DreamBone Triple Action Dental Sticks, 10 Ct, Small

Offer one of these dental sticks for dogs to a small or medium sized dog as an intermittent or supplemental treat, and keep fresh drinking water available at the same time. Ten sticks come in the pack, which weighs 170 g (6 oz) in total. The recipe is rawhide-free and brings together real chicken, wholesome vegetables and real bone charcoal.

How the manufacturer says to give the sticks

Pick a treat a little bigger than your dog's mouth, the maker's directions say, then stay with the dog while it chews, particularly when that dog tends to gulp treats down whole. Water should be within reach throughout, and leftover pieces belong in the bin.

These sticks sit in the supplemental or intermittent feeding category, per the same directions. No more than 10% of a dog's daily calories should come from treats, and the maker suggests a talk with your veterinarian about how many calories a day suit your dog, taking into account its weight, size, breed, age and activity level.

Where these sticks fit and where they do not

DreamBone lists this style for small and medium sized dogs, so a dog outside those sizes is not covered by the stated range. The packaging measures 5.7 x 13 x 19.5 cm (2.2 x 5.1 x 7.7 in), which gives you an idea of the length before you offer one.

Two points decide whether the pack suits a household: the 10% calorie ceiling on treats, and the instruction to keep the chew slightly larger than the dog's mouth. When either is hard to judge for your dog, the maker advises asking your veterinarian whether the product is right for that dog.

What the 10-count pack contains

• 10 dental sticks in the charcoal style
• 170 g (6 oz) total weight across the pack
• Sticks shaped as a stick, with a spearmint paste centre

How the triple action stick is built

Each stick is a triple action dental chew, and the outer surface carries bristles that the maker says help remove plaque and tartar. A paste flavoured with real spearmint sits in the centre of the stick.

Bone charcoal, chicken and vegetables go into a rawhide-free recipe, and the maker adds no flavouring or preservative of the artificial kind and no colouring that comes from an artificial source. Calcium is present, and vitamins and minerals are added.

The manufacturer describes the chew as easy to digest, and the ingredients list names tapioca starch, dried sweet potato, chicken, pea starch, rice flour and dried cauliflower among the components.

What is in these dental chews?

The ingredients list starts with tapioca starch, dried sweet potato, chicken, pea starch, glycerin, cortarch and rice flour, then calcium carbonate, bone charcoal, honey, dried cauliflower, soybean oil, gelatin, spearmint oil, caramel (color), sodium hexametaphosphate, dried cultured whey, vitamin E supplement, rosemary extract and manganese sulfate.

Chicken is the named meat in the list, sweet potato is listed as the special ingredient, and the sticks contain no rawhide.

What a buyer may want to know before choosing these sticks

How many sticks are in the pack?

The pack contains 10 chews, and the total weight is 170 g (6 oz).

Are these sticks free of rawhide?

Yes, the manufacturer describes the sticks as rawhide-free, and the recipe uses chicken, vegetables and bone charcoal instead.

Which dogs is this style meant for?

The maker lists small and medium sized dogs for this style, and directs that the treat chosen should be slightly larger than the dog's mouth.

What flavour is the centre of the stick?

Real spearmint flavours the paste in the centre, and the outside of the stick carries bristles.

How much of a dog's daily food can these treats make up?

A dog's treats should add up to 10% of daily calories at most, and the sticks are meant for supplemental or intermittent feeding.