Custom Printed Pet Food Pouches for Treats and Kibble

What is a pet food pouch and what does it have to hold in?

Dried pet food is oily, strong smelling and often sold in a shop full of other strong smells. The pouch has to keep fat from marking the print and keep the aroma inside the bag.

It also needs to survive being opened every day for a month. A zipper that takes crumbs and fat without failing is as important as the barrier.

Freeze-dried raw treats are lighter and more fragile than baked ones. They have their own page at freeze dried food bags for raw treats.

Who uses printed pet food pouches?

The brands we print for sell through pet shops, vets, online marketplaces and their own websites. Most started with a single treat and grew into a range.

Nearly all pet pouches need a zipper. The ways a zipper can be fitted are compared on the resealable zipper pouch page.

• Dried meat treat makers selling chicken, fish and liver pieces
• Dog biscuit bakeries with grain-free and training treat lines
• Small kibble brands packing 500 g to 2 kg bags
• Cat treat brands selling 50 g to 100 g pouches on pegs
• Raw feeding shops bagging air-dried toppers under their own label
• Horse and small animal treat producers at country shows

What size pouch do I need for 250 g of dog treats?

Treats vary in shape more than almost any other product. Chicken jerky strips are long and flat, while liver cubes are small and dense. The same 250 g needs a different pouch for each.

Long strips do best standing on end in a tall pouch, so they do not snap. Cubes and biscuits can go in a shorter, wider pouch.

Weigh a batch, measure its loose volume, and we size the pouch with 30 percent headspace. Dimensions by weight are listed in the UK pouch size and fill weight guide.

Fat, aroma and the laminate that copes with both

Dried meat treats carry fat that migrates through thin film. On a paper-faced bag it shows as dark patches within days; on a clear bag it looks greasy.

A PET / foil / PE laminate blocks fat, oxygen and smell. Metallised PET costs less and suits baked biscuits and kibble, which carry less fat.

Food-contact and high-barrier film options are available on request and confirmed on the quote. The guide to barrier films for food explains the trade-offs.

Window, hang hole and zipper: which ones do you need?

A window lets an owner see the treat. For meaty pieces it sells the product, and for kibble it shows the size of the pieces for a small dog.

A hang hole matters if you sell through pet shops, where treat pouches hang on pegs by the till. We punch a round or euro slot above the tear notch. Treat pouches sold mainly online can skip both the window and the hang hole and put the money into a stronger laminate.

The zipper is almost always needed. Shaped windows, paw prints and bones included, are shown on the window pouch page.

Kibble bags from 1 kg: stand up or flat bottom?

Up to 1 kg, a stand up pouch with a zipper works well and stands on a shelf. The white and blue kibble pouch in the photos is that style.

From 1.5 kg a flat bottom bag is steadier. The square base stops the bag toppling as kibble is scooped out, and the side gussets give extra print space.

Both styles take a slider zipper on request, which owners find easier on a big bag. See the flat bottom pouches for kibble for sizes at 2 kg and above.

Printing a pet brand that stands out on a peg

Pet shop shelves are busy, so a clear brand, a photo or illustration of the animal, and the treat name in large type do most of the work. The pouches in the photos use one strong colour and a dog on the front.

The back panel carries the composition, analytical constituents, feeding guide and your contact details. Keep that text in a colour that reads against the background.

White under-print keeps bright colours bright on metallised film. The margins and file types we need are in the printed pouch artwork guide.

How do you fill treat pouches with oily dried meat?

Oily treats leave a film on the seal area and on the zipper. These steps keep the seal clean.

For the fattiest treats, such as pork crackling or salmon skin, choose a foil laminate. The foil stand up pouches for oily treats suit them best.

1. Let dried treats cool and rest after the dehydrator so surface oil settles.
2. Fold the top of the pouch outward, past the zipper, before you fill.
3. Use a scoop or tongs rather than hands, and keep pieces below the zipper line.
4. Unfold the top, wipe the seal area with a dry cloth and close the zipper.
5. Heat seal above the zipper and stand the pouches upright in the carton.

Mistakes pet treat makers make with pouches

Choosing a clear pouch for liver treats is the most common. The fat clouds the film within a week and the pack looks tired on the peg.

Sizing a pouch to the weight rather than the shape is another. Long strips in a short pouch snap into pieces.

Leaving the hang hole off a pouch sold through pet shops costs facings. For big wholesale kibble, the side gusset bags for bulk kibble are the usual format and skip the hang hole altogether.

How to order custom pet food pouches

Send us the treat or food, the fill weight, the shape of the pieces, and whether you want a window and hang hole. Orders are quoted individually, from £0.25 per unit, and confirmed in writing.

A free design proof shows the window position, hang hole and seal lines. Once you approve it, production takes 4–6 business days.

Delivery is free and tracked to UK addresses in 2–3 business days. If a pouch turns up misprinted or torn, photos within 10 days get it reprinted or refunded. Ask through the pet food pouch quote page.