What "100% natural" should actually mean on a dog treat

"Natural" is not a protected word. Anyone can put it on a bag. So it's worth knowing what to look for on the back, because that's where the real answer is.

Start with the ingredients list. A single-ingredient chew should say exactly that and nothing else, our Camel Collagen Braids list "100% Camel Collagen" and that's the entire composition. If a chew that's sold as one thing has a list of six, something has been added.

Watch for the word "derivatives". "Meat and animal derivatives" is a legal catch-all that tells you an animal was involved and very little else. It isn't necessarily bad, but it isn't the same as knowing you're feeding beef.

Check the order. Ingredients are listed by weight, heaviest first. If cereals or vegetable derivatives appear before the protein you're paying for, you're buying mostly filler.

Look at the analytical constituents too, particularly the fat. Dogs on a restricted diet, or prone to pancreatitis, need lower-fat options, which is why we group ours together rather than making you read every label. Fish skins, collagen braids and rabbit ears all tend to sit at the leaner end.

Be sceptical of colour. Dried meat and fish are brown, beige and grey. A bright red or unnaturally green treat has been coloured, and your dog does not care what colour their food is.

None of this makes us the arbiter of what's good for your particular dog. Individual dogs have individual needs, and if yours has an underlying condition or a history of digestive trouble, your vet is the right person to ask. What we can promise is that we'll tell you plainly what's in the bag.