The most natural dog treats
"Natural" is not a legally defined claim on a dog treat, so two treats both marketed that way can look very different once you check the label. The genuinely simplest options are usually single-ingredient dried or air-dried meat, fish or offal, with nothing added — reading the ingredients list, not the word on the front of the pack, is how to actually tell.
What to check instead of the word "natural"
A single-ingredient treat lists exactly one thing — dried liver, or fish skin, or a beef tendon, for example — with no added sugar, salt, flavourings or preservatives. That is about as close to an unprocessed treat as a shelf-stable product gets, and it is a more reliable marker than any front-of-pack wording.
Air-dried and freeze-dried treats are usually made by removing moisture from raw meat or fish without cooking it at high heat, which keeps the ingredient list short and the process minimal. Traditionally baked biscuits and chews, by contrast, often contain added starches, flavourings or preservatives even when marketed as natural, so the ingredients list is what separates the two.
Reading a protein or fat percentage honestly
A treat's protein or fat percentage, shown in its analytical constituents, tells you something real about the recipe, but a higher number is not automatically better — it simply reflects what is in that particular treat, and the right amount depends on your dog's size, activity and any dietary needs. A single-ingredient dried meat treat will typically show a high protein figure because there is very little else in it.
Comparing that figure against a multi-ingredient treat with added grains or fillers can be a useful way to judge how much of the product is actually meat, but it is a reading of the label rather than a claim about which treat is healthiest for every dog.
Fitting treats into the rest of the diet
However natural a treat is, it still adds calories, and treats of any kind are generally best kept to a small share of a dog's daily food rather than a large one. A single-ingredient dried meat treat is often more calorie-dense per gram than a baked biscuit padded out with starch, simply because it is closer to pure protein and fat.
Breaking a larger treat into smaller pieces for training makes a natural, higher-value treat go further across a session without adding as many calories as handing over whole pieces each time. This matters more for smaller dogs, for whom the same treat is a bigger share of their daily food than it would be for a large breed.
Our picks, and why
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
- Is "natural" a regulated term on dog treats?
- No, there is no legal definition that a manufacturer must meet to use the word "natural" on a dog treat. It is a marketing term, so checking the actual ingredients list is the only reliable way to judge how minimally processed a treat really is.
- Are single-ingredient treats better for dogs?
- They are the simplest option in the sense of having nothing added beyond the meat, fish or offal itself, which suits owners who want to avoid fillers, flavourings or preservatives. Whether that matters for your individual dog depends on their own digestion and any known sensitivities.
- What does a high protein percentage on a treat actually mean?
- It reflects how much of the treat, by weight, is protein — often high in a single-ingredient dried meat treat because there is little else diluting it. It is a fact about the recipe rather than a guarantee that the treat suits every dog or every amount of feeding.
- Are freeze-dried treats more natural than baked ones?
- Freeze-drying typically removes moisture from raw meat or fish without added ingredients, which usually gives a shorter ingredients list than a baked biscuit. Checking the actual ingredients on each product is more reliable than assuming based on how a treat is made.
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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.