Why Most Dog Treats Are Actually Harmful

Walk down the pet aisle of any store and you’ll see hundreds of brightly colored bags promising “healthy,” “natural,” and “grain-free” dog treats.
But here’s the truth: most commercial dog treats are anything but healthy.

At Primal Treats, we make it our mission to educate dog owners about what really goes into most products on the market — and why switching to real, whole-food treats can make all the difference in your dog’s long-term health.

1. Most Dog Treats Are Loaded With Fillers

A large portion of dog treats on the market are made with cheap fillers — ingredients that serve no nutritional purpose other than to bulk up the product and increase profit margins.

Common fillers include:

  • Corn, wheat, soy

  • White rice or potato starch

  • Pea protein or pea flour (used to fake “high protein” content)

These fillers can lead to inflammation, allergies, and digestive upset over time. Dogs are carnivores by design — they’re not built to thrive on grains or legumes.

2. Artificial Preservatives Extend Shelf Life — Not Health

To make mass-produced treats last years on a shelf, companies rely on chemical preservatives like:

  • BHA and BHT: linked to potential carcinogenic effects

  • Ethoxyquin: a controversial preservative originally developed as a pesticide

  • Propylene glycol: used to keep treats moist, but also found in antifreeze

These ingredients have no place in your dog’s diet. The only reason they exist is to keep products from spoiling during transport and long warehouse storage — not to benefit your pet.

At Primal Treats, our products stay fresh naturally through freeze-drying — a process that removes moisture without needing preservatives. It keeps nutrients intact and the shelf life stable for years.

3. Artificial Flavors and Colors Trick Your Dog — and You

That “smoky bacon” smell or “beef jerky” flavor isn’t real meat — it’s lab-engineered aroma compounds designed to make your dog think it’s real food. Artificial dyes like Red 40, Yellow 5, and Blue 2 are used to make treats lookappealing to humans, not dogs.

Over time, these additives can irritate your dog’s skin, trigger hyperactivity, and disrupt digestion.

A good rule of thumb: if it smells like a chemical factory, it probably came from one.

4. “Natural” Doesn’t Mean What You Think

Pet food companies love the word natural. But the truth is, there’s no strict regulation around what “natural” means on a pet treat label.
A product can legally contain synthetic vitamins, flavorings, and even preservatives — and still be labeled natural.

Always read the ingredient list. If you can’t recognize or pronounce half the words, your dog’s body won’t recognize them either.

5. Overprocessing Destroys Nutrition

Most treats are baked or extruded at high heat — a process that can reach 300–400°F.
This heat destroys enzymes, amino acids, and vitamins, leaving behind an empty-calorie snack that does little more than add to your dog’s daily carb intake.

Freeze-drying, on the other hand, works at sub-zero temperatures. It removes water without cooking the food — which means nutrients, texture, and natural flavor all stay locked in.

6. Hidden Sugars and Flavor Enhancers

Many treats contain molasses, corn syrup, or “natural flavor” (a vague term that can include sugar derivatives and chemical enhancers).

Sugar is addictive for dogs just like it is for humans. It causes blood sugar spikes, contributes to weight gain, and feeds harmful gut bacteria.

Real meat and produce don’t need added sugar to taste good — your dog knows the difference.

7. Long Supply Chains = Lower Quality

When treats are produced overseas or through mass manufacturing, you lose visibility and control. Ingredients may come from multiple countries, quality checks can be inconsistent, and contamination risks rise.

That’s why at Primal Treats, every batch is produced in small runs with full ingredient transparency. We use human-grade, USA-sourced ingredients and handle everything from preparation to packaging ourselves.

How to Choose Treats That Are Actually Good for Your Dog

When you’re shopping for dog treats, look for these five things:

  1. Short ingredient list — ideally 1–3 whole food ingredients.

  2. Single-source protein — like beef liver, salmon, or lamb.

  3. No preservatives or colorings.

  4. Low temperature or freeze-dried processing.

  5. Transparent sourcing and labeling.

If the bag doesn’t clearly tell you what’s inside or where it came from, walk away.

The Bottom Line

Your dog’s body wasn’t designed to digest chemical preservatives, artificial dyes, or fillers.
It was designed for real food — rich in nutrients, proteins, and natural fats.

That’s the philosophy behind everything we make at Primal Treats:
Real ingredients. Real nutrition. Nothing else.

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