Healthy Doggie Treat Recipes

Make your own healthy, grain-free doggie treats!

Courtesy of http://www.dog-nutrition-naturally.com/dog-treat-recipes.html

Proteins and fats are the other two main sources of energy. Proteins do not break down into glucose (sugar). Always remember that dogs are carnivores. They have very little dietary requirement for carbohydrates.

Most dog treat recipes contain flour of some type...flour is made from grain, usually wheat, but not always. I see whole wheat flour, rice flour, brown rice flour, corn meal, corn flour, oat flour, spelt flour...the list goes on and on. Some of these flours are gluten free, and some are not. Flour is used to keep dog cookies together. The problem is, that flour of any type, is made from grain. Grains are not a good source of carbohydrates for dogs. In nature, dogs don't eat anything made from flour. Flour is a processed end result of processing grain. Most dog treat recipes that I have found also contain sugar. No, no, no !!  Have you ever wondered why diabetes is rampant in dogs these days? Look no further than the carbohydrate content of the foods they are consuming. Diabetes is rampant in cats also. How crazy is that? Cats are obligate carnivores, for heaven's sake ! They have no dietary requirement for carbohydrates at all.

Choose High Quality Carbohydrates

When making dog treats, or buying dog biscuits at the store, choose a carbohydrate source that is low glycemic like sweet potatoes or yams. Low glycemic carbohydrates will not raise your dog's blood sugar level too high or too fast.

For this I prefer sweet potatoes and large flake organic rolled oats. Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamins and minerals and are high in fiber. Although sweet potatoes might be higher in natural sugars, the high fiber content regulates the effect of the natural sugars...keeping blood sugar at a consistantly lower level.

Organic large flake rolled oats can be found at any health food store. Oats are a grain you might say...yes, but we are using very little in the dog treat recipe that follows.

My Favourite Dog Treat Recipe

I Lb ground meat ( lamb, beef, chicken, turkey ) Lamb and beef tend to be higher in fat. Chicken and turkey might be a better choice for an overweight dog.

1 large sweet potato ( cooked and mashed )

1 large egg

1/4 tsp garlic powder ( not garlic salt )

5 tbsp. large flake rolled oats ( organic if possible )

Pre-heat oven to 350 drgrees. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, mixing up very well.

Lightly grease a cookie sheet with olive oil. ( very slightly )

Dump ingredients on cookie sheet and spread evenly and flatly to the sides of pan. This should be about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.

Bake for one hour at 350 degrees.

Remove pan from oven and use your cookie cutter at this time, if you want. If you don't have a cookie cutter, just score the 'cookie dough 'with a knife or pizza cutter, into squares.

Put back into the oven and bake for another hour at 250 degrees.

This will dry these healthy dog treats out. Keep an eye on your oven. The time could be more or less, depending on how hot your oven runs. These dog treats should be fairly dry and a little crispy, but not burned. Store in a cool dry place, preferably the refrigerator, or freeze for freshness.

Helpful hint

This dog treat recipe is inexpensive, easy...and very tasty. Our dogs go crazy for lamb. Lamb however, smells very strong when cooking. So be forewarned...your dogs will love you, but others might not. Lamb is also quite high in fat. So, if your dog is overweight, maybe chicken or turkey would be a better protein choice for your dog. I use all organic ingredients and a free range egg, when I make these yummy healthy dog treats. You certainly don't have to, they would be great anyway...and your dog will love you, no matter what. Here's what they look like...

Remember, you can always just give your dog some cut up pieces of raw vegetables like green beans, carrots, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower or peas or fruit like sliced apples. These are great healthy dog treat choices, and they are real food.

Liver Leather

1 Pound beef or chicken liver (beef is preferred)
1 cup tapioca flour or starch (oriental food store will have this is the supermarket doesn't)

Preheat over to 250F. Puree the liver in a food processor. Add the tapioca flour and mix with the liver in processor. Line a baking sheet with foil and pour the disgusting mess in there. Cook for 1 hour. (The scent is delightful, you will have any loose dogs in the neighborhood howling at your door.) Turn off the oven after an hour and leave overnight. In the morning, peel the leather off of the foil and cut it into small, 1", squares. Freeze in baggies what you won't use in a week. Remember that organ meat is rich, but these are healthy and high value treats.

Depending on how you feel about feeding fruits & veggies, you can dehydrate things like apple and apricot slices to use as treats. Also, baby carrots work great for a no-hassle grain free treat...nothing to make then, just fed raw.

I use baby carrots and commercial dehydrated Lamb lung and/or liver treats for my dogs, since one of them cannot have any grains at all. Works great, not expensive at all.