Have you ever made homemade treats for your pet?
With all the baking and tasty new recipes that might be going on in your house at the moment, it felt a little unfair to leave our furry friends out of the picture.
Even though our dogs are being completely spoiled with having the whole family at home all the time now, we still wanted to find a way to give them a little reward here and there. Plus, if your dog has allergies or intolerances, making your own dog treats will allow you to control exactly what your dog is eating.
NOTE: Please be sure to consult your vet before adding any new food to your dog's diet.
So, here are three yummy vet-approved treats that you can make at home for your dog!
#1. Mini Omelette
This is a lovely recipe from the Americal Kennel Club that you can whip up while you're making your own breakfast! According to the AKC, eggs are a great source of protein for dogs (as long as they are completely cooked through) and adding salmon or chicken and red peppers will give your dog a great source of added vitamins, protein and beta-carotene.
You will need:
2 eggs
• ½ cup cooked salmon, thinly sliced, OR pulled grilled chicken
• ½ green pepper, diced
Make sure chicken is skinless and boneless.
• ½ green pepper, diced
Drizzle a little bit of extra virgin olive oil onto a pan and cook as you would a normal omelette. Depending on your dog's size, you can cut the omelette into a size suitable for your pet.
#2. Frozen Meat Treats
This is another yummy recipe from AKC that contains some of your dog's favourite foods - carrot and chicken, and a little yoghurt.
According to the AKC, you will need:
• 2 cups grilled chicken
Make sure chicken is skinless and boneless.
• ¾ plain low-fat or fat-free yogurt
Do not use yogurt with xylitol, and do not use at all if dog is lactose intolerant.
• 1 carrot
If your dog is diabetic, use a smaller amount.
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Simply stir all of the ingredients together and freeze into ice cube trays. For smaller dogs, it is advised that you put the mixture into a piping bag to make smaller droplets.
#3. Oat, Cranberry and Honey Dog Treats.
This quick and easy recipe comes from threeolivesbranch.com, approved by Seven Hills Veterinary Hospital. This one takes a little more work than the others but it's packed full of antioxidants and tasty ingredients for your fur baby to enjoy!
You will need:
- 1 cup cranberries fresh or frozen
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yoghurt
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup ground flaxseed (optional)
- 2/3 cup oats
- 1/4 cup oats separated
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 3 Tablespoons water as needed
Firstly, preheat your oven to 180 degrees. Then, put the 2/3 cup of oats into a food processor and blend until they have a similar texture to flour. Then in the same food processor, puree the cranberries.
In a separate bowl, add flour, 1/4 oats, ground flaxseed (optional), honey, and yoghurt. Mix them together until combined and the dough holds its shape nicely. (threeolivesbranch.com says: "The water content in the berries can affect the moisture in the dough. If it is too wet, add a little flour at a time. If it is too stiff or not combining, add a little water at a time.")
Finally, lightly flour a large chopping board and roll the dough out to roughly 1/4 inch thickness. Cut the biscuits out into the desired shape and place on a baking tray. For soft biscuits, bake for 15-18 minutes. For crunchy biscuits, bake for 15 minutes, flip them over and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Then turn off the oven and leave them in the oven for two hours.
We loved these fun recipes for some homemade doggy treats! Will you be giving them a go?
Remember that a treat is exactly that - a treat, given once in a while as part of a healthy diet. Please check with your vet if you are unsure about what you should or should not give to your dog.
