Homemade and Healthy Dog Treats

[smogie_michele]

I apologize if i seem to be going on and on about my pup, but caring for a fur baby with cancer is pretty new to me. We decided to start making our dogs food at home to insure they get the proper nutrients they need... doing so can take up a good bit of time and money, but we have adapted the mantra "feed the dog, not the cancer." It helps

Anyways, I decided that I would share with you all of the (vet approved) pet treats that I have been making for my loves so that you may adapt this into your pet's daily lives if you wish as well. I'm a kitchen witch, so it is my belief that filling their food with love and positive intent, it will help aid in her recovery process... or at the very least, remind her that she is loved so very much.

Blueberry Green Tea Snacks
blueberries and green tea are wonderful for ridding the body of toxins and aiding proper cell function. Studies have also shown that they both help reduce the chances of cancer... While this won't cure my pup's affliction, it is nice to know that we are doing everything we can to keep it from spreading

What you need
*1 cup of blueberries, pureed
*1/2 cup PLAIN greek yogurt
*1-2 tbs green tea leaves
*1 1/2 cup rice flour
*1/4 cup flaxseed meal
*2/3 cup oatmeal, ground to a flour like consistency (you can use a blender if you don't have a processor)

What to do

1. Preheat your oven to 350 and line a few cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. Combine all of your dry ingredients in a large bowl.

3. Slowly fold in blueberries and yogurt until a ball of dough is formed. If the dough is still to dry, add a few small splashes of water to the mix.

4. Dust a surface with rice flour and roll your dough 1/4 inch thickness. Use your favorite cookie cutter to punch out the treats.

5. Bake for 15-18 minutes.

Makes 20-30 treats, depending on the size of the cookie cutter you used.

If you try it, let me know how it turns out. My babies LOVE it.

[smogie_michele]

Pig Ear Alternatives

I've done nothing but make dog and cat food and treats all day and I'm bored as heck, so I'll go ahead and post another recipe.
My dogs love to chew, so in the past we would get them pig ears to pass their time and serve as a yummy treat. Sadly for them, the pig ears are another "no go" as far as what they are allowed to have now. Again "feed the dog, not the cancer." It is super easy and the babies love it.

What you need
*sweet potatoes.

seriously, that is it.

What to do

1. preheat your oven to 250.

2. peel and slice sweet potatoes into 1/4 inch sheets.

3. lay potato sheets on a nonstick cookie sheet (or line one with parchment paper) and bake for three hours, turning half way through.

4. Let cool completely and let your pups enjoy.

They will actually start to dehydrate and curl making them look kind of like pigs ears.
They will keep for about a week in the fridge and months in the freezer. Plus, it is super easy on the wallet- one pig ear costs about $2, but for $1 I can buy a sweet potato and get 3-6 chewy treats to keep them entertained for a little while.

[LoneWhiteWolf]

Sweet potato chips are so healthy for woof woofs! I'm really happy you decided to share your recipes, whenever I make treats they always turn out horrible haha.
I hope your pup is okay, homemade food is so much healthier and cheaper

[YanaKhan]

Sweet potato chips in the oven sounds like something I would eat.
Thanks, smogie, these are good to know. I don't have a dog, but I have many friends with dogs, so ...
And btw, I totally LOVE your signature line

[smogie_michele]

I'm a coffee addict, it seemed appropriate for me

The cats also LOVE the sweet potato chews, so I cut them into smaller strips and now they get some, too! I'm making sweet potato and tumeric treats right now and the dogs are circling me in the kitchen... they know it is for them. I'll post it a little bit later when they are done cooling. One of these days, I will actually get a new computer that will allow me to upload pictures so I can post as I go.

I actually just got off the phone with the oncologist that we are going to be meeting with and he says he loves the idea of me making their food for them.

[evil ed]

I know what Kelly and I will be making for Shadow (our Pit x Lab mix) this New Years Day!

[Kassandra]

Sweet potato chips in the oven sounds like something I would eat.

[thinking to self, glad I'm not the only one who thought that, lol :wink2: ]

Loving this thread.



.

[smogie_michele]

Turmeric and Sweet Potato Treats

Y'all! I got so wrapped up in school that I completely forgot to post how my new treats turned out!
I found this on Pinterest and was originally drawn to it because it contains Turmeric. If you aren't familiar with it, it has an earthy taste and is known for its anti-inflamatory properties- not to mention it is perfect for aiding healthy cell growth. Perfect for my aging pup as well as my pup with cancer.

What you need
*2 sweet potatoes, cubed and cooked until tender (i baked mine, but you can boil them too)
*1 1-2 tbsp turmeric
*2 tbsp honey
*1 tsp olive oil
*1 egg
*1/2 cup flax seed (optional, but I already had some on hand, so why not...)
* 2 1/2 cup rice flour

What you do

1. preheat the over to 350

2. In a food processor (or blender, or with a hand masher...) blend the potatoes until smooth.

3. Add honey, egg, olive oil, and turmeric to sweet potatoes. Blend.

4. Move you sweet potato mix to a larger bowl. Slowly, a little at a time, add your rice flour and flax seed and fold in well until it forms a dough ball that doesn't stick to your hands. If the dough it too sticky, add a touch more flour... if it is too dry, add a small splash water.

5. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough and use your favorite cookie cutter to punch out the treats.

6. Back for 20-25 minutes. Let cool completely.


My fiance ended up making a honey mixture with cinnamon and drizzled them on a few treats and ate some... they were pretty tasty! However, my dogs were mighty confused as to why their dad was eating THEIR snacks

If you guys have any treat/ food ideas, please please let me know. I would love to hear them.

[smogie_michele]

I redid the blueberry treats, but used cranberries instead! I roasted them first to release some natural sugars and make it blend a little better in the food processor. The Pups LOVE it.

[smogie_michele]

Salmon Jerky

Another high protein, low fat treat for my pups! Cody's parent's made salmon for dinner last night and had one very small, oddly shaped piece of salmon left over. It was only enough for one person, so they were going to toss it- wastefulness in my opinion! So I decided to make treats for my furry children.

What to do:

*Preheat the oven to 250
*Put your piece of salmon in the freezer and let it sit until it is firm- not frozen, just firm. It makes it easier to cut.
*Line a baking pan with parchment paper.
*THINLY slice the salmon into strips, laying them on the on the parchment paper
*bake until it dries up like jerky- it took me about two hours, but I would check it every thirty minutes to see how it is doing.

It will keep for about a week in the fridge. Healthy treat for you and your fur babies