Treats where palatability, texture and functional positioning are designed together — balanced against the complete diet and built for shelf stability.
Treats are bought on appeal, but they still have to be safe, stable and sensible in the daily diet. Texture, water activity, calorie value and any functional claim all need to work together in a small piece.
We develop baked, soft, meat, dental, functional and lickable treats with palatability, shelf stability and feeding guidance designed in from the first prototype.
Start your project with Guires PNLEvery format starts from the species, the life stage and the nutritional objective.
Crunch, shape and colour with a stable, low-water-activity bake.
Small, soft, low-calorie pieces that stay soft through shelf life.
Dried and air- or freeze-dried meat treats with pathogen control.
Texture and hardness matched to breed size and dental protocols.
Joint, calming, skin and digestive treats with set active levels.
Squeeze and lickable formats for engagement and hydration.
Air- and freeze-dried treats can carry Salmonella unless a validated kill step is built in.
Soft treats need humectants and water-activity control to stay safe and soft.
Treats should stay a small share of daily energy, so feeding guides are set from the calorie value.
Hardness and size must suit the dog, especially for chews and dental formats.
Format, function, species and positioning.
Recipe, texture system and calorie value.
Bench samples for shape, texture and appeal.
Water activity, microbiology and actives.
Acceptance tests with partner panels.
Specification and process sheet.
Peer-reviewed findings that shape how we develop this format.
13 of 84 dried-meat dog treats bought in the UK carried Salmonella; air- and freeze-dried treats had no cooking step.
Meat treats are designed with a validated kill step and pathogen testing.
In a 28-day trial in 60 dogs, a daily chew significantly reduced plaque, calculus and bad breath and improved gingivitis scores.
Dental chews are tested against recognised protocols.
Owners’ liking of a dry dog food was driven mainly by colour and appearance, not by what the dog ate.
We test both the pet’s acceptance and the owner’s first impression.
Each application has its own page with the evidence, the actives and the claim boundaries we work within.
Chews, kibbles and treats that help keep teeth clean and breath fresh.
Nutrition that supports calm behaviour during stressful moments.
Keeping active and ageing pets moving comfortably.
Lighter, more satisfying diets that help pets reach and keep a healthy weight.
Every ingredient we choose for pet treats & chews is assessed for nutrient contribution, digestibility, processing behaviour, palatability and the rules in your market — and sourced to your specification.
Regulation updates, the latest research, recalls and market trends that shape pet treats & chews — written by our formulation, testing and regulatory teams.
Every project at Guires Pet Nutrition Lab runs inside an ISO 9001:2015 certified quality system and FSSAI-licensed operations, with documented methods, calibrated instruments, traceable raw materials and reviewed reports — so the results behind your product can be checked and defended.
Yes, within the claim rules for your market and with actives at evidence-based levels.
Yes, including lickables and soft treats designed around cats’ taste preferences.
Yes. Treat pilot batches run through Guires Manufacturing and partner facilities.
Tell us the species, the format and the market — we will come back with an approach and next steps.
Every Guires PNL product is formulated to comply with the FEDIAF Nutritional Guidelines and the AAFCO Dog and Cat Food Nutrient Profiles. Neither body issues certificates to manufacturers, so compliance is verified independently against their published standards — and every product comes with a complete documentation package for regulatory submissions in the EU, US, Australia and Asian markets.
How we verify compliance →