Zuke’s dog treats is one of the brands we often see when we search for dog treats or supplements. With that, it is not unusual to be curious about their brand. Well, if you are, then you came to the right place!
This article will discuss everything you need to know about their brand, its benefits, and even its disadvantages. And to give you an overview, we also prepared zuke’s dog treats reviews for their best products.
What Is In Zuke’s Dog Treats?
Patrick Meiering founded Zuke’s in 1995 in Durango, Colorado, with a vision of creating healthy and natural dog treats. In addition, they have a philosophy that happiness can come from being healthy, and it is something that keeps us going.
Moving forward to their nutritional philosophy, Zuke’s also believes that nature provides everything our dogs need. They only use natural ingredients for their treats. And lastly, pet-owners love this brand for their dogs because of its nutrient-rich ingredients and low-calorie content.
Main Ingredients
Zuke’s main ingredients can vary depending on the product you choose. However, high-protein meats, nutrient-rich vegetables and fruits, and needed vitamins are the top ingredients that are always in their products. So, what are the benefits of these ingredients?
- High-Protein Meat: High-protein food has several health advantages for your dog. Some of these are more developed muscles, a stronger immune system, a shinier coat, and a healthier body.
- Nutrient-Rich Vegetables and Fruits: Like humans, fruits and vegetables are also beneficial in prolonging a dog’s life and making them healthier. Plus, these ingredients provide antioxidants that their body needs.
- Needed Vitamins: According to the American Kennel Club, the essential vitamins dogs need to stay healthy are vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and K. All of these vitamins are in different Zuke’s dog treats.
Moreover, Zuke’s doesn’t use any corn, soy, wheat, and artificial preservatives on their products. If you want to look at Zuke’s ingredient list, you can visit this webpage.
3 Best Zuke’s Dog Treats
To give you an overview of Zuke’s dog treats, here’s our review of their top 3 best products:
1. Zuke’s Puppy Naturals Puppy Treats
Let’s start with Zuke’s Puppy Naturals Puppy Treats. It is one of the best dog treats for training puppies because of its high-protein content. Aside from its protein content, this product also has DHA and EPA, which are essential for healthier brain development. Furthermore, Zuke’s incorporates much-needed vitamins and minerals for an additional nutritional boost. This dog treat doesn’t also contain common allergens like wheat, grain, gluten, soy, and artificial flavorings.
Zuke’s Puppy Naturals Puppy Treats are available in different flavors like lamb & chickpea, pork & chickpea, and salmon & chickpea. With that, you have a wide variety of choices, and you can choose based on your dog’s preferences.
On the downside, several buyer reviews complained about the too hard and dry kibbles that their puppies couldn’t handle. In addition, they also stated that some stocks are not fresh anymore.
Pros
- Best for training dogs
- Rich in protein, nutrients, and vitamins
- All ingredients are natural
- No grain, gluten, wheat, and soy
- Wide variety of flavors
Cons
- It can be too hard or dry for your dog’s liking
- Some buyers complained that they received stale products
2. Zuke’s Hip Action Hip & Joint Natural Dog Treats
This other best product from Zuke’s is made in the USA with authentic and high-quality beef as its primary ingredient. This dog treat helps dogs improve and strengthen their hip and joint mobility. To achieve that, Zuke’s added glucosamine chondroitin to every dog treat. Aside from these benefits, this product is also rich in antioxidants because of its ingredients like whole food berries. And of course, they also included the essential vitamins and minerals.
However, similar to the previous Zuke’s brand, this Hip Action Hip & Joint Natural Dog Treats also received complaints from pet owners about its hard and dry kibbles. Moreover, buyers also mentioned that the product’s quality and texture vary from package to package.
Pros
- Authentic, high-quality, and protein-rich main ingredient (beef)
- Packed with essential nutrients, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals
- It contains chondroitin and glucosamine for dog mobility
- 100% free from artificial flavorings, preservatives, and other common allergens
Cons
- Has complains about inconsistent texture
- It can be too hard and dry for your dog
3. Zuke’s Mini Naturals Dog Training Treats
Moving on to our last Zuke’s product, this Mini Naturals Dog Training Treat is known for being the best reward treat for our training dogs. With less than 3 calories, this treat is a “perfect guilt-free” reward during training sessions. Furthermore, this dog treat is crafted with authentic and high-quality ingredients that contain various vitamins and minerals your dog needs. Another plus point of this product is it’s 100% free from wheat, grain, soy, and other preservatives. Zuke’s Mini Naturals Dog Training Treats are available in various flavors like turkey & cranberry, duck, beef, peanut butter & oats, chicken, and salmon.
But, some reviews complained about this product’s hard and crumbly kibbles. They mentioned that the hardness of the kibble made it impossible for their dogs to consume the treat. Moreover, some pet owners also complain about the molds in the products.
