Kangaroo Dog Treats

Kangaroo is the treat protein most often reached for when a dog reacts to chicken or beef. It is a genuine novel protein in Australia — most dogs have never eaten it, so there is nothing for an existing food sensitivity to latch onto — and it is naturally very lean, typically around 2% fat against 10% or more for beef. That combination is why it turns up in so many elimination diets and in so many treat ranges for overweight dogs. PeekAPaw stocks it from BlackDog, WAG, Prime100, The Pet Project, Bugsy's, Laila & Me, SavourLife and others.

The format matters more than the brand. Air dried and jerky strips tear easily and are the practical training option — you can break one strip into a dozen rewards. Whole pieces such as tails, clods and shanks are the opposite: a supervised chew that occupies a dog for half an hour, and one that should be taken away once the piece is small enough to swallow. Freeze dried pieces sit between the two, and crumble, so they suit small dogs and puzzle feeders rather than pockets.

Two things worth knowing before you switch. Novel protein only works as an elimination strategy if the rest of the diet is clean too — a kangaroo treat alongside a chicken based kibble tells you nothing, and it is the single most common way an elimination trial goes wrong. And because kangaroo is so lean, these treats are dry and dense; they last well but count into the daily ration the same as any other treat.

Note that a few products pair kangaroo with a second protein — read the ingredient panel rather than the name if you are avoiding a specific meat.

• Kangaroo Dog Food
• BlackDog Treats & Chews
• WAG
• All Dog Treats
• Freeze Dried Dog Treats
• Liver Treats for Dogs