The ideal pet treat is made from whole foods that supplement your pet’s usual diet with nutrients he or she does not normally get. Healthy pet treats are free of allergens and contain only ingredients that are appropriate for the type of animal for which they are intended. The best natural treats are those in which real foods supply the nutrients. Although raw fruits and vegetables may not always be fully digestible by carnivores, the textures and smells of these treats can be an invaluable contribution to an animal’s pleasure. This in turn can benefit the animal’s well being via an enhanced immune system. Moreover, the gut bacteria, which are of crucial importance to a healthy immune system, will get a special boost from certain plant materials.

In most pet food treats, cheap, chemical-laden ingredients are processed with excessive heat, which render these treats little more than calorie-dense and nutrient-poor blobs. Baked treats made from white flours are a far cry from anything that most animals should eat. Most pet treats are composed of refined ingredients, which have been associated with chronic diseases among pets (e.g., obesity and diabetes). Some treats contain addictive ingredients, such as sugars, sweeteners, or refined salt, which are as unhealthy for animals as they are for people. The addictive properties of sugars, for example, have been amply demonstrated.

In general, the best natural pet treats are those that are USDA certified organic, which guarantees that no agricultural toxins are present in the food. USDA certified organic pet treats are verifiable free of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), hormones, antibiotics, and other unhealthy synthetic additives. USDA organic certification also guarantees that no toxins are used during manufacture and that neither the treat nor its ingredients are sanitized using gamma irradiation or pesticides. The USDA organic seal and the name of the certifying agency are the only assurances you have that what you’re buying is organic because, in the case of pet foods, only organic certification warrants that a manufacturer’s organic claims are true.

Over-processing at high temperatures, as occurs during baking and most extrusion processes, may yield cute-looking treats, but certainly diminishes the nutritional qualities of even the best organic ingredients, and may even render some ingredients allergenic for your pet. Nevertheless, adorable shapes seem to have a big impact on consumer choices. The same is true of synthetically colored pet foods and treats. Of course, if animals were to choose, they’d probably go for any shape and color, as long as it tastes good and is generally healthy. Indeed, studies have shown that animals tend to choose organic foods over conventional varieties. If your pet can’t catch or choose his or her own treats, and you can’t provide fresh, natural treats, choose natural, USDA certified organic, whole food-based treats that are free of chemicals and have been treated with low or no heat. Your pet will be happy and that healthy diet will contribute to good psychological and physical health.

Depending on the processing methods employed to produce them, commercial pet foods fall into one or the other of the following two categories: heat-treated and raw.

So-called ‘heat-treated’ pet foods are processed using all-too-often excessive levels of heat. These foods are baked, cooked (canned), extruded, or heat-dried (often the case with kibble- or pellet-type pet foods). Diets based on such heat-treated pet foods are probably the least desirable in terms of maintaining the health and general well being of most animals.

Heat processing of food destroys all enzymes, many vitamins and antioxidants, and changes the molecular structure of proteins and even fibers. Attempts to replace nutrients that have been destroyed by heat with supplementary-and predominantly synthetic-nutrients can never compare nutritionally with the benefits and quality of natural, minimally treated nutrients. At present, there is no way to replace structurally altered fibers or denatured proteins. These alterations make heat-processed foods and their constituent nutrients less bio-available or beneficial, and certainly less effective in maintaining health, preventing disease, and helping the healing processes that normally follow injury. Structurally altered pet foods may actually contribute to health problems (e.g., food allergies or inflammation).

Mineral and vitamin supplementation is often used to comply with the American Feed Control official standards for balanced or complete diets. However, these standards can’t possibly reflect the actual nutritional requirements of every domestic animal species. Accordingly, Dr. Junger believes that animals should eat a variety of foods that provide a broad spectrum of natural nutrients. If animals are fed a variety of quality foods to begin with, supplementation with select high quality products can then be used to support good health at different life stages, to prevent age-related deficiencies, or to promote healing after injuries.

Today, with the availability of raw pet food options, consumers and their pets have good diet options. The best raw pet foods are fresh, consisting of raw animal products, plant material, or a combination of the two. Frozen raw pet foods are often a more convenient choice. If fresh or frozen raw foods aren’t available, dehydrated raw foods are a good second choice. The advantage of these dehydrated foods is that they can be stored easily for longer periods of time with little mess and no worry about short-term spoilage.

In terms of nutritional quality, not all dehydrated raw pet food products are the same. Apart from the ingredients used, the quality of this variety of raw pet food depends largely on the temperatures to which their ingredients were exposed during the dehydration process. Dr. Junger’s company, Onesta Organics, uses a truly gentle and slow dehydration process that preserves overall nutritional quality.

As with all pet food products, an important determinant of quality is the choice of ingredients used by manufacturers. Onesta Organics uses only human grade ingredients that are certified organic by a USDA-accredited organic certifying agency. This assures that the ingredients used are verifiably organic. USDA organic certification also ensures that Onesta Organics products are free of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), hormones, and antibiotics, and that no potentially toxic or otherwise unhealthy synthetics are added to your pet’s food.

It also means that all ingredients used are traceable back to their original source. Such sourcing is impossible in the case of conventional pet food manufacturers. Unlike the products of companies which state that their pet food is organic-and, in some cases, might even claim GMO-, hormone-, and antibiotic-free status-only USDA certified organic pet foods are inspected and scrutinized by an independent third party, which assures that all claims made are indeed true. Aside from the fact that Onesta Organics uses healthful, certified organic ingredients in their raw pet foods, unlike other pet food manufacturers, this company sees no point in adding ingredients that are known to be highly allergenic to its pet food products.

The folks at Onesta Organics believe that USDA certified organic, raw pet foods are among the healthiest choices for your pet. Moreover, it’s critically important for pet owners to provide their animals with a wide variety of food choices. In most cases, such a broad-spectrum feeding approach will minimize, or perhaps even negate, the possibility of the kinds of nutritional deficiencies and chronic diseases in pets we hear about all too often these days.