Low-fat dog treats
A low-fat dog treat is simply one where fat makes up a small share of the recipe rather than being one of the first ingredients, and the point of choosing one is usually a dog on a weight management plan, with pancreatitis in their history, or with a stomach that reacts badly to rich food. Checking the actual fat percentage on the back of the pack tells you far more than the words on the front.
What "low-fat" means on a treat label
UK pet food packaging usually carries a typical analysis showing crude fat as a percentage, and that figure is what actually separates a genuinely low-fat treat from one simply marketed as light or healthy. Freeze-dried liver and meat treats can look lean but still carry a meaningfully higher fat percentage than a plain biscuit-style treat, so it is worth reading the number rather than the front-of-pack claim.
Training treats and small biscuit-based options tend to sit lower in fat than jerky-style or dental chews, largely because of how they are made rather than any specific formulation. If your dog is on a strict low-fat diet for a medical reason, checking the exact percentage against what your vet has advised matters more than the category of treat.
Why the treat matters as much as the meal
A perfectly judged low-fat main meal can be undone by treats given through the day, especially with a dog who gets rewarded often during training or walks. Treats are usually a small part of a dog's food by weight but can be a disproportionate part of their fat intake if the treat itself is a rich one.
Portion size matters here too. A treat broken into smaller pieces for training goes further and keeps the total fat and calorie contribution down, which matters more for a small dog than a large one given how little food it takes to shift the balance for a smaller frame.
What we stock, and how to choose between it
Our shelves carry biscuit-style treats, freeze-dried options and softer training treats side by side, and Matt buys and packs this stock himself rather than drawing it all from one specialist range, so it spans ordinary everyday treats through to leaner training-specific ones. Reading the fat percentage on the pack, rather than assuming a category of treat is automatically lower fat, is the reliable way to compare them.
A dog who is not on a specific low-fat diet does not need every treat restricted this tightly — variety and moderation matter more day to day than chasing the single lowest number on the shelf, and a treat given occasionally has far less impact than the food making up the bulk of a dog's daily diet.
What we stock
Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.
Chicken-Wrapped Milk Stick Dog Treats
Chewy dog treats of soft milk sticks wrapped in real chicken for tasty, protein-rich rewarding.
From£12.99
Dried Catnip & Cat Grass Leaf Treats
A tub of dried catnip and cat grass leaves to sprinkle over toys, scratchers and bedding.
From£8.99
Whiskas 1+ Lamb Adult Dry Cat Food
Complete lamb dry food for adult cats in a practical 1.9KG bag
£12.39
Whiskas 1 Tuna Adult Dry Cat Food
Complete tuna dry food for adult cats, offered in several bag sizes
From£3.19
Whiskas Kitten Chicken Dry Cat Food
Complete chicken dry food for kittens, available in several bag sizes
From£3.19
Whiskas 7+ Senior Cat Complete Dry with Chicken
Complete chicken dry food for senior cats aged 7+ in a 1.9KG bag
£12.39
Catit Nibbly Jerky Chicken & Fish Treats
Soft chicken and fish jerky treats for cats, two named meats high on the list, grain free
£1.89
Catit Creamy Tuna Treats 4 Pk
Lickable 26% tuna purée tubes for cats, 4 x 10g, up to 3 a day in place of main meal
£1.89
Dreamies Meaty Sticks Adult Cat Treats with Scrumptious Salmon
Soft meaty stick treats for adult cats with salmon, individually wrapped, not for kittens
£1.59
Dreamies Creamy Adult Cat & Kitten Treats with Scrumptious Salmon
Creamy lickable salmon treats for cats and kittens, in a 40g pack with taurine
£1.59
Stop Bloody Scratching Treats Chicken Flavour 90 Tablets
Chicken-flavoured tablets from Pets Calm Down, made in the UK, ninety to a pack, given daily as a treat to support skin and coat condition in itchy dogs.
£22.99
Dreamies Shakeups Seafood Celebrations Cat Treats
Complementary Dreamies Shakeups tuna, salmon and shrimp treats, 55G
£2.05
Common questions
- What counts as a low-fat treat for dogs?
- There is no single legal threshold, but as a guide a treat under around 8 to 10 percent crude fat is generally considered lower fat within the wider range of dog treats. Always check the specific figure on the pack rather than relying on that as a fixed rule.
- Are training treats usually low in fat?
- Many are, since small biscuit-style training treats tend to be made leaner so they can be given frequently through a session without adding much to a dog's daily calorie or fat total, but it still varies between brands and is worth checking.
- Do dogs with pancreatitis need low-fat treats?
- A dog with a history of pancreatitis is usually managed on a low-fat diet by their vet, and treats should match that plan rather than undoing it. Always follow your vet's specific advice for that dog rather than a general treat category.
- Can I just give fewer treats instead of low-fat ones?
- You can, and reducing quantity does help, but a genuinely rich treat still delivers a lot of fat even in a small piece. For a dog on a strict low-fat plan, choosing a lower-fat treat and controlling quantity both matter together.
Related
Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.