Dog Treat Ingredients to Watch Out For
Flip over almost any bag of dog treats and you’ll see a list that looks more like a chemistry quiz than a food label.
At Durango, we believe in radical simplicity: every ingredient should serve a clear, nutritional purpose. So here’s our short list of ingredients we actively avoid and why.
🚫 Artificial Preservatives
Examples: BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin
These are used to extend shelf life, but often linked to potential health concerns. At Durango, we use small-batch baking and design our treats so preservatives aren't required. On treats where moisture is higher and we need preservatives, we use natural alternatives (like rosemary, apple cider vinegar and tocopherols) instead.
🚫 “Animal By-Products”
Examples: “meat meal,” “poultry by-product meal”
It's wild how many treats use animal-by-products. You just never really know what’s in them. These vague terms can include low-grade scraps not suitable for human consumption and lack any traceability. Big pass.
🚫 Fillers & Grains with No Purpose
Examples: corn, soy, wheat middlings
Sure, they bulk up the product and save the manufacturer money, but they also offer little to no nutritional value. Plus, they’re common allergens and hard for some dogs to digest.
🚫 Artificial Colors & Flavors
Examples: Red 40, Blue 2, “natural flavor” (when not defined)
Remember: dogs don’t care what color a treat. To them, all treats kinda look the same color with different sharing. So why add colors? Well when your treats lacks any natural ingredients, you kinda need that green color to make it look passable to us, the buyer. At Durango, we keep things simple, natural, and flavor-rich from the start.
🚫 Sugar & Salt Add-Ins
Examples: molasses, sorbitol, sodium bisulfate
These are often used to make treats more “palatable”, but dogs don’t need added sugar or salt. Our treats are tasty because they’re real, not sweetened.
We don’t aim for the longest ingredient list, we aim for the cleanest. Every ingredient we use is there for a reason. It’s why our treats are easy to understand, easy to trust, and easy on your dog’s system.
Our Rule: If an ingredient doesn’t serve a clear purpose, it doesn’t go in the treat.
