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If you are a dog owner, you know how important proper nutrition is when it comes to the good health of your friend. Sweet potatoes are packed with wholesome nutrition, but are not used enough in pet food & treats. Below are a few of the benefits of using sweet potatoes in your dog’s diet.

1. Sweet potatoes make excellent chewable treats

Dogs love to chew. It strengthens their jaws, cleans their teeth and keeps them occupied and happy. Unlike wolves and coyotes in the wild, pet dogs do not have many things they can chew, so they chew on their owner’s shoes and other leather items inside the house. To save their shoes, many owners give toys or rawhide to satisfy their urges to chew. However, there are concerns about using rawhide as a chewable treats for dogs, one being the risk of choking on the rawhide.

In order to give their dogs safe and nutritious chewable treats, many pet owners can use alternatives to rawhide. One of the most popular among these alternatives is the sweet potato dog chew. Sweet potato chew treats are better than animal rawhide for many reasons. Below are more reasons as to why sweet potatoes are good chews.

2. They are less attractive to bacteria

Unlike rawhide, which are made from animal skins, sweet potato dog treats are made from a vegetable and are therefore less susceptible to being colonized by bacteria and other microorganisms. Dogs can enjoy chewing these treats without the danger of getting sick from bacteria such as e-coli.
3. You get the full benefit of an unprocessed food

The animal skin used in making rawhide need to go through many processes in order to make them last a long time. Those processes could possibly include added chemical preservatives. On the other hand, sweet potato chew treats are simply made by baking sliced sweet potatoes in the oven for twenty to thirty minutes. Then they are placed on the freezer for several days to further remove the remaining moisture. Chemicals are not needed to preserve the sweet potato treat because vegetables are not very conducive to microorganisms.
4. They have more nutritional value

Pet owners who want to maximize their dog’s potential would surely like the treats they give their dogs to be nutritious. Rawhide made from animal skins are lacking nutrition, as skins are probably the least nutritious part of any animal. On the other hand, Sweet Potato Dog Treats are rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin B, Vitamin C, Calcium and Iron. Not only will the dog love sweet potatoes’ sweet taste, they may also become healthier eating them.
5. Sweet potatoes are not difficult to digest

Rawhide are almost similar to leather. Both are made from animal skin and when they are dried and processed, they are very difficult to digest. Dogs who chew rawhide and swallow a lot of them may find themselves having tummy aches. On the other hand, sweet potato is made of starch. If it’s immersed in water, it will disintegrate and dissolve. Stomach acid can also break down starch easily. A dog can eat many of these snacks safely.

Most dog owners would give anything to make their dogs happy and healthy. Because chewing is a favorite hobby among dogs, many pet owners give them rawhide. Unfortunately rawhide are not really very safe, that is why many dog owners are switching to sweet potato chews. Sweet potatoes are one of the safest and most nutritious food options for your dogs.