How Many Treats Should Your Dog or Cat Actually Have?
A simple, practical way to treat generously without overdoing it.
Treats are love — but they're also calories, and it's easy to lose track. Here's a simple way to keep treating joyful and healthy.
The rule of thumb. A widely-used guideline is keeping treats to roughly a small fraction of your pet's daily calories, with the rest coming from balanced meals. Treats aren't complete nutrition, so they're the extra, not the base.
Match the treat to the pet's size. A treat that's a reasonable snack for a big dog can be a big chunk of a small dog's or cat's day. Break treats into smaller pieces for little pets — they care about frequency more than size anyway.
Use treats with purpose. Training, enrichment, and bonding are great reasons to treat. Doling out tiny single-ingredient pieces during training gives you lots of "yes!" moments without piling on calories.
Watch for the hidden extras. Table scraps, dental chews, and "just one more" add up. If you're increasing treats, trim meal portions slightly to balance it out.
Choose clean treats so the calories are honest — single-ingredient, no fillers, nothing artificial. That's the standard we hold at EveryPetHaven Kitchen: fresh, gently-dehydrated treats with the net weight on every bag, so you always know what you're giving. Launching soon on Kickstarter — join the list at everypethaven.com/kickstarter.
General information, not veterinary advice. Your vet can give calorie targets for your specific pet.