2026 Dental Chews: How Raw Recalls Changed My Rotation

By Nalla’s Dad | August 31, 2026

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The first thing I do each morning—before coffee, before checking the weather—is open the recall feed on my phone. It’s a habit I picked up last spring, and it started with a specific email: a freeze-dried raw brand I’d seen on the shelf next to Nalla’s dental chews had issued a recall for low thiamine. That same week, I found a chewed-up bully stick in her basket and thought, wait—could this be connected? I’m not a vet or a nutritionist, but I’m an engineer who reads recalls like release notes. So I sat down with Nalla’s treat jar, a spreadsheet, and a very suspicious shepherd mix, and I did the audit I wish every owner would do.

The Recall That Made Me Rethink the Treat Jar

When I first heard about the GO Raw freeze-dried recall—linked to low thiamine and reports of neurological issues in dogs—I wasn’t surprised that a raw product was involved. I’ve been cautious about raw diets for years (more on that in a minute). What did surprise me was how many of Nalla’s dental chew options were either freeze-dried or single-ingredient raw. I had assumed dental chews were a “safe” category because they’re not full meals. That assumption was wrong.

I spent an entire evening mapping out the recall details, the brands involved, and how processing methods differ. I checked batch numbers on every bag we owned. I learned that “freeze-dried” doesn’t mean “bacteria-free,” and that low thiamine is not always visible to the eye. The whole experience reminded me of a software bug that only appears in production—you can’t see it until it hurts a user. For us, the “user” is a fluffy 50-pound shepherd mix who trusts me with every bite.

Why Dental Chews Are Suddenly a Recall Concern

Dental chews have been a staple in dog care for decades, but the 2026 landscape is different. The rise of “natural,” “raw,” and “single-ingredient” marketing has blurred the line between a dental chew and a raw food product. Many dental chews are now made from freeze-dried muscle meat, organs, or even whole fish—products that, if not properly processed or tested, carry the same contamination and nutrient-deficiency risks as raw food.

Here’s the core issue: a dental chew is, at its heart, a food product. It’s ingested, partially digested, and absorbed. So no matter how much the marketing focuses on teeth, the safety bar should be the same as for any food your dog eats. When a recall like the GO Raw one hits, it exposes gaps in how we think about treats—because treats are food, not toys.

From a data perspective, here are three numbers that made me pause:

73% of the dental chews I initially surveyed used some form of raw or air-dried claim on their packaging (as of mid-2026).
5 separate raw or freeze-dried food/treat recalls were issued in the first half of 2026, according to public FDA and company notices.
Only 1 of those recalls involved a product sold primarily as a dental chew—but the overlap in ingredients and processing means no product is fully isolated.

That’s why this topic matters for every dog owner, not just raw feeders. Even if you’ve never touched raw food, your chew basket might be sitting next to a time bomb.

What the 2026 Recalls Actually Covered

Let me break down what I found, in plain terms, because recall notices are often written in legalese and buried at the bottom of an FDA page. The most significant recall in this space was the GO Raw freeze-dried line, which was pulled due to low thiamine (Vitamin B1) levels. Thiamine is essential for normal nerve and brain function. Low levels can cause neurological signs like wobbliness, circling, head tilt, or even seizures in severe cases. The recall was voluntary, but it affected a range of products, and the company advised stopping use immediately.

Beyond GO Raw, there were a few smaller recalls of freeze-dried liver and single-ingredient treats due to potential Salmonella contamination. None of those specific recalls named Nalla’s brand, but the pattern was clear: if a product is minimally processed and has a short “from animal to bag” supply chain, it’s more vulnerable.

I’m not naming every brand because my goal isn’t to scare you—it’s to empower you. The takeaway here is not “all raw is bad.” It’s “all minimally processed food needs the same scrutiny.” And that includes your dental chews.

How I Audited Nalla’s Dental-Chew Rotation

Here’s the process I used, step by step. You don’t need to be an engineer or a food scientist to do this, but you do need to be methodical.

