HOUSTON — Earlier this summer, A Better Treat introduced its USDA Organic Pumpkin Dog and Cat Treats, a freeze-dried, no-mess take on the ingredient known for its digestive health benefits. The family-owned company sources organic pumpkin from farms in the United States to create the treats in a human-grade, FDA-regulated facility.

It’s no secret among pet owners that pumpkin can help with digestive upsets, such as diarrhea, constipation, and upsets resulting from food transitions. According to A Better Treat, pumpkin is high in fiber and a natural source of prebiotics. The company’s new single-ingredient, freeze-dried pumpkin treats offer a new way for owners to administer pumpkin to their pets, eliminating the need to buy and store pumpkin puree in the fridge.

“Being good for the stomach is our No. 1 hallmark,” said Julie Chen, head of strategy at A Better Treat. “The fact that it’s versatile is something that we’re excited about, because it’s really just been purees and powders on the market so far.”

The USDA Organic Pumpkin Dog and Cat Treats are grain- and gluten-free and do not contain additives, GMOs, or any other ingredients besides organic pumpkin. The organic certification ensures no pesticides or chemicals make their way into the final product.

At just 0.2 kcal per treat, they can be given for training, rewarding, or served as a meal topper. The treats can also be rehydrated to achieve a softer texture. Because it’s human-grade, Chen told Pet Food Processing she’s even been snacking on them herself.

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“We’ve actually had a lot of dog trainers really excited about this treat, too,” she added. “They can feel comfortable training all day with their dogs on it without worrying about their calorie marker, or if the treat will give them an upset stomach during longer training sessions.”

This new pumpkin treat joins A Better Treat’s existing portfolio of single-ingredient treats for dogs and cats, which includes Grass-Fed Beef, Wild-Caught Alaskan Salmon and Free-Range Chicken Breast treats all in freeze-dried formats.

“We wanted to source the way that we personally like to shop at grocery stores — grass-fed, free-range, organic, etc.,” Chen said. “That hits with how a lot of people, especially in larger metropolitan areas, shop for themselves and their pets. They know that high-quality ingredients in the foods they shop for have a higher nutrient benefit for themselves, and so we wanted to be able to source that way so consumers can provide that high-quality nutrition to their pets as well.

“The pet space is very saturated, especially when it comes to treats and consumables, so one way we’re really trying to differentiate and double down on is being the best sourced through claims like ‘USDA Organic’ and ‘made in the USA,’” she added.

The USDA Organic Pumpkin Dog and Cat Treats are available now on A Better Treat’s e-commerce platform, as well as on Amazon and at select independent retailers across the United States and grocers in California.

Read more about new pet food and treat products.