We get asked a lot, why would you want to make homemade treats for your dog? 

Well, there are actually many answers to that question. Here are just a few: 

1. Many people don’t know that dogs can actually suffer from food allergies just like humans. Cooking their treats is a great way to know exactly what is going into their food. 
2. Maybe (like me) you have a very food motivated Labradoodle who needs some low fat treats to help them keep the weight off. This was a trick I learned from the team at welovedoodles.com
3. Your dogs will love it if you spoil them with some homemade treats. 

In this article, I’m sharing my dogs‘ three favorite homemade treat recipes. I will also be sharing a few very important ingredients to keep an eye out for when making treats for your four-legged friends.  

Apologies for any dog-based puns you’re about to experience… 

Ingredients to look out for 

Gluten – 

Flour tends to be the base for most dog treats. However, many dogs, mine included, have gluten allergies or intolerances. The easiest way to avoid using gluten is to cook with gluten-free flour. This type of flour also makes more dense biscuits that your dogs will find more filling. 

Raisins and Grapes – 

These ingredients can actually be extremely toxic to dogs. If you want to include fruit in your dog treats try apples, bananas, or blueberries. 

Xylitol – 

Many brands have started using this ingredient in their peanut butter to cut down the cost of including sugar. This will make no difference to you or me, but for our dogs, however, Xylitol can cause painful stomach cramps and sometimes death. 

Peanut Butter – 

Whilst there is nothing inherently wrong with giving dogs peanut butter, if you are trying to get them to lose weight, then giving them peanut butter will be very counterproductive.  If it’s the ocassional treat though, it’s not really an issue. Be sure to look for peanut butter that’s sugar free.

The Recipes 

Crunchy Apple Pup-cakes 

These smell so good when they’re cooking that you’ll be tempted to keep them all for yourself. 

Ingredients: 

• One cup of fresh Apple 
• 1 Egg
• 4 cups of gluten-free flour 
• 1 tbsp of baking powder 
• 3 cups of water 
• ¼ tsp of vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp of honey 
• ½ cup of Applesauce 
• Muffin pan (and muffin cases if you’re feeling fancy) + butter for greasing them 

Instructions: 

1. Dry out the apples overnight, use a very low oven heat. 
2. Preheat your oven to 340 degrees 
3. Grease the muffin pan with butter
4. Mix your water, egg, and flour 
5. Add the rest of the ingredients
6. Pour the mixture into the muffin tray 
7. Bake for 80 minutes

This recipe is so delicious, and it’s so ridiculously easy to make – what’s not to love?  

Pup-kin Power Balls 

These power balls are full of a bunch of healthy fats and vitamins. They are the perfect post-walk snack, that will tide them over until dinner time. 

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp of cinnamon 
• ¾ cup of canned pumpkin 
• ¼ tsp of baking powder 
• ¼ tsp of baking soda 
• 4 tsp of maple syrup 
• 5 tbsp of water 
• 2 cups of gluten-free flour 
• 2 tbsp of vegetable oil 
• Cookie sheet + butter to grease it with 

Instructions: 

• Grease the Cookie sheet 
• Preheat the oven to 340
• Mix the oil, water, maple syrup, and pumpkin together (wet mix)
• Mix the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and flour together separately (dry mix)
• Add the wet mix one spoonful at a time to the dry mix, until a tacky dough is formed 
• Make small balls out of 2-3 tbsp of mixture 
• Place the balls on the cookie sheet 
• Bake for half an hour or until the dough has hardened 

This recipe is high in potassium, iron, and Vitamin A! 

Peanut Butter Cookies 

Keep these away from dogs on a diet! They’re just too tasty to have one of… 

Ingredients

• 3 cups of gluten-free flour 
• 1 egg 
• 1 tsp of baking powder
• 2 tbsp of maple syrup
• 1 cup of water 
• 1 cup of peanut butter 
• Cookie sheet + butter to grease it 
• Cookie cutters 
• Rolling pin + flour (gluten-free) 

Instructions: 

• Grease the cookie sheet
• Preheat oven to 340 
• Mix the flour, baking powder, and the egg 
• Slowly mix in the maple syrup, water, and peanut butter until you have a tacky but thick dough 
• Flour your counter and roll out the dough 
• Cut out your biscuits  and place them on the cookie sheet 
• Bake for 22 minutes, or until they develop a golden color 

You’ll want to store these away safely, in an airtight container or you’ll find your dogs planning a heist in the middle of the night.

Cookie Cutters

To wrap up, these cookie cutters are adorable and make the cutest shapes for dog treats. 

Paws and Bones 

Labrador 

A mix of dog-themed shapes and dog breeds

You may be taking multivitamins to supplement your own diet. You’re able to choose what and how you eat, and your choices affect how you feel. Your pet is no different—they need enough nutrients and care to keep them healthy. It doesn’t matter the pet—dog, fish, cat, bird, toad, hamster, crocodile, etc. However, you cannot get exactly what they need to eat on their own. That’s up to you. Here are some ideas to help you help your pet get the nutrients they need.

Nutritional Supplements

First, according to HomeoAnimal, one of the most important places to start is to see how your pet’s nutrition is doing overall. Talk with your vet about what nutrition your pet should be getting, and do research about the food they eat to see if their food provides that nutrition.

If your pet is not receiving the nutrition that it needs, you have a couple of options. You can change the food that you provide for your pet to a different food or brand that provides better nutrition overall.

Medical Supplements

When your pet is having medical issues, it’s possible that they have a more serious nutrient deficit. Before taking drastic measures and adding nutrients to your pet’s diet, see a vet and talk through what options for a supplement. There are many supplements that your doctor can prescribe, and he can give you other ideas for helping your pet.

There are some experimental pet supplements being studied. One such supplement being studied is CBD, or cannabidiol. This substance is a chemical that is found in cannabis, but it doesn’t cause a “high”. It’s usually best for your pet in oil form but do research for your particular pet. Remember to check for harmful substances, such as TCH, in the ingredients before purchasing.

According to Hemmfy, studies show that CBD is safe for most pets. There is evidence that shows that CBD may help with a variety of medical conditions in pets, such as anxiety, nausea, inflammation, seizures, appetite, among others.

Homemade Food Supplements

According to Rover, pet food from the store is specially formulated to give your pet the nutrients they need. If you make your pet’s food yourself, though it can be safer with fewer additives, yummier for your pet, or just better for your pet, it’s possible that they may not be getting the nutrients that they need. As you build your pet’s menu, consider finding supplements that you can add to your delicious homemade pet meals to help them get the nutrients they need.

Your pet needs healthy habits like you do to live long and happily. As you get supplements for your pets, remember to check the ingredients carefully to make sure that there is no THC or other harmful substances. Start small when necessary, and monitor them carefully the first couple of times to make sure that they respond well to the supplement. Your pet will thank you for taking such great care for their nutrition.

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