More and More St. Louis Pet Owners Make Homemade Dog Treats

Reports about pet treat recalls are becoming increasingly frequent, and as such, many St. Louis pet owners have turned to making their own homemade dog treats. From specialized gourmet pet treat makers (Sunbeam makes one that looks like a doggie George Foreman) to silicone pawprint molds that you can both bake and freeze in, creating your own dog treats can be a money-saver and also help you control what your pet is ingesting.

If you like the idea of handcrafting treats for your pet, you’re not alone. Pinterest is filled with recipes for treats like fruit and veggie sticks, homemade liver treats, K-9 meatballs, peanut butter banana pupsicles, and more. While these recipes are a bit more involved, you can create simple treats by popping open a few jars of baby food, mixing it with plain Greek yogurt, and freezing them in ice cube trays. Use your imagination and experiment with your dog to see what kinds of ingredients he or she favors.

Here’s a relatively simple homemade dog bone recipe that you can add to as time goes on!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups 100% organic whole wheat flour (or wheat germ, spelt, rolled oats, or a mixture of these, etc.)

• 2 (4-ounce) jars of pureed baby food like beef, blueberry, sweet potato, chicken, etc… (be sure there are no onions/onion powder in it, and avoid any with artificial preservatives)

• Optional add-ins: grated carrots, chunked sweet potatoes, minced parsley, blueberries, peanut butter, etc…

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Mix together to form a stiff dough. If necessary, add extra flour or water as needed.

3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to about a 1/4 inch thick. Use bone-shaped cookie cutters to cut into desired shape.

4. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, place treats about 1/2 inch apart. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes.  Allow to cool completely before storing in a paper bag to keep them crunchy.

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