Dog treats are usually easy to find for pet owners: You try out a few, see what your pup likes and stick to their favorites.
But when your dogs are toothless, senior chihuahuas, it gets a little harder to find treats they can enjoy!
Luckily, pet care brand WagWell has a solution thanks to their new freeze-dried dog treats.
The dogs in question are Chip and Tina, both approximately 13 years old, and Chico, probably around 12.
Chip and Chico came to me in February as a bonded pair with their teeth already removed, with Chip missing his lower jawbone as well. Chico has all of his bones, but he experiences gum sensitivity and can be intimidated by new foods.
Despite these issues, both are ravenous eaters, so I've spent the past few months with them trying to find fun and tasty treats.
The integrity of Tina's mouth structure is much more intact despite losing her teeth, as you can see by her plump appearance. The girl loves to eat.
When WagWell reached out to tell me about their new freeze-dried treats, I told them about my dilemma. They were quick to respond that the treats are a breeze to reconstitute, so I told them I would be happy to try them out on my brood.
I soaked several treats in water and tested the squishiness every few minutes until I felt they were ready to serve. The beef flavor softened more quickly and were ready to go in about 10 minutes, while the cheddar flavor took around 15 or 20 minutes to become equally soft.
I got the pups excited to test in the meantime by letting them sniff the open bags, and everyone seemed eager to dive in.
Once ready, I drained the water from the treat bowl and called the dogs over. After the quickest of sniffs to make sure they liked the treats, everyone dove right in!
All of the dogs were thrilled, even picky Chico, who was begging for more and wagging his tail with each chew. Chip and Tina were just as impressed, with Tina even trying to jump in and steal her brothers' turns.
There was no choking or coughing, minimal dropping and everyone came back for seconds, thirds and fourths, eventually snarfing down almost 20 treats between the three of them.
While that might sound excessive, these treats have the benefit of being only 4 calories each.
According to the Animal Medical Center of Chicago's daily calorie requirement chart, my dogs should eat between 350 and 400 calories per day. Using these guidelines, the 80 or so calories they shared fit squarely into the "10% or less" rule recommended by organizations like the American Kennel Club.
Based on this nutritional profile and my dogs' ease with eating these treats, I will definitely continue feeding these to my pack and recommend trying them out whether you have dentally challenged dogs or just want a new, lower calorie treat to try with your dogs!
Shop WagWell's freeze-dried treats below.
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