Making dog treats may sometimes rub off as tasking than purchasing the treat from your local pet store. However, it doesn’t hurt to whip up a decent meal for your puppy as an act of love. There are many other benefits of feeding your dog with homemade treats and not purchased ones.
With homemade treats, you know exactly the ingredients to use. You can avoid unhealthy components and incorporate those your pet enjoys the most. You may also prevent allergic reactions if your dog has allergies to certain foods. Most importantly, making dog treats at home is economical. If you’re looking to save your coins while still looking after your puppy, you can spare some time and throw a cookout for your dog treats.
Homemade Dog Treats
Dog treats are what junk food is to humans. You aren’t supposed to feed them too much as they may be unhealthy for regular consumption. Experts recommend that treats shouldn’t exceed 10% of the dog’s daily calorie intake. That means the dog can only take a maximum of 2-3 treat a day. Moreover, if your puppy suffers from pre-existing conditions, you may want to consult a veterinarian before giving them any homemade treat.
If you want to try making one soon, here’re four of the best treats for puppies you can make at home.
- Banana Bites
According to vets, this is one of the healthiest homemade treats you can make for your dog. Bananas have high fiber content, which helps with your dog’s digestion. Fiber helps food move along the gut smoothly, ensuring that your dog doesn’t have constipation. Bananas also contain vitamin C, which helps to boost their immune system.
Ingredients
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup mashed ripe bananas
1 beef cube
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
½ cup non-fat dry milk
Directions
- Dissolve the beef cube in ½ a cup of water.
- Mix all the other ingredients in a bowl and add the dissolved beef cube.
- Knead the mixture for about two minutes.
- Roll the dough into about ¼ thickness.
- Once done, cut it into any shape of your liking. Place them into a baking sheet.
- Bake under 300°F for 30 minutes.
- Frozen Peanut Yogurt
You may already know that peanut butter is a favorite for dogs. Therefore, unless your dog suffers an allergy to peanut butter, you may want to include it in your homemade treats. Besides being delicious, peanut butter is also made of healthy protein and fats that benefit your pup. So, what’s better than a combination of peanut butter and some yogurt to help cool your puppy. Indeed, the best treats for puppies provide many benefits rolled into one and are easy to make.
Ingredients
1 cup peanut butter
32 oz. vanilla yogurt
Directions
- Melt the peanut butter in the microwave.
- Mix the vanilla yogurt with the melted peanut butter until smooth and perfectly blended.
- Place the mixture in small containers or ice trays.
- Freeze for at least 2 hours.
- Chicken Crunchies
According to experts, chicken is one meal that helps dogs fight cancer cells. Therefore, it’s a must-have in your homemade dog treat menu. Here’s how to prepare chicken crunchies.
Ingredients
2 cups chicken broth
1 lb ground chicken
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups brown rice flour
2 cups rye flour
1 cup wheat germ
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried alfalfa
2 Tbsp brewer’s year
4 Tbsp vegetable oil
Directions
- Preheat the oven to oven to 350°F.
- In a bowl, mix all the dry ingredients (whole wheat flour, rye flour, brown rice flour, wheat germ, dried alfalfa, and garlic powder) until blended.
- Add vegetable oil, chicken broth, and ground chicken to the dry ingredients. Mix until it forms a dough.
- Roll the dough on a surface so that it attains a thickness of at least 1/8 inch.
- Place the rolled dough on a cookie sheet and bake it until golden brown.
- When baked, allow it to cool down completely, then break it into bite-sized pieces.
- Place the brewer’s yeast in a zip lock or any non-porous bag.
- Add the pieces into the brewer’s yeast and shake until the crunchies are coated with the brewer’s yeast.
Store the crunchies in an air-tight container for longer shelf life and place them in the refrigerator.
- Pumpkin Treats
This is one of the best treats for puppies you should consider making. It’s not only yummy, but it’s also healthy. Some of the health benefits of pumpkin include:
- It contains vitamin A which helps boost eye health and prevent night blindness.
- Pumpkin also contains other vitamins such as zinc, which, when coupled with vitamin A, helps to improve the health of your dog’s skin and coat.
Ingredients
2-3 cups pumpkin puree
3-4 cups wheat flour or oat flour
2 eggs
½ tsp cinnamon powder
2-3 Tbsp peanut butter
Directions
- Place the 2 ½ cups of flour in a separate container.
- In a separate bowl, lightly whisk the eggs. Then, add the peanut butter and pumpkin. Mix well.
- Add the mixed ingredients to the flour. Add the cinnamon.
- Continue mixing the ingredients until it forms a dough. If the mixture is sticky, gradually add flour until you get the right texture.
- Roll the dough to around ¼ thickness. Cut it into your desired shapes.
- Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. If necessary, you can adjust the time to achieve desired crispiness.
To Sum it Up
There are many recipes for making the treats, but the four homemade treats discussed above are some of the best treats for puppies. If you have been wondering where to start with your dog treat, any of the four recipes is a good start.
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