Collagen for Your Canine: Boost Dog Health with Lung Bite Treats!

Let me tell you, the other night, I was unwinding on the porch with my three dogs after a long day of hiking—all of us worn out and ready for a good night's sleep. We started the morning full of energy and aspirations for a 12-mile trek through hilly terrain with my dogs-welcome hiking club. Now, look at us. I guess we all have our limits.

But the fact that we were all able to tackle the day with such enthusiasm comes down to staying healthy and active. And to do that, we need our nutrition. For my dogs, that means lung bite treats, the best collagen chews for dogs.

From supporting their joint mobility to giving their coats that glossy shine, these collagen-rich chews are more than just tasty treats—they're little bites of wellness.

Why Collagen Is So Important for My Dogs' Health

I've seen first-hand how collagen helps my pups stay active and strong. Collagen is a structural protein, and it's the most abundant one in their bodies and mine.

Bones, joints, skin, hair, muscles (including organs), tendons, and ligaments all start with a flexible collagen latticework called "fascia." It wraps around organs and connective tissues, helping these structures keep their shape as they grow, repair, and replace old cells. Collagen is further woven into these structures to give them added support within and throughout.

So, it's important for dogs to get adequate collagen (or the amino acids that make collagen) in their diets.

Benefits of Collagen Chews for Dogs

Dog studies show that consuming collagen may reduce the risk of developing certain joint disorders, such as osteoporosis, especially when combined with glucosamine, which is more abundant in beef trachea and marrow bones. All of these are my dog's regular dog treat rotations.

Other studies have also shown that collagen may slow the bone loss that happens naturally as humans and dogs age, especially when combined with calcium and vitamin D. Beef lung is also rich in calcium with moderate levels of vitamin D, both superior to muscle meats.

Collagen may also promote muscle health, heart health, bladder health, and gut health in humans and dogs.

The Best Source of Collagen Is Beef Cattle

Lung bite treats are a great source of this collagen. Organ meats (like beef lung) have much more collagen than muscle meat (1-2%) and slightly more than connective tissues(60%). In comparison, the beef lung is around 70% collagen and around 28% elastin (another structural protein).

Muscle meat lacks the primary amino acid collagen building block "glycine," which makes it a poor source of collagen. So, to get enough collagen, a dog's diet needs to include organ meat and/or connective tissues like cartilage. You can find cartilage-based collagen in beef trachea.

Now, just in case someone's out there is fact-checking me, I want to mention that glycine is not an essential amino acid for you or your dog. It's known as a "conditionally essential amino acid."

That means we can make some glycine if we don't have enough. After we make it, our bodies can use it to make collagen.

But...studies have shown that dogs (and humans, by the way) struggle to make enough glycine to support healthy collagen production. It's one of the harder amino acids for mammals to make.

We all need to eat it. And we don't get much from meat. For me, as a human, I consume beef bone broth for this reason. Bone marrow is full of collagen, especially in grass-fed cattle.

Healthy Treats for Dogs Vs. Supplements

I prefer to give my dogs their "supplements" through food, without added preservatives or questionable ingredients. Lung treats are the natural way to ensure my dogs are getting enough collagen.

Plus, collagen is accompanied by a lot of other vitamins and minerals they need for overall health, like iron, calcium, magnesium, and B12. You might as well give a dog collagen with this other health-promoting nutrition.

I mentioned that beef lung for dogs is around 28% elastin. It's important for skin, organ, and arterial health.

How I Incorporate Collagen Chews for Dogs

First of all, of all I try to find an excuse to give my dogs at least one every single day, sort of like it's their daily multi-vitamin, but tasty and delicious.

I also find beef lung for dogs to be the perfect training treat. They're already small. And you can break one into 3-4 smaller pieces if you want to be able to give more treats without over-treating, especially for smaller dogs. It can take many treats to teach and reinforce a trick or good behavior.

I usually buy a huge bulk bag, and it lasts us a very long.

I also use lung bite treats at the end of our regular dog bone chew time. You see, dogs should only chew on their beef marrow-filled dog bones for around 20 minutes to maximize nutrition and the health benefits of chewing on dog bones.

When I bring out the bag of lung treats, my dogs know that gnaw time is over. I can give each one a treat so they safely drop their bone. And I can freeze those marrow bones for another health-promoting chew session in a few days.

This makes our dog bones last longer. And when the bone marrow is gone, I can replace it with other dog favorites from this free marrow bone refill guide.

Finally, lung bites give me a small way to show love through tasty treats without worrying about the questionable ingredients and added sugar of most other dog treats.

Choosing the Best Dog Treats

When picking out the right beef lung treats, make sure they’re made from grass-fed cattle or pasture-raised beef cattle and don’t contain any added fillers. The ones I choose are made right here in the US, and my dogs love them! They're single ingredient—just beef lung for dogs.

They’re also gentle on the digestive system, so even my pup with a sensitive stomach can enjoy them without any issues.

Are Beef Lung Treats Good for Dogs?

Absolutely! These collagen chews for dogs are packed with protein, vitamins, and collagen, these treats are a tasty, healthy addition to your dog’s diet.

They can help with everything from mobility to skin health, and they’re perfect for dogs of all ages and sizes. My dogs love them, and I keep these healthy treats stocked in the dog treat cabinet.

And let me just leave you with this. I like knowing my dogs will be ready for our next hike thanks to their lung bite treats—after some appropriate recovery time.

These collagen-packed chews help them stay healthy and energized for our outdoor adventures. I hope we'll share many more together in the years that come.

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