How to Prepare Good, Healthy Dog Treats At Home

There’s no need to spend money on store-bought dog treats when you can prepare healthy dog treats for your pet. Store bought dog treats are generally unhealthy and are the equivalent of junk food for your dog. There are many items in your kitchen which can be served as dog treats or used to prepare healthy dog treats with little investment of time or money. Each dog is different however, so it may take some testing to determine what dog treats your dog likes and which dog treats his digestive system can handle.

Generally speaking, fresh vegetables and lean meat are safe and healthy foods for your dog to consume. Make sure before preparing dog treats or dog food at home that you consult your veterinarian to ensure that your pup’s nutritional needs are being met and that you transition to homemade foods slowly to avoid stomach upset. Also do your research to ensure that the foods you feed your pet aren’t harmful or poisonous to him or her.

Raw vegetables are an easy and convenient way to serve your dog healthy dog treats at home. If you’re lucky enough to have a dog that loves these raw vegetables (as mine does) you can save yourself the expense of store bought treats and the time of preparing dog treat recipes. Just make sure to wash the vegetables before giving them to your dog to remove any chemicals (or buy organic). Some vegetables that make good healthy dog treats:

Carrots – Served either raw or baked with no seasoning or a little parsley if you prefer. Baby carrots are the perfect size for dog treats.

Celery – Served raw because dogs love the crunchy texture. Cut celery stalks into quarters to prepare doggie serving sizes.

Asparagus – Served raw and again a crunchy veggie!

Squash - Cut raw squash into treat size.

Sweet Potatoes – Slice sweet potatoes into strips and bake with a little bit of flaxseed oil. This makes a crunchy but healthy treat. The flaxseed oil helps to keep your dog’s coat shiny and is also helpful for dogs suffering from certain skin conditions.

It goes without saying; your dog loves meat. Chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, deer, etc. are all winning ingredients to a dog and best of all they include protein – a much needed component of your dog’s diet. When preparing dog treats or meals using meat make sure you rinse the meat fully before cooking and cut off any excess fat. You can create healthy dog treats quickly and easily at home using whichever meat you prefer (except bacon!) and there’s no need to add seasoning (your dog really doesn’t care for spices anyway). Healthy meaty dog treats include:

Chicken Nuggets – Cut chicken into nugget sized portions and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Turkey jerky – Cut the turkey into strips and place in the oven at a low temp (150 – 200 degrees) for approximately 2 ½ hours or until the turkey is dry but not brittle. Let cool before serving.

Beef Roll-up – Cut thinly sliced beef into strips and fry or bake until just done (meat should still be moist and flexible). Spread a thin layer of cooked, mashed egg yolk onto the beef. Cover the egg yolk with a thin layer of cooked rice. Roll up the beef strip and serve.

Any meat leftovers should be refrigerated.

Most dogs love peanut butter and many commercial dog treats contain peanut butter. Peanut butter should be given to your dog sparingly as it’s high in fat and sugar. Ideally you should serve your dog organic, all-natural, no sugar added peanut butter. In small amounts, peanut butter makes a great additive to dog treats. For dogs that don’t like to eat their vegetables, putting a small amount on a carrot or celery stick might encourage them to gobble up the treat (or they may just lick off the peanut butter but at least you tried). For special occasions you can treat your dog to a baked peanut butter dog treat.

Here I’ve included just a few ideas for preparing healthy dog treats for your canine companion but there are so many more recipes and ideas to choose from! Regardless of your budget or time constraints you can still manage to feed your dog healthy treats from home. As stated above, do your research and consult your veterinarian before making any changes to your dog’s diet, particularly if your dog has special nutritional needs. Treat your dog’s health with as much care as you treat your own. Your dog will appreciate it and best of all, it’ll ensure that he’s around a lot longer to let you know it.