Best Diabetic Dog Treats

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For dogs with diabetes, a special diabetic dog food diet should be considered alongside their meals. It’s essential to choose treats that are diabetic-friendly, as there are various types of treats suitable for diabetic dogs, and some commercial treats are not safe for them.

In this article, we will discuss the best diabetic dog treats, what to look for and alternatives to store-bought treats.

 What to Look For in a Diabetic Dog Treat

Dogs with diabetes have insulin deficiency, which affects blood sugar regulation. To prevent negative effects on their sugar levels, diabetic dogs should avoid low-quality carbohydrates in treats and kibble.

Commercial dog foods often contain high-sugar ingredients, so it’s essential to find treats specifically formulated for diabetes. These treats should contain complex carbohydrates with a low glycemic index to prevent a sugar spike.

You can find commercial dog treats for your diabetic dog if you know what to look for. Here are some things to look for when shopping for diabetic dog treats:

• Hard & Crunchy treats digest more slowly; therefore, they don’t raise blood glucose as fast as softer treats
• High Protein & Low Starch with no added sugars. The protein content should be higher than carbohydrates. 
• Low-Calorie Content to control weight and ensure you do not overfeed your dog
• High fiber is also a bonus because it slows digestion and the absorption of dietary carbohydrates.
• No Added Sugars because they can affect your dog’s blood sugar levels.

Compare the Best Diabetic Dog Treats

Compare Diabetic Dog Treats

The Best Diabetic Dog Treats

How Often Should You Feed a Diabetic Dog Treats?

A dog with diabetes needs  a consistent diet and diabetic treats should be used sparingly. This will make it easier to manage your dogs blood glucose levels. Also, changing treats often will make it difficult to manage your dog’s insulin levels because he can react negatively to different products.

If your dog is on once-a-day insulin injections, you can give your dog half a treat just before his injection, and the other half about eight hours after. If your dog is on two insulin injections, treats can be given right before each injection, with ten or more hours between each injection.

Always speak with your veterinarian about what kind and how many treats you should be feeding your diabetic dog.

Natural Treats For Diabetic Dogs

If you prefer to give your dog natural, unprocessed treats rather than store-bought, there are lots of fresh vegetables, fruits, and even tofu that your diabetic dog can eat.

Low-glycemic vegetables such as bell peppers, brussel sprouts, carrots, cucumber, green beans, pumpkin, turnips, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, and pumpkin are great low-calorie treats. 

Any of these foods can be fed to your pup cooked, raw, or frozen. Steaming is the best option when cooking and do not add seasoning of any kind because dogs not only don’t like it, some of it is toxic. 

There are several fruits that you can feed your diabetic dogs, such as bananas, blueberries, cranberries, and apples. Apples are not only high in fiber, but the pectin in the skin helps control how your dog’s body absorbs glucose. It is best to avoid giving your dog fruits that are high in sugar, like mangoes and peaches.

Unprocessed meat products like eggs, chicken, turkey, and fish can be given to your dog but should be cooked or dehydrated first. Also, it is best to remove the fatty skin and avoid beef and pork, which both contain too much fat for a diabetic dog.

Diabetic Dog Treat Recipes

Diabetic dog treats can be made at home using natural and simple ingredients. This allows you to control what you are feeding your dog and saves money in the long run.

Here’s a list of  ingredients that you can include when making diabetic dog treats recipes:

• Whole-grain flours
• Meat and fish
• Oatmeal or oat flour
• Cornmeal
• Buttermilk or yogurt
• Chicken broth or bouillon
• Raw seeds like sesame seeds or sunflower seeds
• Bran for roughage
• Brewers’ yeast
• Eggs
• Beans
• Peanut butter
• Brown rice and brown rice flour
• Carrots
• Apples and applesauce
• Flaxseeds
• Pumpkin
• Cinnamon

Final Thoughts

Giving your dog diabetic treats will make your dog happy and loved, as well as be a good option when training or rewarding your pup. Remember, leaving diabetes untreated can lead to  organ problems, skin problems, and many other health issues.