Have you ever wondered if your pet has any kind of cravings? How much treats should you give your pet? How can you make handmade treats for your pet? In this article, we would address these questions for your dogs and cats!
For your doggos:
Dog treats should only make up 10% of your dog’s diet. It is recommended that you only give them one treat at a time, so that treats do not chalk up calorie count, keeping your dog happy and healthy. In addition, you can try giving your dog fruits and vegetables as a treat. Vegetables such as carrots and broccoli or fruits like apples and banana would make their day. Most owners would give their dogs rawhide to keep them occupied. However it is important to keep a look out when your dog is chewing the rawhide as when it breaks up into smaller pieces, there is a risk of the smaller piece getting stuck in your dog’s throat. Do ensure to take away the raw hide when your dog has taken apart the raw hide.
Despite our busy schedules, it may be more interesting to make your own dog treats for its various benefits such as being able to control what goes into the treat, getting rid of any unhealthy additives and most importantly, being able to make a tasty treat for your best friend.
Here are some easy to follow recipes:
Ingredients:
- 2 ½ cups whole wheat flour (substitute regular flour or oats if your dog is sensitive to wheat)
- 1 tsp. salt (or less)
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp. Beef or chicken Bouillon granules (can substitute beef or chicken broth/stock)
- ½ cup hot water
- Bacon or chicken broth, eggs, oats, liver powder, wheat germ, shredded cheese, bacon bits
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Dissolve bouillon in hot water
- Add remaining ingredients
- Knead dough until it forms a ball (approximately 3 minutes)
- Roll dough until ½ inch thick
- Cut into slices or bone shapes (you can purchase a bone shaped cookie cutter to make shapes with)
- Place dough pieces on lightly greased cookie sheet
- Cook for 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 Sweet Potato
- 1 tbsp Coconut Oil (melted)
- Spices – Turmeric, Cinnamon
Directions
- Preheat oven to 218ºC
- Wash and peel the sweet potato
- Cut the sweet potato into evenly sized long skinny (fry shaped) pieces
- Coat with oil and spices – Mix in a large bowl or Ziploc bag
- Place fries on baking sheet in one layer
- Bake for 15 minutes
- Flip over fries for even baking
- Bake for another 10-15 minutes
- Let it cool before giving to your dog!
For your kitty cats:
Similar to dogs, cat treats should only make up 10% of your cat’s diet. Treats can be used to train your cat but it is important to moderate the amount of treats your cat gets because just like humans, cats are susceptible to becoming obese which could lead to further health problems. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to what we are giving to our cats.
As cats are more particular about what they eat, it may be better for you to make your own treats so that you can customise it to your cat’s liking. Here are some recipes you can follow:
1. Tuna Special
Ingredients:
- 1 can tuna in oil, drained
- 1 egg
- 1 1/4 cups of flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1/2 cup water
- dash of parsley
- bottle cap for cutting out treats
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 176ºC.
- In a food processor mix tuna, egg, flour, water and parsley until a dough forms. If the dough looks too sticky, add a bit more flour.
- Dust a surface with flour and roll out dough to 1/2 inch thick.
- Use a bottle cap to cut out treats from the dough.
- Bake for 20 minutes on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Let it cool and serve to your cat.
2. Chewy Bars
(Makes about 50 small treats)
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 1 4-oz jar chicken and brown rice baby food (or something meaty which may include canned wet cat food)
- 1/4 cup parsley, coarsely chopped
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 cup brown rice flour
- 1/2 cup cooked white (or brown) rice
Other things you might add other treats like : 1 tablespoon of catnip or a hearty tablespoon of extra wet cat food.
Directions:
Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 325ºF (162ºC). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together egg, baby food (or wet cat food), parsley, olive oil, and water. Add brown rice flour and cooked rice. Stir to incorporate. The mixture will be thick but spreadable.
Spread mixture onto prepared baking sheet creating a rectangle that is about 1/3 of an inch thick. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven. Let rest until cool enough to handle, then slice soft dough into bite-sized pieces. Return pieces to the oven to bake for another 8 minutes. Remove from the oven. Allow to cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Store the treats in the fridge just to be safe.
We hope you enjoyed this post and do let us know if you have tried the recipes! After all, who doesn’t love a treat?
Memo pads and notecards! Setting up the booth
Merchandise from Uncle Khoe’s k9
