Low-fat dog treats for a dog watching their weight

A dog on a weight plan can still have treats. The trick is choosing lean cuts, breaking them small, and counting them inside the day's calories rather than on top. What a treat can't do is take weight off a dog. That comes from the whole diet and routine, worked out with your vet.

Which cuts are the lean ones?

Fat carries more than twice the energy per gram of protein or carbohydrate (NRC, 2006), so a fatty treat costs more of the day's allowance than it looks. "Low-fat" here means what's in the treat, not what it does.

Lung crisp first. Lung is low in fat, high in protein, and dried it's light and airy, so a piece feels like more treat than it is. Kangaroo lung crisp is the one we'd hand a dog on a plan first. Then chicken breast and kangaroo jerky. Kangaroo runs at roughly 1–2 g of fat per 100 g, one of the leanest red meats (FSANZ), and the kangaroo range is the lean end of everything we do. Liver and the chews aren't off the table, but they're not where you start.

How much treat can a dog on a diet have?

The same rule as any dog, applied more carefully: treats stay under about 10% of the day's food, counted in calories. On a weight plan the 10% comes out of your vet's calorie target, not on top of it: if the treats go in, a little of the meal comes out.

Break pieces small. A dog doesn't measure a reward by weight; a thumbnail-sized piece is a treat, and so is a quarter of it. Count pieces, and count the whole household. "Guilt-free" means one ingredient, lean, nothing added — not calorie-free. Dried meat is concentrated food, and it still counts.

Why is weight a vet conversation?

Because the plan is what matters, and it's theirs to write. Vets assess weight by body condition, not the scale alone (WSAVA), and look at the complete food, activity and anything underneath before the treats. Weight change without a feeding change is something to mention, not manage at home. Once the plan exists, treats fit inside it. Show your vet the label; with one word on it, that takes ten seconds.

Every dog is different. For an ongoing issue, your vet is the first call — this is general information, not veterinary advice.

Keep reading: How many treats can a dog have a day? The 10% rule, explained · Best treats for senior dogs: a feeding guide for the older dog

Sources

• National Research Council (2006). Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats. National Academies Press. nap.nationalacademies.org
• Food Standards Australia New Zealand. Australian Food Composition Database. foodstandards.gov.au
• WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee. Nutrition Toolkit. wsava.org

Pudel · Reviewed September 2026 · Single-protein, naturally dried dog treats, made in Australia. General information, not veterinary advice.