Making your own dog treats is mostly about knowing what is in them. Shop-bought is convenient and fine, but the ingredient list on a homemade biscuit is four things long and you chose all four.
These three cover the useful range: a hard biscuit, a soft chew, and something frozen for a hot afternoon. None of them needs anything unusual in the cupboard.
Peanut butter and pumpkin biscuits
The standard, and popular for a reason. Pumpkin is good for digestion and peanut butter brings protein and fat, which is also why these are a treat rather than a snack to hand out freely.
You need
- 2 and a half cups wholemeal flour, or oat flour if you want them gluten free
- 2 large eggs
- Half a cup of pumpkin puree, pure pumpkin and not pie filling
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter, checked for xylitol
- Half a teaspoon salt
- Half a teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
Method
- Heat the oven to 350F, or 175C, and line a tray with baking paper.
- Mix everything in a large bowl. The dough is stiff, so you will end up using your hands.
- Too dry, add water a tablespoon at a time. Too sticky, add a little more flour.
- Roll out on a floured surface to about a quarter of an inch.
- Cut out shapes, or just slice it into squares, which is faster and the dog does not mind.
- They barely spread, so they can sit close together on the tray.
- Bake 20 to 25 minutes for a crunchy biscuit, less for a softer one.
- Cool completely on a rack before they go anywhere near the dog.
Sweet potato and oat bites
Soft, chewy, and only two real ingredients, which makes them a good option for a dog with a sensitive stomach. Use certified gluten free oats if grain is an issue. Sweet potato brings fibre, vitamins B6 and C, and beta-carotene.
You need
- 1 large sweet potato, cooked and mashed, around a cup
- 1 and a half cups rolled oats
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil, optional
Method
- Heat the oven to 350F, or 175C, and line a tray.
- Bake, boil or steam the sweet potato until soft, then let it cool a little before mashing.
- Pulse the oats in a processor or blender until they are a coarse flour.
- Combine the mash, the oat flour and the oil, and mix to a dough.
- Roll into balls about an inch across, put them on the tray and flatten each one with a fork.
- Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until just golden and firm.
- Cool completely.
Frozen yoghurt and berry drops
No baking, and the one to make in summer. Yoghurt brings probiotics and berries bring antioxidants.
You need
- 1 cup plain unsweetened Greek yoghurt, checked for xylitol
- Half a cup of berries, fresh or frozen. Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries or blackberries all work
- 1 tablespoon honey, optional
Method
- Stir the yoghurt and honey together.
- Chop anything larger than a blueberry into bite-sized pieces.
- Fold the fruit through.
- Spoon into a silicone mould or an ice cube tray.
- Freeze for three to four hours, until solid, then keep them in a sealed bag in the freezer.
Things worth knowing before you start
- Storage. Baked treats keep about a week in a sealed tin at room temperature, or two weeks in the fridge. They have no preservatives in them, so do not stretch it.
- Portions. Homemade does not mean calorie free. Treats should stay under about a tenth of daily intake, and a run of baking is a good moment to trim meals slightly.
- Xylitol. Check the peanut butter and the yoghurt every time, including brands you have bought before, because recipes change. It is severely toxic to dogs in small amounts.
- Never include raisins, grapes, macadamia nuts, chocolate or onion in anything you make for a dog.
- Allergies. If your dog reacts to chicken, wheat or dairy, swap the ingredient rather than hoping a small amount is fine.
Introduce anything new in small quantities and give it a day. A dog with a sensitive stomach will tell you fairly quickly, and it is easier to identify the culprit when you have only changed one thing.
0 Comments