Bright Bites are 100% Soluble
BRIGHT BITES AND DIGESTIBILITY
Because of concerns regarding the digestibility of various pet dental health treats, Bright Bites were put through a simulated digestion process at the University of Illinois in the lab of the renowned animal nutritionist, Dr. George Fahey. Dr. Fahey has developed a series of chemical baths that simulate digestion.
The treats were placed into the simulated digestion in one piece, as if the dog swallowed them whole. In reality, we would not expect a dog to swallow one of the Bright Bites whole, but it is possible for a dog to swallow a large chunk, especially if they are eating quickly or think someone might take away the treat.
At the end of the digestion period, 18 hours, the material left behind is what we would expect to leave the small intestine and go into the colon to be expelled as feces. What was left? Nothing!* So, the safety of these treats is without question excellent.
For dogs that are “gulpers”, you should never feed treats or give toys that can be broken down into pieces that might be swallowed. Gulpers may swallow such a large piece that this piece gets stuck in the esophagus on its way to the stomach which can cause choking. For this reason, we recommend that you do not feed Bright Bites to puppies less than 6 months of age and that you make sure your dog adequately chews Bright Bites. Young puppies tend to be a bit overenthusiastic about treats and food and are often gulpers. There are exceptions to every rule, but we formulated our feeding directions based on the average pet, not the exception.
*Based on results of a two-stage gastrointestinal digestibility study performed at the University of Illinois.