banana flavour). Real pumpkin (peeled, no seeds). Whole green peas. Natural preservation from our unique formulation of quaility ingredients.
What Raffi doesn't use: No artificial anything. No added sugar or salt. No "natural flavours." No mystery "preservatives." No fillers. No meat by products.
Because if it's not good enough for us, it's not going in our dog treats.
The Bottom Line
Most "premium" and "all natural" dog treats aren't what they claim to be.
Read the ingredient list. If you can't pronounce it, understand it, or wouldn't eat it yourself , why would you feed it to your dog?
Your dog deserves better than industry loopholes and marketing BS.
Ready for treats made with real ingredients?