So many people are returning to simpler times, growing their own vegetables, keeping chickens for eggs and making toys and treats for their dogs and cats. An internet search provides a wide variety of recipes, making it really easy to choose a recipe based on your available ingredients, your dog’s known likes and dislikes and your budget.
Safety first
It goes without saying that toxic ingredients like Xylitol, and potentially dangerous ingredients like raisins, chocolate, onions and garlic should be avoided at all costs.
Another factor to consider is storage, homemade treats will not have preservatives in them. Mould and bacteria could become issues if treats are kept for too long and not properly stored. It is probably best to keep homemade treats in the deepfreeze, in an airtight container.
It is also important to bake treats properly, the crispier they are, the less likely they are to spoil.
Benefits of homemade treats
The con of no preservatives listed regarding storage, becomes a positive when it means putting fewer chemicals into your precious pets. Homemade dog treats also don’t contain the same amount of fats and chemicals that mass produced treats do. Homemade treats can contain the best and freshest and most natural ingredients that you are able to source, using seasonal ingredients also guarantees the quality and nutritive value.
Saving money – in a time where everyone is battling, dog treats are not high on the shopping list, commercially made treats are EXPENSIVE and probably only going to become more so.
Family time, making dog treats is something that children can get involved in, the recipes are not technical or difficult and a little too much or too little of an ingredient is not going to cause a flop.
Sweet Potato and Peanut Butter Treats
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Cooked Sweet Potato or Pumpkin
- 1/4 cup Unsweetened (Sugar and sweetener free) Peanut Butter. Preferably where Peanuts are the sole ingredient
- 1 cup Oat Flour (or whole wheat flour if your dog is not sensitive to wheat)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200 degrees C and prepare a baking tray with baking paper
- Stir together the mashed potato / pumpkin and all natural peanut butter
- Add the flour
- Mix the flour into the wet ingredients until combined. The dough will be a little sticky, but can still be rolled out easily enough. Should it be too dry add a dash of water, if too wet, add a touch more flour
- Transfer the dough to a silicone mat or sheet of baking paper and roll it out to between 1/2 to 1cm thick. You may find it easier to lay another sheet of baking paper over the dough, to roll it out. Cut out your treats using a biscuit cutter, or whatever shape you want.
- Transfer the cut treats to the lined baking tray and bake at 200 degrees C for 12 – 15 minutes. For softer treats bake for 10-12 minutes (remember the risk of mould in moister treats), for crispier treats bake for 15minutes.
- Allow to cool completely and store in the fridge for up to 1 week, or freezer for up to 2 months.
You can view the original recipe at Tasty Thrifty Timely
Liver Treats
Ingredients
- 400g liver
- 1 egg
- 150g wholemeal flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C
- Put the liver and egg in a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth
- Combine flour and the blender mixture in a bowl
- Transfer to a lined baking tray
- Cook in a preheated oven for about 30 minutes
- Leave to cool and then slice into bite sized treats.
This recipe makes quite a few batches of liver treats. It must be stored in an airtight container, in the fridge it will last for up to 3 days, in the deep freeze for 3 months.
View the original recipe at Liana’s Kitchen