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A well-balanced diet for your dog needs healthy fat for a variety of reasons. But some pups with special dietary needs will want to reduce the amount of fat they’re getting. Dogs who might need a low-fat diet include pups with pancreatitis, liver disease, or irritable bowel syndrome. For them, it’s critical to keep fat content low not just in their regular diet, but also in any treats that come their way.
Dog treats are considered “low-fat” when fat content on a dry-matter basis is under 15%. But not all low-fat treats are created equal. “When removing fat from a product, you do need to watch what else was put in the product to make it palatable,” explains Dr. Jim D. Carlson, a holistic veterinarian and owner of Riverside Animal Clinic and Holistic Center. That means looking for treats that are made up of whole foods without a lot of added sugar or preservatives.
Fortunately, there are a lot of healthy low-fat dog treats on the market. Dehydrated meat treats are a good high-value choice, and they’re low-mess to carry around. Non-meat treats that are based in whole grains or veggies and fruit can make for good everyday rewards that don’t add many calories to your dog’s daily diet.
You can also find some of the healthiest treats in your own kitchen—many dogs love apples, bananas, carrots, and other produce.
We’ve rounded up some of our favorite AAFCO-compliant low-fat dog treats, plus what these snacks are especially effective at. As always, it’s up to you and your vet to make the best choice for your pup.
Best Low-Fat Treats for Digestion: JustFoodForDogs Pumpkin
For a lot of dogs on low-fat diets, digestibility is a major concern. These treats from JustFoodForDogs contain only five ingredients. The main one is digestion-friendly pumpkin, which helps regulate the stomachs of pups who regularly experience soft stools or diarrhea.
These are low-protein and low-fiber as well, making them a good everyday treat for a less active dog. “Dogs should use up their energy between meals, but overweight and inactive dogs don’t always metabolize their food before the next meal,” cautions Dr. Carlson.
Other similarly low-fat dehydrated treats from this brand include chicken breast (6% fat) and beef liver bark (5% fat); even the higher-fat salmon bark still squeaks in as lower fat, at 14%.
Key Nutrients (Pumpkin):
- 3,340 kcal/kg
- Fat: 5%
- Protein: 14%
- Fiber: 4%
Ingredients: Whole Wheat Flour, Pumpkin Purée, Cane Molasses, Safflower Oil, Cinnamon
Shop on JustFoodForDogs Shop on ChewyBest Low-Fat Organic Treats: Riley’s Peanut Butter and Molasses
Like the pumpkin treats above, these no-filler-added crunchy low-fat treats contain just a handful of whole food ingredients and come in two flavors—peanut butter and molasses or sweet potato. Both recipes have similar nutritional profiles. They’re also USDA-certified organic, and are available in two treat sizes, small (shown here) and large, for the bigger dogs.
Crunchy treats like these tend to make a good everyday low- to medium-value reward for many dogs, but because they require chewing, you’ll want to look at softer options for dogs with dental issues, senior dogs, or very young pups.
Key Nutrients (Peanut Butter):
- 4,831 kcal/kg; 6 kcal/piece
- Fat: 11%
- Protein: 19%
- Fiber: 6%
Ingredients: Organic Peanut Butter, Organic Oat Flour, Organic Oats, Organic Peanut Flour, Organic Molasses
Shop on Chewy Shop on AmazonBest Low-Fat Dental: Get Naked Weight Management Dog Treats
Low-fat, low in calories, and high in fiber, these soft dog chews are formulated to clean your dog’s teeth without adding too many calories to their daily diet. Added L-Carnitine may help boost your pet’s metabolism, which is good for weight maintenance. Chicken and natural chicken flavor make them appealing for your dog, while carrots, flaxseed, cranberries, and apples support chewability and tooth health. They’re grain-free and available in small and large sizes.
Key Nutrients:
- 2,950 kcal/kg; 25 kcal/small stick or 92 kcal/large stick
- Fat: 2%–4%
- Protein: 24%
- Fiber: 4%
Ingredients: Dried potatoes, vegetable glycerin, gelatin, water, chicken, natural chicken flavor, carrots, organic flaxseed, cranberries, apples, cinnamon, parsley, chia seed, agar-agar, l-carnitine, peppermint oil, l-ascorbyl-2 polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), green tea extract (decaf)
Shop on Chewy Shop on Amazon Shop on PetcoBest High-Protein Treat: The Honest Kitchen Pure & Tasty Ocean Chews (Verified Review)
Few treats are simpler than fish skins that have been dehydrated. These human-grade treats contain just one ingredient—fish skin—and come in two varieties, cod or wolffish. They’re a high-protein, healthy chew option for your dog. While these are touted as extended chews, we’ve found (and reviewers agree) that how long they last really depends on your dog’s chewing habits. They’re 100% wild-caught and sustainably sourced.