Step 1: Check Batch Numbers
Every time I open a new bag of anything, I now photograph the batch code and lot number. If there’s a recall later, I can match it in three minutes instead of three hours. For Nalla’s dental chews, I cross-checked every batch against the FDA recall database and the company’s own recall page. None matched, but the habit alone gave me peace of mind.

Step 2: Look Up Ingredient Sourcing
I read the company’s “where does this come from?” page. If a brand can’t tell me the country of origin for the beef or chicken, I pass. I’m not asking for a farm GPS, but I do want to know the processing facility is in a country with food safety regulations.

Step 3: Understand the Processing Method
This was the biggest aha. There are three main ways chews are made:

Freeze-dried: Frozen, then placed in a vacuum chamber to remove moisture. Preserves nutrients but does not always kill all pathogens—heat is not part of the process.
Dehydrated: Heated at low temperatures for hours or days. Kills more bacteria, but still raw in a sense.
Baked/ cooked: Heated to a temperature that kills pathogens and alters proteins. This is the closest to “safe” in traditional food safety terms.

I now only consider chews that are explicitly baked, cooked, or slow-roasted. For freeze-dried, I check if the manufacturer applies a kill step (like high-pressure processing or irradiation) before freezing.

Step 4: Look for Independent Testing
Do they publish third-party lab results? Is there an HACCP plan? These are signs a company treats treats like food. If a brand is vague, I don’t gamble.

Step 5: The 30-Day Rule
I never give Nalla a new chew every day. I introduce it, watch her for signs of GI upset, and note any changes in energy or stool. This is my “beta test” period. After 30 days, if she’s good, I add it to the rotation. If she’s not, I drop it.

The 3 Chews I Re-Tested After the Recalls

After my audit, I narrowed down Nalla’s rotation to three chews that I feel good about. All three passed the batch check, ingredient sourcing, and processing scrutiny. Here’s the honest breakdown, including my own trial-and-error.

1. Greenies Regular Dental Treats (the VOHC-Accepted Standby)

I’d spent years treating Greenies as the boring default – the chew you grab at the grocery store when you haven’t really thought about it. After the recalls, boring started to look like a feature. These are cooked and extruded, not raw, built on a chicken-flavored wheat-protein base, so the freeze-dried failure mode that started this whole audit doesn’t apply to them at all. They’re also VOHC-accepted, which is the one third-party dental claim I bother with: the Veterinary Oral Health Council publishes its accepted-products list openly, and you can check a brand against it in about thirty seconds.

What I liked: the supply chain is as dull as it gets. One recipe, batch codes printed on the bag, and a product that’s been on shelves long enough that a sourcing change would actually make news. The Regular size is specced for dogs 25-50 lbs, and at one a day a 36-count bag runs a bit over a month.

What I didn’t like: at around 50 lbs, Nalla sits right at the ceiling of that Regular range, and I’d rather a dog be mid-range than at the edge of one. They also vanish fast – nothing close to the half hour a bully stick buys me – so I treat these as dental upkeep, not entertainment. And they’re a processed treat with a real calorie cost, which means they come out of her daily budget rather than sitting on top of it.

Where they fit in Nalla’s rotation: Daily, after her evening meal, as the baseline the rest of the rotation gets built around.

2. Best For My Pets 6-Inch Odor-Free Beef Bully Sticks

These are a staple in many dog homes, and for good reason. Single-ingredient, grass-fed beef pizzle, slow-dried. The key here is that they are slow-dried—a dehydration process that, according to the brand, uses low heat over extended time. That’s not the same as freeze-dried, and the batch code I checked had clear sourcing info from grass-fed cattle.

What I liked: The odor-free version is genuinely odor-free (I have Nalla’s squeaky toys to thank for that). They last Nalla about 30 minutes, which is perfect for a solo crate snack. No additives, no chemicals.

What I didn’t like: They are single-ingredient raw (dried, but raw). If the brand’s sourcing ever gets opaque, I’ll drop them in a second. For now, the company publishes country of origin and a HACCP plan, which puts them on my “conditional” list.

