Home-Made Festive Dog Treats.

 

Everyone loves to have a few treats and goodies at Christmas and there is no reason why the family dog can’t share in some festive food treats too.  Holidays4Dogs has compiled a few ideas for healthy, dog friendly, homemade festive dog treats – so, your dog doesn’t need to feel left out over the festive period.

Christmas is a time for sharing nice things with family. And, the family dog certainly doesn’t have to be left out. There are plenty of healthy snacks your dog enjoy and they can easily be made at home.

 


Minty Christmas tree dog biscuits

These minty dog biscuits are great for keeping your dog’s breath fresh and they also aid digestion, so a treat not just for Christmas, but a healthy treat all year round.

You will need;

• 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped mint leaves.
• ¾ cup of skimmed milk
• 1 free range egg
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• 3 tablespoons of canola oil
• 2 tablespoons of wheat germ
• 1 tablespoon of brewers yeast
• 1 cup of whole wheat flour (unprocessed).

Add the milk, honey, egg, oil and mint into a large mixing bowl and blend together with a whisk. Next, add the wheat germ and brewer’s yeast until it is well mixed. Add the wheat flour and water to make a stiff dough.

Roll out the dough to a desired thickness and for festive treats you could use a Christmas tree cutter to form the biscuit shape. Bake at 300 degrees for around 30 minutes. Once the biscuits are golden, turn off the oven but leave the biscuits in until they are completely dry and crunchy. They can be stored in an airtight container for a couple of weeks or so.

Eggnog

There’s no need to leave Fido out this Christmas while sipping on a cup of eggnog because he can have his own doggy version.

You will need;

• 7oz Greek or plain yoghurt
• 4oz jar of baby food (organic chicken and sweet potato for example)
• ¼ cup of water
• 1 free range egg (you can leave this out if you prefer).

Combine all the ingredients in a blender until it becomes frothy and top with a doggy chocolate or other small dog biscuit.


Turkey and rye biscuit bones

If you have any leftover turkey this recipe will be sure to please your dog over Christmas.

You will need;

• 2 ½ cups of rye flour
• 1 ½ cups of roasted turkey
• 1 egg
• ½ cup of skimmed milk
• ½ cup of chicken stock
• 2 teaspoons of ground flax seed
• 2 teaspoons of fresh chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons of coconut oil.

Mix all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl until everything is blended nicely. Knead the dough and roll it out to approximately ¼ inch thick. Cut out shapes with a bone-shaped cookie cutter. Bake the biscuits at 275 degrees for about ten minutes. Turn off the oven once cooked so they completely dry out. These can also be kept in the fridge for two weeks or can be frozen for up to three months.

Pea and turkey patties

Another great recipe for dogs that makes for a nice hearty treat after a long winter walk. Also great as training treats. The best thing is – people can eat them too!

You will need;

• ½ cup of cooked brown rice
• ½ of an ounce of thawed or fresh peas
• ¼ cup of cooked shredded chicken (no skin)
• 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

Stir all the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and form into ½ inch patties. Heat the olive oil over a medium heat and cook the patties for about 6 minutes turning once until golden brown. Remove from the pan and allow them to cool.


homemade festive dog treats

Turkey meatloaf

This is a healthier alternative for dogs. The way in which we cook turkey means it is too rich and oily for dogs. It also contains lots of small bones that are sometimes easy to miss. This recipe is much better for dogs and they will love it just as much.

You will need;

• ½ cup of oat bran
• 2 free range eggs
• ½ cup of grated carrots
• ½ a grated sweet potato
• 1 lb of minced turkey (you can buy this in frozen packs from large pet stores).

Blend all the ingredients together in a greased loaf tin and bake at 375 F for about an hour. Cool thoroughly and cut into small squares.

Dog-safe Christmas Cake

A happy canine Christmas wouldn’t be complete without a lovely home made Christmas cake made especially for the family dog.

You will need;

• 2 cups of wheat flour
• ¼ cup of wheat germ
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1 cup of molasses – molasses can be given to dogs in moderation and it does in fact have a long history as a natural cure for both human and canine ailments. You can purchase Meridian Natural Molasses from Holland and Barrett.
• ½ cup of canola oil
• 2 free range eggs
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 apple chopped and cored.

In a mixing bowl combine the wheat germ, baking powder and cinnamon together and put to one side. In another large bowl mix the molasses and oil and then add the eggs.

Beat the mixture until it is thoroughly blended and then add the vanilla essence and water. Add the flour little by little until the mixture is smooth. Fold in the chopped apple. Put the mixture into a baking tin and bake for around 30 – 40 minutes at about 350 F. Cool on a rack and cut into bite sized pieces.

Christmas is a wonderful time of the year for all the family, including the family dog, and these homemade festive dog treats are sure to delight him. However, the festive period is a time when there are all sorts of foods in the house that dogs mustn’t have.

Here’s a Holiday 4 Dogs quick reminder checklist of Christmas foods your dog must NOT have;

• Grapes. These are poisonous to dogs; keep them out of reach.
• Christmas Pudding, Cake or Mince Pies meant for humans. All are full of raisins and sultanas which are very bad for dogs and can pose serious health risks.
• Chocolate. Very bad for dogs indeed. Keep tree decorations and boxes of chocolates well out of their reach.
• Bones. Never feed your dog cooked meat bones. Make sure bones are disposed of where your dog cannot reach them.
• Nuts. Macadamia nuts are especially toxic to dogs but keep all nuts well out of reach.
• Alcohol. Also very bad for dogs if consumed and can give your dog very unpleasant side effects. Keep glasses and beer mugs well out of reach.

If you’re thinking about a healthy detox after the Christmas festivities are over, head across to our other Holidays4Dogs article – ‘A New year detox guide for a happy and healthy dog’