Veterinary-recommended homemade dog treat recipes | Dr. Justine Lee
Looking to bake some homemade dog treats this holiday? Check out this great recipe below found from CocoBear PetCare!
2 cups of flour
1/2 cup of oats
1/2 cup of peanut butter
1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup of low sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon of cinnamon
Instructions:
~Mix the oats, cinnamon and flour together in a bowl first
~Microwave peanut butter, water and chicken broth in a different bowl until soft, then mix together into a slurry
~Slowly stir in the flour/cinnamon/oat mix
~Knead the dough until mixed well
~Roll into 1/2 inch sheets and cut into desired shapes (such as dog bones or paw prints)
~Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees
~Turn off oven and leave in for additional 15-20 minutes (this step ensures the treats will be dehydrated and allow for longer storage)
~Allow treats to cool
~Best stored in refrigerator or a non-airtight container as airtight containers may cause moisture build up and mold
Enjoy and feed in moderation!
I made these for my dog today and she doesn’t just like them, she LOVES them! She chased me around for the first one, then when I tried to let the rest cool on the table she kept trying sneak over and get them. She went crazy for them! The only suggestion I have is a little less cinnamon, mainly because the smell was so strong, but also figured they might be a little too powerful for my pup. Anyway, thanks again and definitely will be making these again! My recipe book now includes dog treats!
Yeah!! That’s so awesome – when in doubt, homemade ones are the safest! 🙂
hi my name is Dani and my dogs love your home made recipes. I was going send some to my mum for her dogs. there is one thing stopping me from doing this. how long do i suggest to her keep them for. would they last longer if i dehydrated the dog treats
I’m not sure they’ll taste as good dehydrated – as they’ll be super dry! I would treat them likely a normal cookie that you would eat – so would likely go stale after 1-2 weeks. You can likely freeze them, however!
I made these treats for my 3 girls. I have two red ACD’s and one blue ACD that are spoiled rotten. Recently, I noticed we were spending a fortune on commercial dog treats and I was worried maybe they aren’t very good for them. We have a very strict routine since they have many jobs during the day with Mommy! We usually never miss the night time “playing ball” that will silence them into dream land so I may rest. They sure are active and I keep them busy running around and barking at the neighbors cows which I refer to them as “moo cows”. They are very happy and the best pets I’ve ever had. I wanted to make sure I could make them a safer and healthier treat that wouldn’t break our bank. They knew I was cooking them something new tonight and they went crazy over the smell so I knew they would love them! Thanks for the recipe – and ‘Haley Bug’ – ‘Gracie Boo’ and ‘Bindi Blue’ thank you too!!
would love to have more healthy recipes to make for my boston terrier. how and where can I get them.is there a book on healthy home made treats for dogs.
Yes there are some great recipes free online! 🙂
I’m not a dog owner, but I would like to surprise a friend who is with these treats. I’ve seen many recipes that include peanut butter, but none of them says “all-natural” or “no sugar”. Is any kind of peanut butter safe, or is there one that is best? I’d imagine that sugar wouldn’t be good for dogs, but, as I say, I’m not an owner. Thanks, and props to all of you who rescue!
Thank you for doing this! Just stick with a major brand with no XYLITOL. The small amount of true sugar isn’t a big deal – so any big brand is totally fine!
Hi, can I use almond butter instead of peanut butter?
As long as neither has xylitol in it and has a similar fat consistency to peanut butter!
Made these for the first time and my dogs loved them. I never would have thought about putting the peanut butter, water and broth in the microwave, it made it easier to mic.
Do you have any dog food recipes??