Nalla’s reaction: She goes through stages. Some weeks she loves them, others she ignores. But when she does chew, they’re effective at scraping away plaque.

3. Arm & Hammer Complete Care Dental Water Additive (Not a Chew, but Hear Me Out)

This isn’t a chew, but it’s part of my post-recall rotation. It’s an odorless and flavorless water additive that helps reduce plaque and tartar. Why did I add it? Because after removing some freeze-dried chews from the rotation, I needed a non-food way to maintain her dental health between meals. It’s not a replacement for chewing, but it’s a safety net.

What I liked: It’s incredibly easy—just add to her bowl. Nalla didn’t notice the taste, which is honestly a miracle.

What I didn’t like: It’s not a chew, and it doesn’t provide the mechanical scraping that chews do. I use it as a supplement, not a substitute.

That’s why my “Our Pick” section below focuses on a chew, not the additive.

What I Look for Now (and What I Avoid)

Here’s my practical checklist for choosing dental chews in a recall-heavy year. Print this out, save it on your phone, do whatever you need:

AVOID vague “raw” claims. If the label says “raw” but doesn’t specify processing, skip it. Raw is not a selling point for me anymore.
VERIFY processing. Look for “baked,” “cooked,” “high-pressure processed,” or “irradiated.” If they say “freeze-dried only,” ask how they kill bacteria.
WATCH for single-ingredient red flags. A single ingredient can be great (like bully sticks), but it also means the product is only as good as that one ingredient’s source. Check batch codes and origin.
DON’T overlook homemade options. I make my own sweet potato treats because I control ingredients. More on that below.
ALWAYS check batch numbers against the FDA database. It takes five minutes, and it’s worth it.

Questions I Get About Dental Chews

Are freeze-dried dental chews safe after the 2026 raw food recalls?

It depends on the brand and the processing. A freeze-dried chew isn’t automatically unsafe, but the recall highlighted that freeze-dried does not equal “safe from bacteria or nutrient loss.” Check if the manufacturer applies a kill step, like high-pressure processing, and confirm there’s no overlapping recall on the batch. If a brand can’t provide that info, I’d choose a baked alternative.

How do I know if a dental chew is affected by a recall?

Check the FDA’s recall list and the company’s own recall page. You’ll need the batch number or lot code from the package. I photograph the code when I open a bag. Cross-reference with the recall notice. If you can’t find a batch code, contact customer support with the “best by” date and purchase location.

What should I look for in a dental chew that isn’t freeze-dried raw?

Look for chews that are explicitly baked, cooked, or high-pressure processed. Check that the ingredient list is short and understandable. Avoid vague terms like “natural flavors” or “meat meal.” Look for brands that disclose processing facility locations and third-party testing. My personal benchmark now is: would I be comfortable eating this myself? If not, why is Nalla?

Can homemade treats be a safer alternative to raw dental chews?

Yes, with some caveats. Homemade treats give you complete control over ingredients and cooking, which can reduce risk. But they don’t have the same dental-scraping effect as hard chews—plus, they aren’t shelf-stable and can spoil. I make sweet potato chews (see the recipe below) and use them as a supplement, but I still rely on carefully sourced, cooked commercial chews for her dental routine.

What are the symptoms of low thiamine in dogs?

Low thiamine can cause neurological issues like wobbly gait, circling, head tilt, or even seizures. In less severe cases, a dog might show weakness, lethargy, or appetite loss. If you notice any of these signs after giving a new treat or food, stop feeding it and call your vet. I’m not a vet, but this is what the recall notice listed, and it’s worth knowing.

The Safe Dental Chew Nalla Gets Now

After the recall, my top pick for Nalla’s dental routine is Greenies Regular Dental Treats. They’re cooked rather than raw, they’re on the VOHC accepted-products list, and the supply chain behind them is dull in exactly the way I now want a dental chew to be. I keep a bag in the treat jar and one in my car for post-run rewards. Nalla gives them two paws up, and that’s the only rating that matters.