Treats are one of the great joys of living with a pet — a tool for training, bonding, and just making your dog or cat’s day. But the treat aisle is crowded with options ranging from genuinely wholesome to calorie bombs to outright hazards. Choosing healthy pet treats isn’t complicated once you know the rules: keep treats to a small share of daily calories, read labels with the same care you’d give a meal, favor simple and functional options, and steer clear of a short list of dangerous ingredients and items. Done right, treats enrich your pet’s life without undermining their nutrition or waistline.
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Throughout, remember that treats are extras layered on top of a complete diet — they shouldn’t unbalance it. If your pet has a health condition or is on a therapeutic diet, check with your vet about which treats are safe.
The 10% Rule
The foundation of healthy treating is simple: treats should make up no more than about 10% of your pet’s daily calories. The other 90% should come from a complete, balanced diet that supplies all the nutrients they need. Treats, by contrast, are rarely balanced — that’s fine in small amounts, but they shouldn’t crowd out real nutrition.
This matters more than most owners realize because treat calories add up fast and are easy to forget, especially in multi-person households where several people each “just give one.” Exceeding the 10% threshold regularly is a fast track to weight gain. We cover the math and tactics in feeding treats without causing weight gain, including subtracting treat calories from meals.
The 10% figure isn’t arbitrary — it’s the cushion that keeps treats from compromising the careful nutritional balance of the main diet. Treats are formulated to taste good, not to be complete and balanced, so the more of your pet’s daily calories come from treats, the more diluted their actual nutrition becomes. Keep treats in their lane as small extras, and the balanced food does the real nutritional work. For a small dog or a cat, remember that 10% can be a surprisingly tiny amount, so portion accordingly rather than handing over a treat sized for a much larger animal.
Reading a Treat Label
Treats deserve label scrutiny too. A few things to check:
- Calorie content — many treats list kcal per piece; this is the number that lets you stay under 10%. Smaller pets need much smaller treats.
- Ingredient list — shorter and recognizable is generally better. Watch for excessive sugar, salt, and fat, and for long lists of artificial additives.
- The maker — favor reputable companies with good quality control and sourcing, the same standard you’d apply to food.
- Marketing vs. substance — “natural,” “premium,” and similar terms on treats are as loosely defined as on food; see decoding pet food marketing claims.
The skills for reading a food panel transfer directly; our guide to understanding pet food ingredient lists applies here too.
One thing that trips owners up is assuming “small” means “low-calorie.” Some tiny treats are remarkably calorie-dense, packing a lot of fat and sugar into a small package, while some larger treats (like a crunchy vegetable) are mostly water and fiber. Size and shape don’t tell you the calorie cost — the label does. If a treat doesn’t list calorie information at all, that’s a reason to be a little more conservative with how many you give, and to favor products that are transparent about what’s inside.
Single-Ingredient and Functional Treats
Some of the best treats are the simplest. Single-ingredient options — like plain freeze-dried meat — let you know exactly what your pet is getting, with no mystery additives. They’re easy to portion and tend to be low in unnecessary extras.
“Functional” treats market added benefits — joint support, dental care, skin and coat. These can be reasonable, but treat the claims with healthy skepticism: a treat won’t deliver a meaningful dose of a supplement the way a vet-directed product would, and benefit claims aren’t tightly regulated. If your pet genuinely needs joint or other support, that’s a conversation with your vet about appropriate pet food supplements, not a reliance on treats.
Think of functional treats as a pleasant bonus rather than a treatment. If a joint treat happens to provide a little supportive ingredient and your dog enjoys it within their calorie budget, fine — but don’t count on it to manage a real condition. The amount of any active ingredient in a treat is usually modest and unstated, and you’d have to feed an unhealthy quantity to approach a therapeutic dose. When a benefit really matters to your pet’s health, get the dose and the product right with your vet, and let treats just be treats.
Watching Calories, Fat, and Salt
Beyond total calories, the composition of treats matters. Very fatty treats can trigger digestive upset and, in susceptible dogs, contribute to pancreatitis. High-salt treats aren’t ideal, especially for pets with heart or kidney concerns. Sugary treats add empty calories and aren’t appropriate for diabetic pets.