Comment *Um, just my two cents as a Registered Veterinary Technician/Veterinary Nurse Specialty Nutritionist. I’ve worked with a Holistic Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionist (ACVN with a PhD in animal nutrition) for over 10 years, and from my experience you should NEVER give a dog peanut butter UNLESS it is ALL NATURAL and contains ONE ingredient and one ingredient ONLY; peanuts. It will likely say “contains less than 1% of salt” which is fine because peanuts have trace amounts of salt in them naturally. ANY other ingredient can cause serious, potentially fatal health issues for your dog. NEVER give a dog peanut butter that contains sugar, sugar derivatives, (especially Xylitol!) or added salt. Peanuts themselves must be ground into VERY fine almost powder-like particles in order for a dog’s digestive system to be able to properly digest the peanuts. Dogs should never be fed whole or chopped peanuts or peanut butter with any other ingredient added. If your Peanut butter is sold in a plastic container, it is NOT safe for your dog to eat. Peanut butter that IS safe is ALL NATURAL, ALWAYS comes in a GLASS jar, and will usually have little brown specks in it similar to stone ground mustard in appearance. Dog-safe peanut butter will need to be stirred almost every time you open the glass jar because the natural oils in the peanuts seperate to the top of the Jar. (It’s all the sugar and salt that gets added to commercial peanut butter that soaks up the oils and remain mixed with all the other ingredients.) So if you want to make sure that the peanut butter you feed your dog is as safe as possible, is suitable for canine consumption, and won’t be hard on their digestive system or pose a risk of potential GI tract issues or other illnesses and diseases in the future, the peanut butter Must meet ALL of these specific qualifications. Not one or two, ALL of them:
1) Packaged in a GLASS jar, not plastic.
2) Labeled as “All Natural” Peanut Butter (Organic is ideal)
3) The peanut oil is visibly seperated at top of the jar
4) Is CREAMY peanut butter NOT crunchy. Peanuts must be ground to a flour-like powder with no visible chunks
5) Most importantly, the ONLY ingredient listed is PEANUTS, Nothing else. No sugar or sweetener of any kind, no added salt, no chemical sounding, hard to pronounce preservatives (hence the need for a glass jar) and no “Natural” flavors or colors added. Just PEANUTS. That’s it. NEVER give your dog artificial sweeteners, (they are literally poison for our bodies, as well as theirs) with the most dangerous for dogs being Xylitol. It can result in immediate organ failure when ingested in even small quantities.) Always check the ingredient list of any product you intend to feed your dog FIRST. If it contains even one ingredient that a 4th grader can’t easily pronounce, or if the name of an ingredient is more than 8 letters long, please do not feed it to your dog. Your dog trusts you and depends on you to keep them safe and always provide proper nutrition that is not going to cause them harm. You, as a pet owner, are 100% responsible for keeping your dogs healthy, safe, and properly cared for.
Dogs are not humans. Their digestive systems is very different then ours and works much faster. The food they eat does not get to take the time ours does to be properly broken down and absorbed by the body. Sugar and any form of it, even honey, is not good for our body, or theirs. There is no reason to ever give your dog any form of sugar or sweetener, natural or not. It does not provide any beneficial nutrients and poses short-term and long-term health risks. The only way to be sure you are feeding your dog the proper nutrition they need, nothing more and nothing less, is to make sure your dog food label has nutritional adequacy seal that states “_[Brand name and formula] _ is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog (or cat) Food Nutrient Profiles for _[lifestage/specific dietary need]_.” The label must also state that it is “COMPLETE and BALANCED nutrition” for your dog’s specific lifestage and nutritional requirements. “Complete” means the product contains ALL the nutrients required for proper health. “Balanced” means the nutrients are present in the CORRECT RATIOS. If this statement is missing from your dog’s food label you are not providing adequate nutrition for your dog, which will inevitably result in your dog developing nutritional deficiencies and/or toxicities. Long term feeding of incomplete or unbalanced diets WILL cause long-term, irreversible and potentially fatal health conditions as your dog ages.
There are countless recipes online for homemade diets and treats for dogs, unfortunately over 99.9% of them are not only nutritionally incomplete and unbalanced, but pose a direct threat to the lives of dogs all over the world by containing potentially toxic ingredients and improper measurements, preperations, and feeding instructions. The most dangerous “recipes” are the ones that are being advertised as “veterinarian approved”, or worse, “developed by veterinarians.” This nefarious marketing tactic intentionally takes advantage of uneducated pet parents who believe they can trust the word of a medical professional (as they should) given them the false impression that these recipes are safe or won’t harm to their pet.
The fact is, that the only people who are qualified to provide accurate, knowledgeable, in-depth information for the specific and unique nutritional needs of your individual pet in order to prevent, retard, or reverse health issues that can result from nutritional deficiencies/toxicities) are Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionists (ACVN diplomats.) This requires additional years of extensive education and applied practice dedicated to every aspect of animal nutrition and the effects it has on each system/function in the body.
Comment *do these have to be stored in refrigerator because of the chicken broth?