Pros
- Best reward treat for training dogs
- Authentic main ingredients (depending on your chosen flavor)
- All ingredients used are natural and high-quality
- No added corn, wheat, soy, and preservatives
Cons
- It can be too hard for your dog’s preference
- Mold complaints
Advantages of Zuke’s Dog Treat
Now, what makes this brand stand out from other brands? Here are the following benefits that dogs can get from Zuke’s dog treats:
Low-Calorie Content
First, Zuke’s low-calorie content dog treats are one of the things that make pet owners love them since low-calorie treats are not only beneficial for training dogs but all dogs in general. This factor also helps avoid other health concerns such as obesity and poor heart.
Moreover, according to a study from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, dogs whose food intake was decreased have a longer average lifespan compared to dogs exposed to a high-calorie diet and lifestyle.
Meanwhile, since we all know that learning new tricks and abilities needs many practices and sessions, having low-calorie treats can help avoid unnecessary weight on your dog that can weaken their skills and abilities.
High-Quality Ingredients
All ingredients used by Zuke’s are authentic and sourced from trusted places. A high-quality dog treat guarantees that your dog receives all nutrients, vitamins, and minerals needed to maintain its healthy body. This also avoids medical concerns like digestive and immune system problems.
High-Value Dog Treats
High-value dog treats are essential in training your dog. It serves as a way to make your dog follow your commands since high-value dog treats are the type of treats that your dog likes so much that they are willing to do anything to acquire them. Professional trainers often use high-value treats.
Just Enough Size
Zuke’s kibble sizes are neither too big nor too small, making it perfect as a reward during training sessions. Their kibble sizes are big enough to be recognized by dogs as a reward, but not to the point of training being mistaken for feeding time. Furthermore, Zuke’s right kibble sizes help prevent incidents like choking or suffocation.
Holds Its Shape
Even though the dog food pouch is repeatedly shaken off or tossed, the Zuke’s dog treats manage to retain their shape. With this, you can avoid having crumbs as your dog’s next treat. In addition, having a good kibble makes your job easier than giving it to your dog and ensuring that you only give them the right amount.
The Downside of Zuke’s Training Treats
On the other hand, Zuke’s training treats also have their downsides. With that, here are the possible disadvantages of dog treats from Zuke’s:
- Mold problems: Last April 2021, there was a recall or pull-out of Zuke’s mini treats on markets and shelves. This happened after several buyers complained about the mold formation they found inside the products. Molds can cause cough and neurologic problems (rare) among dogs.
Based on Zuke’s official statement, there has been a quality issue with the batch production. With that, they also offered refunds and other compensation to those affected. Now, these mini treats are back on the market.
- Too hard or dry kibbles: According to several buyer reviews on different online selling platforms, some Zuke’s treats can be too hard or dry for their dog to handle. However, this problem is not directly associated with Zuke’s quality but more with storage practices because customers also stated that products bought from their stores are not that hard or dry.
- Inconsistent quality: Concerning the previous problem, some pet owners complained about how some of Zuke’s products’ quality varies from one packaging to another. This issue is also correlated with stocking and storing practices.
Zukes Dog Treats: FAQs
Do you still have questions about Zuke’s dog treats? Find them here as we answered some of the most frequently asked questions about this brand.
Yes, Zuke’s dog treats are safe. Since 1995, Zuke’s hasn’t had any safety issues about their product’s quality besides their mold issue in April 2021 – which the company already resolved. Moreover, to guarantee that Zuke’s is safe for your dog, read their ingredient label carefully and check whether your dog is allergic to any of them. Lastly, even though their kibble sizes are the right size, it is best to supervise them in case incidents like choking occurs.
Zuke’s dog products are all purely made in the United States of America (USA). In addition, their dog treats are carefully crafted to provide the nutrients your dog needs.
As mentioned previously, Zuke’s dog treats’ ingredient list varies from one product to another. For example, some treats have beef as their main ingredient, while some have chicken or salmon. However, the one constant thing is that Zuke’s doesn’t use any grain, corn, wheat, soy, preservatives, and artificial flavorings on their products.
Everything too much can be harmful, including all dog treats. It does not matter how healthy these treats are; they still need to be given in moderation. Overconsumption of treats can lead to health problems like obesity and more. For example, whole-meat ingredients can lead to obesity and overall poor health if eaten too much.
Yes, Zuke’s dog treats are good! Their products do their job well in providing the nutrients and vitamins your dog needs and ensuring that they’ll be in their healthiest form.
To summarize, Zuke’s dog treats adhere to their philosophy on nature, providing everything a dog needs to have a healthy life. With that, their products are 100% natural. Moreover, their top products are suitable for all types of dogs – especially training dogs and puppies. However, always watch out for possible problems we mentioned. You should also consult your vet before transitioning to Zuke’s to ensure that it is appropriate for your dog.