What does "100% natural" or "100%" really mean on dog treats?
If you've ever looked at natural dog treats, you've probably seen products labelled 100% Beef, 100% Venison or 100% Fish.
A question we get asked quite often is:
"Does 100% mean it's only meat and nothing else?"
The short answer is not always.
100% means one animal, not necessarily one body part
When a treat is labelled 100% Venison, it simply means every part of that product comes from venison. It doesn't mean it has to be made only from muscle meat.
For example:
- Fish Skin Twists are 100% fish skin.
- Bully Rolls are 100% beef skin.
- Venison Twists are 100% venison bladder.
- Venison Sausages are 100% venison, but they may naturally contain a mixture of meat, organs and connective tissue from the same animal.
The important thing is that nothing from any other animal has been added.
Why is this important?
This is especially important for dogs with food sensitivities or allergies.
For example, if your dog cannot eat chicken, a treat labelled 100% Venison should contain only venison, with no chicken or other protein sources mixed in.
Likewise, if your dog has a grain intolerance, a genuine 100% natural treat should not contain cereals, fillers or unnecessary additives.
Knowing exactly what your dog is eating makes it much easier to choose suitable treats with confidence.
Natural doesn't mean only muscle meat
Unlike human food, natural dog treats often make use of different parts of the animal.
This is completely normal and has been the way dogs have eaten for thousands of years.
Skin, bladder, trachea, ears, tendons, collagen, organs and muscle meat all have different textures, nutritional benefits and chewing properties.
Using different parts of the animal also helps reduce waste by making use of the whole animal rather than just selected cuts.
Why are some sausages different?
Sausages can sometimes cause confusion.
A 100% Venison Sausage doesn't necessarily mean it's made only from venison muscle meat.
Instead, it may contain a natural combination of venison meat, organs and connective tissue. Everything still comes from the same animal, and nothing else has been added.
This helps create a firm, natural sausage without using fillers or alternative protein sources.
Examples
Here's a simple way to think about it:
✅ 100% Fish Skin Twist = fish skin only
✅ 100% Bully Roll = beef skin only
✅ 100% Venison Twist = venison bladder only
✅ 100% Venison Sausage = a natural mixture of venison ingredients only
In every example above, the product is still 100% from one animal.
Always check the product description
If you're ever unsure what part of the animal a natural chew comes from, always check the product description.
At Chow Paws, we always try to explain exactly what each product is made from, so you can choose the right treat for your dog with confidence.
Whether you're looking for a novel protein, avoiding certain ingredients, or simply wanting to know exactly what you're feeding, we're always happy to help if you have any questions.
Simple. Natural. Loved by dogs.