“Dogs who don’t use much energy through the day, such as older, inactive, or overweight dogs who aren’t exercising often, benefit the most from low-fat treats,” says Dr. Carlson.
Key Nutrients:
- 3,700 kcal/kg
- Protein: 93%
- Fat: 5%
- Fiber: 1%
Ingredients: Dehydrated cod skins or dehydrated wolffish skins
Shop on ChewyBest Grain-Free Low-Fat Dog Treats: Wet Noses Grain Free
These organic dog treats come in a variety of non-meat-based savory flavors, so you can rotate through carrot and sweet potato (shown here), peanut butter and banana, apple and ginger, and more. They’re verified GMO-free by the Non-GMO Project and don’t contain corn, wheat, soy, or dairy, artificial preservatives or animal byproducts. They’re a crunchy low- to medium-value treat.
Key Nutrients:
- 3,443 kcal/kg or 17 kcal/treat
- Protein: 16%
- Fat: 10%
- Fiber: 4%
Ingredients: Organic Pea Flour, Organic Canola Oil, Organic Molasses, Organic Carrot Puree, Organic Sweet Potato Puree, Organic Peanut Butter
Shop on ChewyBest Low-Calorie Treats for Training: Zuke’s Mini Naturals
These soft treats have a flavor and aroma that dogs (in our experience) crave. That, plus their low per-piece calorie content (2 kcal) makes them a good high-value treat for training. They come in several meat protein recipes and one peanut butter variety—all lead with the central protein (rabbit shown here) as the first ingredient and not much else. Fat for all of the treats hovers between 4% and 6%, with the peanut butter recipe having the highest level at 8%.
Key Nutrients (Rabbit Recipe):
- 2,575 kcal/kg, 2 kcal/piece
- Fat: 6%
- Protein: 11%
- Fiber: 3%
Ingredients: Rabbit, Rice, Oats, Glycerin, Potatoes, Cane Sugar, Malted Barley Flour, Potato Protein, Salt, Dried Cultured Whey, Citric Acid, Natural Flavor, Cherries, Vinegar, Turmeric Spice, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Proteinate, Mixed Tocopherols for Freshness
Shop on ChewyBest Single-Protein: Stella & Chewy Freeze-Dried Treats
These freeze-dried raw treats contain just a single ingredient and come in several options, mostly organ meats (we’ve highlighted the beef liver here). All keep to a low—under 10%—fat level. With no added ingredients, it makes it easy to know what your dog is consuming, which can be especially great for pups with sensitive digestion.
The all-meat content makes it a potentially high-value treat for your dog, while the freeze-dried texture makes it high-value for pet parents, with no mess.
Key Nutrients (Beef Liver):
- 3,600 kcal/kg
- Fat: 5%
- Protein: 67%
- Fiber: 1%
Ingredients: Beef liver
Shop on Chewy Shop on Amazon Shop on PetcoBest Freeze-Dried Raw Low-Fat Dog Treats: PureBites
Veterinary health expert Dr. Gary Richter is a fan of single-protein dehydrated meat as healthy treats for your dog. We’ve got a few on our list here, including these dehydrated chicken breast pieces. At 3% fat and 3 kcals per piece, you can’t get much lower fat and calories in a very high-protein treat. It’s a high-value treat that can work well for training or other rewards.
Key Nutrients:
- 3,709 kcal/kg; 3 kcal/piece
- Fat: 3%
- Protein: 78%
- Fiber: 1%
Ingredients: Chicken breast
Shop on Chewy Shop on Amazon Shop on PetcoBest High-Fiber Dog Treats: Fruitables Baked Pumpkin and Banana
These pumpkin and banana flavored baked treats are a low-fat and higher-fiber snack for your dog. They come in several other flavors, including pumpkin and apple and sweet potato and pecan—all have a similar fiber percentage thanks to ingredients like pumpkin, apple, and sweet potato.
Key Nutrients:
- 3,447 kcal/kg; 8 kcal/treat
- Fat: 7%
- Protein: 8%
- Fiber: 9%
Ingredients: Pumpkin, Ground Oats, Barley, Potatoes, Sunflower Oil, Molasses, Cinnamon, Bananas, Natural Banana Flavor, Natural Vanilla Flavor, Mixed Tocopherols (To Preserve Freshness), Rosemary Extract, Green Tea Extract, Spearmint
Shop on Chewy Shop on Amazon Shop on PetcoHow We Chose
The products featured here were selected based on a combination of our own hands-on testing and a comprehensive look at customer reviews across a wide variety of retail platforms. We prioritized treats that maintain a low-fat profile with quality, limited whole food ingredients. We’re also guided by the experience of living and playing alongside our own much-loved and strongly opinionated pets, who are never stingy with their feedback.