Dog treat recipes can help you prepare a few treats that are an alternative to commercial treats. Treats are rewards when training your dog, but you can also use them when you want to give him a snack. Owners usually choose to make their own treats so that they can have better control over what the dog eats. If your dog is allergic to some food, making the treats at home helps avoid the allergen.
Wheat Free Dog Treat Recipes
It is common for dogs to develop food allergies, and most of them react to wheat. If your dog is sensitive to wheat, you should not offer him the regular bones and treats. There are several wheat-free dog treat recipes which help you make delicious and healthy snacks for your pet.
1. Substitution of Wheat Based Products
The easiest way to make a wheat-free treat is to make some changes to regular recipes. You can substitute flour obtained from wheat with other types of flour. You can use 1¼ cups of rye or oat flour, or ¾ cup of potato flour to replace 1 cup of regular wheat flour.
Rice, barley and oats make good substitutes (¾ cup of barley, oats or rice is the equivalent of 1 cup of wheat flour).
Arrowroot, corn starch, potato starch, nuts and seeds make a good replacement. Half a cup of these equals a cup of wheat flour.
The substitution also requires some more changes to the initial recipe. It changes the consistency and the texture of the treat, and it also tends to crumble. For the best results, remember to:
- Add baking powder (1/2 teaspoon for each cup)
- Add 10 to 20 minutes to baking time
- Make smaller treats
You can try several combinations, until you get treats that are healthy and that your dog likes. Before starting, make sure your dog is not allergic to the alternative ingredients as well.
2. Meat Dog Treat Recipes
If you want to make flour free treats for your dog, you can opt for meat or liver treats. Liver is very healthy and offers a considerable intake of high quality proteins and iron. There are several ways in which you can make treats out of liver without adding any flower.
Cut the liver into strips and put it onto a wire mesh tray. Put the tray in the oven and let it cook slowly for about 5 to 6 hours. It is important that you use the lowest setting of your oven. Take the tray out and leave it to dry some more for 24 to 48 hours. The treats obtained do not require refrigeration.
Another easy way to obtain healthy treats is by boiling chicken meat in water, and adding some garlic. When it is ready, cut small slices of meat and spread parmesan on it. Bake them in the oven until they harden. Use a low temperature setting for the baking.