Three Categories of Healthy Homemade Dog Treats
Three types of healthy homemade dog treats you can make yourself include grain-free dog treats, low-fat dog treats, and low-calorie dog treats.
Make dog treats that are grain free if your dog has a wheat allergy.
Find suggestions for low-fat dog treats that you probably did not think of! You don’t have to be a baker or a whiz in the kitchen for these.
At the very end of the page we provide a low-calorie dog treat recipe for healthy homemade dog treats that is quick and easy.
Grain-free dog treats
The digestive system of dogs was not originally designed for grain products. But humans have tried to “humanize” them by feeding them foods that humans enjoy. Also, wheat products serve as cheap fillers in some commercial dog treats and dog foods.
Fortunately, dog bakery supplies offer mixes for healthy homemade dog treats. Grain-free baking flours to bake grain-free and wheat-free dog treats are also available on the market.
Consider wheat-free dog treats for dogs with:
- Wheat allergies
- Celiac disease – intestinal illness in which gluten (a protein found in wheat) is not absorbed through the small intestine.
- Diabetes in dogs – wheat is a carbohydrate and owners of diabetic dogs must watch their carbohydrate intake
- Dogs who make struvite crystals in the urine or at risk for stones – too much wheat can cause a mineral imbalance and lead to the formation of these crystals or stones and cause urinary tract problems
These are just some problems associated with wheat products.
There are numerous flours for baking other than wheat that can be used. A dog bakery can make special hypoallergenic dog treats.
However, if your dog seems to do fine eating grains, there is no need to become worried. Just let him have it in moderation.
There is a homemade dog cake mix available from K9Cakery.com that has no wheat, no soy, and no gluten.
The good news is that there is no wheat in dog treat icing, so dogs can enjoy a little frosting on their wheat-free treats!
“All natural” does not mean “wheat free”, as wheat is a “natural” product occurring in nature. More all-natural dog treat information.
Recipe for wheat-free dog treats: dried chicken dog treats.
Low-calorie dog treats
If you want to make healthy homemade dog treats, consider low-calorie dog treats for an older pet or one who is not very active to prevent dog obesity.
Statistics report about 5% of dogs qualify as obese, with 23% to around 40% considered overweight.
The cause behind overweight dogs is not necessarily considered to be overfeeding, but the fact that pets are more confined and not given appropriate exercise. It is not safe for pets to roam about and there are leash laws.
Some pets can spend almost all day inside waiting for a busy owner to return.
There are obese dogs who have become that way due to too much “people” food given to them.
Some dog owners will say that their dog’s breed just loves to eat! They will eat anything and everything. Those owners have to dog-proof their homes and make sure all food products are out of reach. They also have to keep the “delicious inedibles” out of reach. It’s a good idea not to leave a dog unattended if he has a tendency to munch on household items.
A good low-calorie dog food addition is a serving of green beans.
When it comes to making dog treats low calorie, make them small, and limit the amount your dog can have.
Dog training treats are by definition small and low calorie because you will be offering many throughout the training exercise and don’t want to give the dog more calories than necessary
Cooked eggs can be used as a low-calorie treat, and egg pieces are recommended to be used as training treats.
Some dogs enjoy eating vegetables. Many vegetables are not only low in calories, but if still in their raw state, they offer a crunchy snack. For example, carrots, broccoli, and raw green beans.
Low-fat dog treats
Low-fat dog treats are sought after by some dog owners. Good dog bakeries offer at least one low-fat dog biscuit recipe.
This is a recipe for cheese dog biscuits.
First, we must remind you that dogs are lactose intolerant. Milk is high in lactose and a dog cannot digest it. But cheese has much less amounts of lactose, so a little bit is not likely to play havoc with your dog’s digestive tract.
Low-fat types of cheese are recommended to keep the caloric content down. Stay away from the high-fat cheeses.
The following super-simple healthy homemade dog treats recipe calls for low-fat mozzarella and a doggie biscuit mix, to take away all the measuring and guesswork from the baking so you can spend more time decorating the finished product!
Ingredients:
- 1 package biscuit mix
- 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (part-skim)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine all the ingredients with the biscuit mix and stir together. It will be somewhat stiff. Keep mixing. If it remains too stiff, add a few drops of water to loosen it – just enough so that the dough sticks together.
- Roll it out and using dog cookie cutters, cut out desired shapes.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes on a non-stick cookie sheet.
- When biscuits are done, turn off the oven and let them sit for another 60 minutes to harden and dry.
- You can finish them off with dog treat icing. Dip the biscuits into the icing, or drizzle it over the biscuits for a different effect.
- If you are really industrious, put the icing into a decorating bag and pipe various designs.
