Homemade dog treats a hit

Rudy takes a first bite of his new treat

Homemade Dog Treats Get Paws Up

Gurgle. Belch. Growl. These are the sounds my dog Rudy’s stomach made last week. They sounded just like a human stomach when it’s distressed. Hmmm. Could this be because he has shared a spot at the dinner table as devourer of scraps? Dr. Willard Bratton, Rudy’s veterinarian in Fayetteville, deemed the urge to spoil dogs with food usually consumed by people as “garbage gut.” Rudy, a six-year-old sheltie, experienced a bout of bloody diarrhea and some black stools a few weeks ago.

Most likely the cause was from a poor diet, his doctor said. Dr. Bratton placed Rudy on a bland diet of boiled hamburger meat and rice and boiled chicken. This did the trick.

Some of the worst food offenders are fats from meat, which can cause pancreatitis, and chocolate. Candy has been shown to have adverse effects on a dog’s nervous system. For a complete list of foods to avoid, visit Peteducation.com. When I looked into our pantry, I realized the bags of treats were about as nutritional as the potato chip sacks I had stacked above them. I sometimes experience indigestion with junk foods — who doesn’t — but I didn’t realize how much more serious it can be for a dog’s digestive health.

I hated to deprive Rudy of all his mini T-bone steaks, chicken strips and pepperoni twists, but I realized his health was more important than some tasty and fatty treats filled with additives like red food coloring and chemical names most people have never heard of.

Still, there had to be an alternative out there for him to enjoy something tasty that was also nutritious. Rudy’s favorite foods are cheese and peanut butter, so I thought about combining the two for a snack he could savor. I pored over articles online and found some recipes I liked at dailydrool.com.

The recipes I read contained whole wheat flour. Now, he’ll also be getting fiber! Here’s a recipe that has provided Rudy with a great alternative to his former high-fat, low nutrition fare. I know this recipe is a winner because of the finger test. I barely get these out of the bag before my fingers receive a light bite as he jumps up to snatch one mid-air.

I don’t have a bone cookie cutter, so I just shaped these as best I could. The dough tends to become a little sticky. I added a little more wheat flour until the consistency was such that I could form it. I even tried a little of this mix myself, and thought it tasted pretty good. I hope you and your dogs enjoy!

Cheesy Peanut Butter Bones

3 1/2 cups King Arthur 100 percent whole wheat flour

2 cups uncooked oats

2 cups milk

2 cups extra crunchy peanut butter

1 egg

3 tablespoons shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese (or your dog’s favorite cheese variety)

1 1/2 cup hot water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients. Drop by large wooden spoonful onto greased cookie sheet. Shape into bones about 3 inches long and a half-inch wide. Flatten center part of dough with the side of your hand and make indentations on each end for the bone.

Bake for about 25 minutes. Remove to cooling rack.

Servings: About 36.

Tasting good

Fresh from the oven

Good Stuff

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Posted by admin on Jun 28 2011. Filed under Food Scene. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry