On Sale But Is It Safe: petholiday Holiday Cookies
Petsmart has a number of holiday themed items on sale this week. One that caught IMPS eye is the petholiday "Holiday Cookies Drizzled Bone Dog Treat," on sale at $3.14 reduced from $4.99
$4.99 is a little bit steep for one cookie type dog treat, but at $3.14 pet parents might be tempted to pick up two or three. Perhaps more if they are hungry; it does look mighty tempting in the photo.
IMPS took a look at the ingredients and was generally pleased. The flours used are a mix of whole wheat, spelt, and gluten flour. Mixed in are some oat fiber and flax meal. The bone is sweetened with applesauce, honey and sugar. Additional flavoring comes from cinnamon and peanuts.
Spelt flour tends to have fewer calories than regular wheat flours, a little more protein, and easy to break down glutens. "Gluten flour" is higher in protein and lower in carbohydrates and often used in baking to help the consistency of the dough.
The oat fiber (gluten free, high fiber) and flax meal are also nice additions. Oat fiber is a non-digestible ingredient that is used to add moisture and can help prevent constipation (it is not added for nutritional purposes). Flax meal is a great source of Omega 3 fatty acids for your pet.
IMPS was happy to see white sugar far down the list of ingredients behind natural sweeteners like applesauce and honey. The only significant chemical additives are the titanium dioxide for the white 'frosting' and a tiny bit of red #40 for the stripes.
If your pet is exceptionally gluten sensitive this treat is not for you, but otherwise, for a treat, the nutrition profile is pretty good. Except for one thing. CALORIES! One treat is just shy of a whopping 400 calories.
The average dog requires about 201 calories per pound of body weight - smaller dogs a little more, big dogs a bit less. So a 40 lb dog needs only about 800 calories a day depending on activity level. Yet this holiday treat is a whopping 50% of that total! IMPS recommends breaking this treat into a few pieces to reduce the caloric shock to your pet and make sure to add some additional exercise the next day!
VERDICT: A-
This is a special treat and should not be a regular part of your dog's diet due to the high calorie count.
1. In fact, recent changes to the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) recommendations indicate 15 calories per pound to be healthier.