For pets watching their weight or managing a condition, lean toward low-calorie, low-fat options and small portions. Many vegetables make excellent low-cal treats for dogs — more on safe human-food options in human foods that are safe as pet treats. And remember that cats, as obligate carnivores, do best with meat-based treats rather than carb- or sugar-heavy ones.
Pets with specific health conditions need extra care here. A dog with a history of pancreatitis should steer well clear of fatty treats; a pet with heart or kidney concerns benefits from lower-sodium options; and a diabetic pet should avoid sugary treats and stick to a consistent routine. If your pet is on a therapeutic diet, the safest move is to ask your vet which treats — if any — are compatible, since random treats can undo the careful balance of a prescription food. Many therapeutic diet lines offer matching treats designed not to disrupt the plan.
Dental Chews and the VOHC Seal
Dental treats and chews are popular, and some genuinely help reduce plaque and tartar — but the claims vary widely. The reliable signal is the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) seal, which is awarded to products shown to meet defined standards for reducing plaque or tartar. Look for that seal rather than trusting generic “dental” marketing.
Dental chews still carry calories, so they count toward the 10%, and they’re a supplement to — not a replacement for — toothbrushing and veterinary dental care. Choose an appropriately sized chew for your pet, and supervise to prevent gulping or choking, especially with enthusiastic chewers.
It’s easy to overestimate what a dental treat can accomplish. Even a VOHC-accepted chew works by mechanical action and is most effective at reducing plaque and tartar above the gumline — it doesn’t reach everywhere, and it can’t undo established dental disease. Daily toothbrushing remains the gold standard for home dental care, and regular veterinary checkups catch problems a chew never will. Think of dental chews as a helpful add-on for pets who enjoy them, not as the whole dental-care plan, and keep them within the calorie budget like any other treat.
Hazards to Avoid: Rawhide, Bones, and Toxic Ingredients
Some popular “treats” carry real risk:
- Cooked bones — never give them. They splinter and can cause choking, mouth injuries, or dangerous internal punctures and blockages.
- Rawhide — can pose choking and blockage hazards, especially when large pieces are swallowed. If you offer chews, supervise closely and choose appropriately sized, reputable products; ask your vet about safer alternatives.
- Hard items like antlers and very hard chews can fracture teeth.
- Xylitol — this sweetener is highly toxic to dogs, causing dangerous blood-sugar drops and liver failure. Check that treats (and any human foods you share) are xylitol-free.
- Toxic human foods — never offer chocolate, grapes or raisins, onion, garlic, macadamia nuts, or anything alcoholic as a treat.
Treats meant for training deserve a special mention because they’re given so frequently. For training, the ideal treat is tiny, soft, and low in calories — something your pet can eat in an instant so the session keeps moving, and small enough that dozens of them don’t blow the calorie budget. Many owners break a standard treat into several pieces, or use bits of the pet’s own daily kibble, which adds no extra calories at all. The reward is the moment and your approval as much as the morsel itself.
When in doubt about a specific product or food, ask your veterinarian before giving it. The right treats, chosen with these rules in mind and given in moderation, are a wonderful part of caring for your pet — and a smart owner is one who reads the label, counts the calories, and knows what to avoid.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many treats can I give my pet?
Keep treats to no more than about 10% of your pet’s daily calories; the rest should come from a complete, balanced diet. Treat calories add up quickly, so account for them — and coordinate in multi-person households so your pet isn’t treated several times over.
What makes a treat healthy?
Look for low calories, a short and recognizable ingredient list, limited fat, salt, and sugar, and a reputable maker. Single-ingredient treats like plain freeze-dried meat are great because you know exactly what your pet is getting.
Do dental chews actually work?
Some do. Look for the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) seal, which marks products shown to reduce plaque or tartar. Dental chews still count toward the 10% calorie limit and don’t replace toothbrushing and veterinary dental care.
Are rawhide and bones safe to give?
Never give cooked bones — they splinter and can cause serious injury. Rawhide can pose choking and blockage risks; if you offer chews, supervise closely, choose appropriate sizes, and ask your vet about safer options. Avoid very hard items that can fracture teeth.
Which treat ingredients are dangerous?
Avoid xylitol, which is highly toxic to dogs, and never offer chocolate, grapes, raisins, onion, garlic, macadamia nuts, or alcohol. Check labels carefully, and when unsure about a treat or human food, ask your veterinarian first.
