Balancing Dog Chews and Treats With Your Dog's Overall Diet

We love giving our dogs something special! Whether it's a natural chew for enrichment, a little treat during training, or a tasty topper at mealtime, these extras can bring variety and enjoyment to their day.

But there's an important part of responsible treat giving that is easy to overlook: chews, treats, and toppers need to fit into your dog's overall nutrition plan.

The goal isn't to eliminate the extras your dog enjoys. It's to make thoughtful choices so those extras complement the food that provides their everyday nutrition.

1. Start With a Complete and Balanced Diet

Your dog's regular food should be the foundation of their nutrition. A food labeled complete and balanced for the appropriate life stage is designed to provide the essential nutrients dogs need when fed as directed.

Puppies, adults, seniors, pregnant or nursing dogs, and dogs with certain medical conditions may have different nutritional requirements. Choosing a food appropriate for your dog's life stage and health needs is an important first step.

Treats and natural chews can serve other purposes, such as rewards, chewing opportunities, and enrichment. However, most are not designed to provide all the nutrients needed for a dog's daily diet.

Think of your dog's regular food as the foundation and their extras as additions that need to fit around it.

2. Count the Calories in the Extras

Treats aren't the only items that contribute calories. Edible chews and food toppers count, too.

A common guideline is to keep treats and other extras to about 10% or less of a dog's total daily calorie intake, with at least 90% coming from a complete and balanced diet. This is a general guideline, not a universal prescription. Your veterinarian may recommend a different approach based on your dog's individual needs.

Why chew size matters

A large chew isn't automatically a better choice. Larger products may contain more calories, and the amount your dog consumes can vary depending on the chew and their chewing habits.

When calorie information is available, use it to estimate how a chew fits into your dog's daily intake. If a product doesn't list calories, contact the manufacturer or ask your veterinarian for help estimating an appropriate amount.

Remember to account for all the extras offered throughout the day:

• Training treats

• Small reward bites

• Edible natural chews

• Food toppers

• Table scraps or other snacks

Those little rewards can add up, even when each one seems insignificant on its own.

A simple example

Imagine a dog needs 500 calories per day. Using the general 10% guideline, about 50 calories would be available for treats and other extras, while the remaining 450 calories would come from complete and balanced food.

This is only an illustration. Individual calorie needs vary, and your veterinarian can help establish an appropriate target for your dog.

3. Adjust for Your Individual Dog

There is no single treat-and-chew routine that works for every dog. Several factors influence how much your dog should receive and which products are appropriate.

Size and weight

A small dog may need fewer calories overall than a larger dog. A chew that seems like a modest snack for one dog could represent a substantial portion of another dog's daily calorie allowance.

Consider both the physical size of the chew and its calorie content. A product's dimensions alone don't tell you how many calories it contains.

Age and life stage

Growing puppies have different nutritional requirements from adult dogs. Older dogs may have changes in activity, body condition, dental health, or medical needs that affect their routine.

Choose products appropriate for your dog's age, chewing ability, and overall health. Ask your veterinarian for guidance if you're unsure.

Activity level

A dog's activity level can influence their energy requirements, but it doesn't mean every active dog needs unlimited treats or every less-active dog should receive none.

Use your dog's overall condition, regular diet, activity, and veterinary recommendations to guide decisions rather than relying on activity alone.

Weight management

If your dog needs to lose weight or maintain a particular body condition, extras deserve special attention. Calories from chews and treats can make it harder to manage total intake when they're not accounted for.

You may be able to use smaller rewards, offer fewer edible extras, or choose suitable lower-calorie options. Discuss an appropriate plan with your veterinarian rather than making large changes to your dog's food intake on your own.

Medical conditions and food sensitivities

Dogs with food allergies, digestive concerns, pancreatitis, kidney disease, or other medical conditions may need specific dietary restrictions. A chew or topper that seems harmless can be unsuitable for an individual dog.

If your dog eats a prescription diet or has a diagnosed health condition, check with your veterinarian before introducing new chews, treats, or toppers.

4. Remember That Nutrition Is Only One Part of Chew Selection

Calories matter, but they're not the only factor when choosing a natural chew.

A chew also needs to be suitable for your dog's size, chewing style, dental health, and swallowing habits. Very hard chews can fracture teeth, while pieces that become small enough to swallow whole can present choking risks.

Choose carefully, supervise your dog throughout the chewing session, and remove a chew if it becomes too small, develops sharp or hazardous pieces, or otherwise becomes unsafe. No chew is completely risk-free.

Chewing can be a useful enrichment activity, but it doesn't replace toothbrushing or veterinary dental care.

If your main goal is mental enrichment, remember that not every enrichment activity needs to involve food. Sniffing games, training, interactive play, and exploring safe new environments can provide engagement without adding calories.

5. Build a Balanced Daily Routine

A little planning can make it easier to fit treats and chews into your dog's day.

Step 1: Establish the regular food routine. Know what complete and balanced food your dog receives and roughly how much they eat.

Step 2: Make a list of extras. Include training rewards, edible chews, toppers, and other snacks.

Step 3: Check product information. Look for calorie details, feeding guidance, ingredients, and any relevant warnings.

Step 4: Consider the total. Estimate how the extras fit into your dog's daily calorie needs. If calorie information is missing, ask the manufacturer or your veterinarian for guidance.

Step 5: Adjust thoughtfully. Use appropriate portions and avoid allowing extras to displace the balanced food your dog relies on for essential nutrients.

Step 6: Observe your dog. Monitor body condition, appetite, stool quality, and how your dog handles each chew. Reassess the routine when your dog's age, activity, health, or weight changes.

You don't need a complicated spreadsheet to get started. Even a simple daily note can help you see how much your dog receives and identify opportunities to make adjustments.

Pixie's Homework: Review Your Dog's Daily Extras

Take a look at a typical day in your dog's routine.

• What treats do you use for training or rewards?

• Which edible chews does your dog enjoy?

• Do you add any toppers or extra snacks to meals?

• Can you find calorie information for those products?

• Do the extras fit your dog's size, health, and nutritional needs?

If you discover that you're unsure about the calorie content of a favorite chew, that's a great question to ask the manufacturer. If your dog has special dietary needs, your veterinarian can help you decide what belongs in their routine.

The goal isn't to feel guilty about giving your dog something special. It's to understand how each extra fits into the bigger picture.

The Chewsy Academy Takeaway

Enrichment and nutrition work best together.

Treats, natural chews, and food toppers can add enjoyment and variety, but they also contribute calories and may not provide complete nutrition. Start with an appropriate complete and balanced diet, account for the extras, and adjust your choices to your individual dog's needs.

With a little planning, you can make room for rewarding moments and natural chewing while keeping your dog's overall diet on track.

Back to the basics. Better chewing. Happier dogs.

Chewsy Academy educational note: This article provides general educational information and is not a substitute for veterinary advice. Consult your veterinarian about calorie requirements, weight management, prescription diets, food allergies, or medical conditions that affect your dog's nutrition.