Roo Tendons, beef cubes, whacko dog treats .. what is best for your dog?

There is obviously no “right” answer for every dog. Dog tastes come and go. But I thought of this question when I visited a clients house recently and saw all three snacks available for their dog when they were away.

I also visited a fb page recently where people were putting forward their dogs best dog food and so many of them had an array of more vegetables in their dogs diet than most humans would ever eat … which is curious for carnivore domestic dogs .. but no matter, that is choice too right?

The point I am making is that if a dog is mostly carnivore (based on its recent ancestors, digestive system etc …  and what happens when you put a bowl of wheat, rice and raw meat in front of a dog … I wondered why people really choose what kind of dog treat.

The ‘whacko’ snack is an easy one to answer. It has national advertising across all main media and online. Is made by a multibillion dollar muli-national, and they have figured out the perfect recipe of grain, colouring, oil, sugar and salt (with a pinch of meat) to make something a dog would not recognise as food, be its favourite thing.

I buy petrol at the service station that is most convenient usually. I don’t buy by brand, but its habit forming to stop at the easiest access one, where the prices are not too high.  This is why most people buy ‘dog treats’ along with ‘dog food’ at their local supermarket, even though both are usually 70% plus grain.  Grain being a filler with kilojoules that also adds fibre to a dogs stools. Nutritionally its very poor compared to meat, but very cheap.

The whacko treat also is in convenient soft strips so you can break off any amount for your dog. Any dog can eat it, and as said, the corporate chemist has made it irresistible to eat, if not to digest.

Value of Beef Cubes for dogs

So why would they have beef cubes and kangaroo tendons in the mix?  Well the main reason I can ascertain is that they are mostly a raw feeder of their dog.  They have a little bit of grain soaked in water (to form solid stools) but their dog gets plenty of raw and cooked meat as part of its main diet.

The owner recognised they own a dog and not a rabbit, so they feed their dog a main meal based on meat and some of the dog treats based on meat.

Their dog is old, is not obese, and beef cubes are airy and light and even with a few suspect teeth (from old age) their dog loves the smell and taste of this 100% beef treat. The texture is natural, and it is a joy for the dog to easily disassemble it with a crunch.

Kangaroo Tendons for old dogs

The most curious thing in the mix is that they have a kangaroo tendon. You see a lot of owners with old dogs and even young ones forget that their dogs used to catch their own food and rip it apart with their teeth.  They didn’t chew it for long periods with a side to side motion of their molars like herbivores, but they ripped it and got strong jaws.

Being ‘too easy’ on a young, middle aged or old dog is a big mistake.  The number one cause of dog tooth decay is just eating kibble and wet food out of cans. Stuff that is made very soft and sticky and corrodes teeth. Many owners take their dogs in for regular expensive painful teeth cleaning at a vet rather than providing 100% meat based dog treats. Again that is a habit and trust issue .. or they have too much money.

This owner feeding their old dog roo tendons realised that it was too small to manage any kind of large bone but that roo tendons were a perfect mix of natural teeth cleaning and nutrition. And it would take them a while to eat helping reduce boredom too. The dog might take a half day to fully wear the treat down, but it is doing the most natural thing on earth, ripping hewing and eating a NATURAL product.

Dogs gain an immense satisfaction and feeling of achievement in finishing this kind of treat. And once you have supervised your dog a few times with any new treat to make sure it eats responsibly, most owners get how much better they have made their dogs lives.