1) Artificial coloring, flavoring, and preservatives.Dogs can have allergic reactions to these chemical additives and these are found in a lot of different dog treats.
Reactions can vary from gastrointestinal distress (upset stomach, diarrhea, general uneasiness that often leads to decreased appetite),
to skin reactions (dry, itchy, inflamed, irritated skin) and coat issues (thinning and/or brittle coat), and even changes to the nose such as discoloration and dryness.
Food dyes to avoid include but are not limited to Blue 2, Red 40, Yellow 5 and 6, 4-MIE.
Synthetic dog food preservatives are toxic to canines, but are still found in some snacks. Ethoxyquin is a pesticide that is also used to preserve some dog treats, and has been linked to liver and blood problems.
Shockingly, this can be in dog treats but NOT be on the label. This toxic agent that is banned from human food but allowed in dog food and treats, sneaks in under certain 'fish meals'.
Both butylated hydroxyanisole and butylated hydroxytoluene are considered to be possible carcinogens, but are still put into some dog treats.
2) Cheap cereal grains and high levels of corn can cause a host of stomach issues and/or intolerance. In addition, these are fillers, which makes the treat rather worthless in regard to nutrition.
3) By-products
are parts of animals that that are deemed unfit for human consumption, but are added to some dog treats.This includes such things as spleens, undeveloped eggs, brains, intestines, feet, lips, and lungs.
4) Generic meat sources
means that the ingredients can contain any type of animal that was found as road kill, animals that were dying or died on route to facilities, pets (dogs and cats) that were euthanized at shelters, and diseased livestock.
5) Hard to digest ingredients
- It's amazing how some dog treats are made with ingredients that cannot even be digested by a dog's body. Any type of raw hide or pig's ear are the worse offenders. These are both choking hazards and can cause partial or full stomach or intestinal blockage.
6) Treats made overseas
- Each year the numbers go up; however, there have been 5800+ cases of pets that got ill and 500+ estimated deaths from China-made treats.
The way in which those treats are fatal to dogs varies; about 60% of the dogs that died suffered from severe gastrointestinal problems, 30% had Fanconi-like syndrome (acute kidney failure), and about 10% had a variety of other illness including mushroom poisoning, pneumonia, meningitis, and other infections.
You need to be careful when choosing treats, because some brands place 'Made in the USA' in big lettering, BUT they source the ingredients from overseas.
7) Improperly sized treats.
With a small dog like the Maltese, a generic dog treat size will not suffice. If a Maltese needs to struggle to fit the treat into his mouth or chew it, he is not going to enjoy it very much.