Last Updated: 30/09/2026
Healthy Dog Treats: Vet's Guide to What Makes a Treat Healthy
Wondering what makes a dog treat healthy? Our vets explain labels, calorie budgets and safe fruit and veg.
Author: Dr Gillian Hill BVSc (Hons)
Reading Time: 4 minutes - short read
We all love spoiling our dogs, but it's not always easy to tell what's actually a "healthy" treat.
A healthy dog treat has a short ingredient list, a named protein such as chicken or kangaroo, and sensible calories for your dog's size. Treats should make up no more than 10% of your dog's daily calories, with the rest coming from a complete and balanced main diet.
What is the healthiest treat to give a dog?
The healthiest treat is usually a small, simple one: a single-protein meat treat, a small piece of plain cooked chicken or kangaroo, or a crunchy veg stick. Small pieces mean more rewards for fewer calories, and less choking risk. A few swaps we'd make:
- Avoid human carbs: Sugary biscuits and toast provide empty calories and can disrupt their gut flora. Swap these out for a high-quality, single-protein treat.
- Skip high-fat dairy and processed meats: Cheese cubes and deli meats are packed with sodium and fat. A much safer, highly digestible alternative is offering small bits of plain, boiled lean proteins like chicken breast or kangaroo.
- Practice portion control: When training, your pet cares about the frequency of the reward, not the size. To keep their daily calorie intake in check, break standard training treats down into small portions.
From our range, a few that fit the bill:
100% kangaroo, soft and chewy, easily cut into small pieces
100% kangaroo liver, a high-value training reward
Single ingredient, bite size pieces
100% sweet potato, great for a low fuss vegetarian option
Want more ideas? Read our guides to the best dog treats, best dog training treats and best puppy treats.
What treats can dogs eat every day?
Any treat can be an everyday treat, as long as the day's total stays within 10% of your dog's calories.
Here's a worked example.
- A 15 kg desexed adult dog needs roughly 850 kcal a day --> so their treat budget is about 85 kcal.
- That covers everything: training rewards, dental chews and the odd scrap - anything other than their complete and balanced dog food.
Your dog's number will vary with age, activity and weight, so try our feeding calculator. If your dog needs to lose a few kilos, see how to help your dog lose weight.
What should I look for on a healthy dog treat label?
- Start with the ingredient list. Ingredients go from most to least by weight, so check the first few and look for a named protein (chicken, kangaroo, beef) rather than a vague "meat" or "animal derivatives", or cereals.
- Scan for added sugar, salt and artificial flavours, colours or preservatives.
- Check the calories per treat too. If it's not on the pack, the manufacturer can tell you.
- Finally, look for AS 5812 (often on the manufacturers website, not the packaging itself). It's the Australian standard for making and labelling pet food and treats, which is a good sign, though it's voluntary and not enforced.
Learn more about how to read labels on pet food and treats.
What does "natural" mean on a dog treat?
On its own, "natural" gives you a great baseline: as defined by AAFCO, it means the treat is made from plant, animal, or mined sources without any chemical alterations, synthetic additives, artificial colours, or preservatives.
However, because natural ingredients can still vary widely, one brand's "natural" might look very different from another's. If you're shopping for natural dog treats in Australia, always flip the bag over and check the ingredient list, the named protein, and the calories. Single-ingredient treats, like air-dried or freeze-dried meat, are an easy place to start.
For more, read through our guide to the Best Natural Dog Foods.
Which fruit and veg make healthy dog treats?
Plain, small pieces work best.
Safe: carrot, cucumber, zucchini, cooked pumpkin or sweet potato, blueberries, strawberries, apple (no core or seeds), banana and watermelon (no rind).
No-go: grapes, sultanas and raisins, onions and garlic, macadamia nuts, corn cobs and fruit stones. We'd also skip avocado. Dogs are far less sensitive to persin than other species, but the pit is a choking and blockage risk and the flesh is high in fat.
More in our human foods guide, or turn these into homemade dog treats.
Which "healthy" treats should I be careful with?
Some treats that look healthy aren't right for every dog. Check peanut butter and baked goods for xylitol, which is toxic to dogs. Very hard chews can damage teeth, particularly in puppies. If your dog has a medical condition or is on a prescription diet, check with your vet first. Our low-fat treats collection and pancreatitis in dogs guide are good places to start.
A healthy treat is simple, small and counted. Look for a named protein and a short ingredient list, don't rely on "natural" alone, and keep treats to 10% of the day's calories. If you're ever unsure, ask your vet or our Vet Squad.
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History
Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space and we update our articles when new information becomes available.
Thu 1 Oct 2026
Written by Dr Gillian Hill BVSc (Hons)Dr Gillian Hill BVSc (Hons)
Veterinarian
Dr. Gillian graduated from the University of Sydney in 2005 with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science. She worked in a number of small animal clinics, before joining the Pet Circle Vet team in 2020. Dr. Gillian has special interests in ultrasonography, surgery and behaviour. Her favourite part of being a vet is being an advocate for the animals. She loves helping owners to make the best, evidence-based decisions for their pets, and seeing the beautiful bond that people have with their fur-babies.
