Parenting Pointers: Love Your Pet Day Snacks

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Today is National Love Your Pet Day and one way to celebrate is by pampering your loved ones with homemade treats.  Over the past year there have been numerous instances of popular brands of dog treats causing illness in otherwise healthy animals. When treats are made overseas it can be hard to know exactly what your pet is eating.  The only way to maintain control and make sure that your furry loved one is getting fresh food without potentially harmful additives and preservatives is to make it yourself.   This year, celebrate National Love Your Pet Day by showing you pet a little extra love. You and your family can make wholesome and delicious treats for your favorite family pet – right in your own home. With simple ingredients like oats, bran, molasses, barley, apple scraps, and water you can create mouth watering treats that will have your pets begging for more!  A food dehydrator can help you make easy, delicious, and nutritious treats for your dog without worrying about pet food recalls or mystery ingredients.  These homemade treats will have NO Additives and NO Preservatives; making them the most natural treats you could possible give your pets.   Here are some Basic Recipes from Excalibur Dehydrators to get you started for natural and delicious treats your dogs are sure to love:   Chicken Jerky Strips  These all natural chicken jerky strips make the perfect snack for your dog, plus they are so good you can even eat them yourself! A few quick tips for easy preparation:Popping the meat into the freezer for about 15 minutes beforehand makes the meat much easier to slice thinly, and the thinner you slice the meat, the less time it takes to dry.  1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast tenders, sliced into strips about 1/4 to 1/8 of an inch thick
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tbs. salt
Dog Friendly seasonings including parsley, rosemary, and sage Rinse off chicken breast and remove any fat. Slice the chicken with the grain. This will help make the jerky even chewier for your dog.Fat slows down the dehydrating process and will make your chicken jerky spoil faster.Next coat the chicken slices with the vegetable oil and a few dog friendly seasonings includingparsley, rosemary, sage.  Place the chicken breast strips evenly throughout the tray, leaving an equal space between them and making sure that they do not touch each other. This is because there needs to be air flow in between them while they are drying out.  Once they are all in the food dehydrator turn it on and set the temperature for 140 degrees. It will probably take between 3 and 12 hours for it to fully dry, depending on how thick you cut your slices and the exact temperature of your food dehydrator. It is a good idea to start checking it once every hour after the first hour. To check it, simply open up the tray and take one slice out. Cut it open with a sharp knife and exam the inside. You should see no moisture at all and if it is properly dried it will have the same color throughout. If it is not finished put it back in for another hour. Once it gets close start checking once every half hour.  Once your chicken jerky is done store it in sealed containers, zip lock bags work great for this. Write the date you made it on them. You can also store it in the refrigerator for even longer shelf life. There, you are done. Enjoy your healthy snacks!   Dog Treats- Vegetarian & Vegan options If you have your dog on a vegetarian or vegan diet this is a treat that your dog will love.  You can substitute just about any fruit or vegetable in this great vegetarian dog treat recipe to add variety. This recipe uses an egg as a binding agent but if you want to make these treats vegan-- just mix the dough longer and omit the egg. 2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup dry milk powder
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tbs. brown sugar
2 vegetable bouillon cubes; dissolved in 3/4 cup boiling water
1/2 cup carrots, green beans, apples, or blueberries 1 egg (optional) In a large bowl mix all ingredients and form into a ball. On a flour dusted cutting board, roll out the dough to about 1/4" thick.Cut with bone-shaped cookie cutter or any cutter shape your pet will like.   Dehydrate at the highest setting 145 - 155 until done.Approximately 6 - 8 hours.  Add time if needed as treats should be VERY dry.  Sunflower Horse Treats- not only for Horses. Dogs and Cats love these treats also 1/4 cup sunflower seeds2 cups flour½ cup chopped apples1/4 cup carrots, peas, or other vegetables1/4 cup oats ground to powder1 cup peanut butter1 cup rolled oats1 cup molasses Combine ingredients into a large bowl, add molasses until dough is stiff.  Additional oats may be added to make the dough stiff.Roll out dough & cut into shapes or squaresDehydrate at the highest setting 145 - 155 until done.Approximately 4 hours.  Add time if needed as treats should be VERY dry.  Sweet Potato Dog Chews  This is a very simple dog chew/treat- your dog will love this one and it is easy to make. Thoroughly wash and peel sweet potatoes. Slice the sweet potato into 1/4" slices- you can also cut down the middle lengthwise and slice into 1/4" strips.  Dehydrate at the highest setting 145 - 155 until done. Drying approximately 6-8 hours will leave them with a chewy texture. For crunchier treats dehydrate longer until the desired consistency.  Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits  1 1/2 cups water1/2 cup oil3 tablespoons peanut butter --we recommend natural peanut butter – no sugar added
2 teaspoons vanilla2 cups whole wheat flour1/2 cup cornmeal1/2 cup oats1/4 cup Honey Crunch Wheat Germ In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, oats and wheat germ. Stir in oil, peanut butter, vanilla, and water.Knead till smooth, adding more flour or water as needed. Roll out the dough to about 1/4" thick.Shape into bars or cut with bone-shaped cookie cutter or any cutter shape your pet will enjoy.   Dehydrate at the highest setting 145 - 155 until done.Approximately 6 - 8 hours.  Add time if needed as treats should be VERY dry.