10 of 10 had glycerin plus a starch
Listed as starch, flour or maltodextrin. These ingredients help keep a chew soft and hold it together.
Look for the 'Other' or 'Inactive' ingredients list.
Is your dog's supplement stuck in the '90s?
Remember 1990s convenience food? Microwave meals, instant noodles, anything in a packet. Fast, shelf-stable and easy, with nutrition somewhere down the list.
That same thinking is still on your dog's shelf, in the tub of soft chews.
Soft chews became the default for one reason: dogs eat them. But the brief was "make it taste like a treat," not "deliver the best nutrition," and the format hasn't changed much since.
To hold their shape and stay soft, chews need binders, starches, oils and preservatives. None of that makes them bad. It just means the format was optimized for something other than your dog’s health.
If you’ve been handing over a soft chew every morning out of habit, it’s worth reading the back of the tub.
Turn the tub around.
Three things on the back of the tub tell you more than anything on the front.
Supplement Facts
①
Serving size: 1 chew (3 g)
②
| Ingredient | Amount per serving |
|---|---|
| Glucosamine | 200 mg |
| MSM | 100 mg |
| Salmon oil | 50 mg |
| Proprietary blend | 125 mg |
③
Other ingredients
Tapioca starch, gelatin, lecithin, glycerin, coconut oil, sunflower oil, chicken liver, brewers yeast, hickory smoke flavor, mixed tocopherols, rosemary extract, citric acid.
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①The serving weight.
One chew weighs 3 g, or 3000 mg. That’s the whole chew: actives, base and moisture. It isn’t 3000 mg of actives.
A bigger chew doesn’t mean more of what you bought it for.
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②The actives and their amounts.
These are the ingredients listed for the benefits on the front. Look for an amount next to each one, not just the number of names.
Some labels group actives into a blend with one combined amount. That means you can’t see how much of each is in there.
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③What makes the chew a chew.
A chew has to hold its shape and stay soft. Here are the ingredients to look out for that do these jobs.
Structure
Help hold the chew together and keep ingredients mixed.
Look for these inactive ingredients
Tapioca starch · Gelatin · Lecithin
Texture
Help retain moisture and give the chew its soft texture.
Look for these inactive ingredients
Glycerin · Coconut oil · Sunflower oil
Stability
Help manage oxidation, acidity and shelf stability.
Look for these inactive ingredients
Mixed tocopherols · Rosemary extract · Citric acid
These do a job. ‘Inactive’ doesn’t mean harmful, just not there for the benefits on the front.
Now check your own chew.
Enter the serving weight and active ingredient amounts from your label.
See how much of your chew is active Close calculator
Use the label above, or swap in the numbers from your tub.
We took the 10 best-selling soft chews and read the back of every label.
The front tells you what a chew promises. The back tells you what's actually in it.
Daily dog supplement
SOFT CHEWS Turn the tub around.10 of 10 had <25% of weight as mg-listed actives
CFU and IU are excluded. The remaining weight isn’t automatically filler.
Look for the serving weight, then add up the milligrams.
5 of 10 had blends with unclear dosages
The label shows one combined amount, so you can’t see how much of each ingredient is in the blend.
Look for the word 'blend' next to a single number.
10 of 10 listed preservatives
Examples included mixed tocopherols (vitamin E) and rosemary extract.
Look for '(preservative)' in brackets.
Now turn Buddy around.
We ran the same four checks on the back of a Buddy sachet.
One Dose. Once a Day.
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Glycerin and starch? None.
A powder doesn’t need to hold a shape.
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Actives share of weight: 84.1%†
3,280 mg of mg-listed actives in a 3.9 g sachet.
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Blends? None.
All 23 actives listed with their own amount.
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Preservatives? None.
Each serving is sealed in its own sachet.
† Actives listed in milligrams only. Probiotics are measured in CFU.
10 benefits. One daily sachet.
- Joints
- Digestion
- Heart
- Skin & coat
- Immunity
- Calm
- Youthfulness
- Mental sharpness
- Energy
- Vision
And a few more things we're proud of
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23 active ingredients
Probiotics, adaptogens, antioxidants, superfoods, vitamins and minerals
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Made in the USA
With premium, globally sourced ingredients
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Human-grade facility
NSF GMP-certified manufacturing
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Organic ingredients
Made with organic and natural ingredients
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Zero added sugar
And no palm oil, corn, soy or wheat
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Just 14 calories
0.1 g of fat per sachet
Dogs eat chews because they taste like treats. Buddy tastes like dinner.
Tear open a sachet and sprinkle it over the food your dog already eats. A smoky bacon flavor, and just 14 calories a sachet.
“she’s always licking up the last bits with her buddy supplements.”
“I have the fussiest dog in the world- and he loves this.”
“My Picky Dog Licks His Bowl Clean”
- Regular price
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$59 - Regular price
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- Sale price
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$59
Shipping calculated at checkout.
10-in-1 Daily Canine Meal Topper
Daily support for a healthier, happier dog. Vet-formulated and science-backed.
- 10 benefits for whole-body health.
- 23 active ingredients. No fillers, no added sugar.
- Bacon flavor that dogs love. Just 14 calories per sachet.
SELECT PURCHASE TYPE
Ships next business day from Arizona.
How to Serve
Once a day: Sprinkle the recommended number of Buddy sachets over your dog's food, or mix it through.
Every day: Like any habit, consistency is key and results may take time. The nutrients in Buddy will support your dog’s health, wellness, and longevity.
Recommended servings:
Small Dog (<25 lbs.) — ½ Sachet Per Day
Medium Dog (25-75 lbs.) — 1 Sachet Per Day
Large Dog (75 lbs.+) — 2 Sachets Per Day
Before you make the switch
My dog likes their chew. Why would I change?
Enjoying the chew is one part of the decision. Look at the active ingredients, their amounts and what else makes up the serving. Buddy gives you another format to consider: a powder with 23 listed actives and disclosed amounts, added to their usual food. Compare the full labels and choose what suits your dog.
Does Buddy have flavoring?
Yes. Buddy lists defatted porcine liver powder and natural smoke flavor as other ingredients. We’re comparing the formats, not claiming that flavoring is unique to chews or that Buddy is 100% active ingredients.
Can Buddy replace the supplement I already give?
That depends on what you give and why your dog takes it. Buddy’s broad formula is not a like-for-like replacement for every targeted supplement or prescribed product. Compare the ingredients and amounts with your vet before replacing or combining products.
What if my dog takes medication or prescribed supplements?
Ask your vet before adding Buddy or changing an existing routine. Show them the full ingredient list and the other products your dog takes so they can check suitability and overlapping ingredients. Do not stop prescribed treatment to make the switch.
How do I add it to my dog’s routine?
Choose the Buddy option for your dog’s size and follow the pack’s feeding directions, including any introduction guidance. Sprinkle it over their usual food. For a sensitive dog or an existing health condition, ask your vet how best to introduce it.
Do I have to subscribe?
No. The purchase box offers a one-time purchase as well as subscription options. It shows the price, billing frequency and included benefits for each option before you add it to your cart.
What does the 30-day guarantee cover?
For an eligible first order, you can request a refund within 30 days of delivery, covering at most one 30-sachet box, excluding shipping and taxes, subject to review. Six-month subscriptions and multi-dog orders are excluded. Check the full terms before choosing your order.
