Functional Treats – tackle more than one solution at a time

The pet food and treat industry is growing at a rapid pace. According to Pet Food Processing, just between 2011 and 2018 alone, the number of pet food brands increased by 71%, and by this year the US pet food market is expected to become a $30 billion industry.

Pet treats account for roughly 10% of the pet food sales. With all of this growth, it seems that every time you enter a pet store there’s just more and more treats to choose from and they’re all covering different things.

Some treats are only for dental health, others are low fat, some just for healthy skin and coat. There’s now treats that are grain-free, gluten-free, NON-GMO and everything in between. You didn’t even know that gluten was an issue for your dog until you started to see treats promoting a gluten-free diet. With all of this choice in the pet food world, it can be confusing for pet owners to figure out what treat to give their favorite fur buddy. In general, owners are seeking information including on how to get the most from what they read on product packages, but that is a topic we will address in detail later, so stay tuned!

What to avoid when buying a dog treat

The best treats for your dog are going to be the ones that are the healthiest, safest, and made with ingredients that meet the needs of dogs plus have a Board-Certified Veterinary specialist helping create the treat. A short list of ingredients typically will not provide all 20 required amino acids, all vitamins and minerals a dog needs to survive and thrive. Don’t avoid big words, but look them up and learn why they are in the formula or call the manufacturer to get a better understanding.

Make sure to read the label and avoid ingredients that are harmful for your dog like:

Xylitol
Vegetable Oil
Nitrates or Nitrites

You also want to avoid treats with excessive salt and sugar content as this can lead to health issues like diabetes, obesity and heart disease down the line.

Did you know that dental tartar on a dog’s teeth is a precursor to gum disease (gingivitis and periodontal) — the #1 disease of dogs? So, proper oral health is needed to deter tartar buildup. And treats high in starch and sugar feed weight gain — obesity is the #1 nutritional issue of dogs. Avoid low protein levels (< 20%) as that strongly suggest high starch and/or sugar content, as protein and starch are typically negatively correlated — when one goes up the other goes down. Protein builds muscle and vital organs while starch results in weight gain and thus obesity.

What to look for when buying a dog treat

Find treats that your dog not only loves, but also serve multiple purposes. The best treats are delicious and also benefit your dog’s health in some way. Get a functional dog treat. These treats serve some function in a dog’s life, often fortified to assist your dog’s health needs like dental health, muscle and vital organ development, bone and joint health, coat health and more.

The problem is that a lot of functional dog treats serve a specific purpose but they aren’t healthy for your dog in other ways or aren’t safe and are potential choking hazards. That’s why the best functional treat is Yummy Combs ®.

What makes Yummy Combs® different is that it’s an effective dental dog treat that also is highly nutritious and provides advanced safety for dogs. Yummy Combs® is the revolutionary ONES standing for patented Oral care, Superior Nutrition, Ease of use and great enjoyment for dogs and owners, plus advanced Safety, thus addressing four major issues. Board Certified Veterinary Specialists in dentistry and nutrition helped create Yummy Combs® to fortify the science behind the treat.

Yummy Combs® scrubs and flosses between teeth and gives dogs mouths a 360° with up to 256 cleaning surfaces, while also supporting your dogs’ nutritional needs, heart health, joint care, digestive care and healthy skin and coat. It’s the ultimate dog treat because it’s multi-functional, and dogs love the taste with over 1,300 five-star ratings for a relatively new product!

It’s also a safe dog treat. The patented honey-comb shape deters dogs from gulping the treat down too fast, which deters choking, and the rapidly dissolving formula and thin-wall design mitigate the risk of throat and intestinal blockages.

There’s no other functional treat that can benefit your dog in so many ways, while also featuring a revolutionary multi-functional treat with state-of-the-art oral care, superior nutritious, ease of use, and advanced safety and great taste. That results in happier, healthier dogs with more enjoyment for dogs and for dog owners! Dogs love the taste; owners appreciate the results!

Learn more about the Yummy Combs® story and where to find this new innovative treat.