Does your dog suffer from food allergies? Can’t eat wheat or corn? Then you know first hand how hard it can be to find dog treats that your dog can enjoy. But you are in luck – I found a new line of treats called “STAM treats” that don’t contain any wheat or corn. In fact, it doesn’t contain any kind of grains! Instead, the makers of STAM treats use chickpea flour. Chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans, are legumes like lentils and peas. Chickpea flour is high in easily digestible protein, which your dog needs a lot of. STAM treats are free of grains, soy, dairy, eggs, yeast, whey, and artificial preservatives. Try finding THAT in a dog treat in your big box store. And just for fun, each bag of treats features a different STAM dog.

So why do they use chickpea flour? Aside from the important fact that chickpeas are grain-free, their protein content is outstanding, which is crucial to dogs. Protein supplies amino acids to repair damaged tissue, build muscles, supply energy, protect the immune system, and aid in hormone production.

The name STAM is a combination of Stella the Australian Shepherd and Sam the Shelter mutt (but possible Catahoula). It all started with the owner’s dog Stella and her itchy paws. During Stella’s battle with allergies, they began paying better attention to what they were feeding their dogs. They started reading about canine nutrition and talking with their veterinarian. Much to their surprise, they found that even ‘organic’, ‘gourmet’ and ‘all natural’ treats contained ingredients we didn’t want the dogs to have. The superior quality treats we needed weren’t available anywhere or at any price, so they started making them ourselves. With her new grain free treats, Stella no longer chews her paws!

I received four bags (generous!) from the company to test out on Dash.  STAM sells four flavors:  Sardine and Carrot, Peanut Butter and Blueberry, Spirulina and Chia Seed, and Charcoal and Cranberry.  I took the package of Sardine and Carrot with me to the Pumpkinland Halloween Costume Contest down on South Street to test out on the dogs who participated.  One dog owner told me that her dog was “extremely picky and probably wouldn’t eat the treat.”  The dog gobbled it up.  In fact, all of the dogs munched away on the Sardine and Carrot treats.  I then tried out the Spirulina and Chia seed on Dash – but he wouldn’t eat it.  Spirulina is a blue-green algae and often called a “superfood” due to its’ nutritional composition. Spirulina tastes like a combination of seaweed and grass.  The company recommends asking for a sample before buying a dog if your dog has never tasted it before.  Since I know Dash loves peanut butter, I decided to put the Peanut Butter and Blueberry flavor in the PSPCA’s Bad Dog Ball gift basket.  The Charcoal and Cranberry treats are recommended for dogs that experience car sickness.  But I bet they’d be good for dogs with excessive gas, too!   Activated charcoal is given to dogs in small amounts to help settle their stomach and in large doses to counteract poisoning. The cranberries give the added benefit of keeping away urinary tract infections.

But even if your dog doesn’t suffer from food allergies, you still should check out STAM treats.  Commercial dog foods already contain so much filler (such as corn, blech).  But even some organic treats contain filler ingredients as well.  Your dog doesn’t need them.  If you are looking for a nutritous, wholesome, and healthy treat for your dog, STAM is the way to go (and they are made with local ingredients from Oregon).  Each bag retails for $5.99/$9.99, depending on size.  10% of their profit gets donated to no-kill shelters.  While they are currently only sold in stores out west, you can buy them at their online store at www.stamtreats.com.