Label reading
Keeping cheese and yogurt out of the treat jar
Updated
Dairy free dog treats are easiest to find on the ingredient list: look for cheese, yogurt, milk or whey. In our monthly box, some treats have Greek yogurt or cheddar cheese bases, and you can leave both out. List them in your order notes or on the website, and we honor that skip like any other.
Where does dairy show up on a dog treat ingredient list?
On the ingredient list itself, and in plain words. Scan for cheese, yogurt, milk, whey and butter. A treat can name one of those as its main ingredient or tuck it further down the list, so read to the end of the line instead of stopping at the first word.
That is a set of words to look for, not a complete dictionary. Labels change from brand to brand, and a word we did not list may still mean milk. When a term is unfamiliar, the maker can tell you what it is.
Front-of-bag wording is only a headline. The ingredient list is the part to read, and a flavor name can be a poor guide to what is inside. The same habit works for other ingredients, and our chicken free dog treats page applies it to chicken.
Which treats in the box are made with dairy?
Our treats are single ingredient and made by us in small batches in Malvern, Pennsylvania, though a few use a non-meat base: Greek yogurt in some, cheddar cheese in others, with the cheddar from New York State.
We do not say which month those turn up or what they are called. Contents vary by month, product photos are examples, and a new treat may appear that was not announced. So the useful question is not whether this month has dairy, but whether you have told us to leave it out.
Treats from the box are for intermittent or supplemental feeding and are not a full meal.
How do you leave cheese and yogurt out of a monthly box?
List them. Put cheese, yogurt, or both in the order notes when you start a box, or on the website. Every protein skip can be honored, and that includes the Greek yogurt and cheddar treats. If your needs change later, contact us and we will update the list.
The way to word and revise a list is covered in the dog treat skip list guide. The box itself is on the dog box page.
What if two dogs in one home need different lists? Order separate boxes, one per dog. Or put every requirement in the notes and we do our best. We do not promise a split box, so if the lists differ a lot, separate orders are the cleaner route.
Why read every bag even after you skip dairy?
Because we do not promise that a box is free of anything. We honor the skip, and the contents still change every month. A treat you have never seen can arrive, and the photos online are only examples.
So when the box lands, read the ingredient list on each bag the way you would in a shop. It takes a minute and it is the one step nobody else can do for you. A bag that lists cheese or yogurt after you asked to skip them should not be fed. Tell us, and we will fix the list.
Think of it like checking a part number against the catalog before it goes on the car. The part may well be right, and you still check.
For more on reading labels, the guides hub has the rest.
Questions
Can I skip yogurt and keep cheddar?
Yes. Name only the one you want left out, such as yogurt, in the order notes or on the website. Every protein skip can be honored, so a list with one dairy item on it works just as well as a list with both.
Is whey dairy on a dog treat label?
Whey is a milk ingredient, so it belongs on the list of label words to scan for, next to cheese, yogurt and milk. We make no claim beyond that. If a label word is unfamiliar, ask the maker before you feed the treat.
Are single ingredient meat treats dairy free?
Read the label. A single ingredient treat lists one ingredient, and that one ingredient tells you what it is. We do not promise anything about a bag you have not read, so check the ingredient line when the bag arrives.
Can the cat box skip dairy too?
Yes, the same way. Every protein skip can be honored, so list what you want left out in the order notes or on the website. As with the dog box, read the ingredient list on each bag when it arrives.
Should I ask my vet before cutting dairy from treats?
Your veterinarian is the one to ask about any change to what your dog eats. We do not give feeding advice. What we can do is leave the items you name out of your box, and you decide the rest with your vet.
What if a treat in my box lists cheese or yogurt anyway?
Do not feed it. Contact us so we can look at your skips and update them. Photos and contents change every month, which is why we ask you to read each bag no matter what your list says.