Bone Appetite

Dehydrated Snacks

While using a dehydrator is a simple way to make healthy treats, affordable snacks for your dog can be dried in your oven too. Make sure meats, in particular, are thoroughly cooked to maintain shelf life and store them in airtight containers. The more moisture you remove will allow treats to keep longer, and if you're a beginner, you might consider keeping them in the refrigerator just as a precaution. Meats should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees for poultry and 145 for beef, venison, and fish. Many regular pet treat chefs, using dehydrating machines, will still pop treats in the oven at 275 degrees for 10 minutes as a precaution. Remember, drying times vary greatly and are directly impacted by the thickness of the meats. Thin slices will offer the best results. What to dehydrate? While this list includes some basics you are likely already familiar with, I think you will find a few surprises your dog will love!

Beef

Beef Liver

Boneless Chicken Breast

Chicken Liver

Venison

Turkey Breast

Turkey Sausage

Scrapple

Canned WILD Salmon

Bananas

Apples

Green Beans

Sweet Potato

Some prepared foods work great too! Try the Honest Kitchen Pate. It will work best when pipped onto a parchment lined cookie sheet in strips. These are something different your dog will totally love and come in a few different flavors to explore.

More adventurous? Blend a 2:1 ratio of Peaches to blueberries or a 2:1 ratio of shredded carrots to organic applesauce. Pour onto parchment paper in a pan with a lip. Place in the oven at 200 degrees for 5 - 7 hours; again length of time to dehydrate depends on the thickness. Once these are dry, cut the mixture with kitchen shears to suitable bits size pieces.

My dogs don’t eat peanut butter regularly; I have always considered it high in calories, but does the occasional doggie treat with peanut butter impact them? And how do you define “regular basis”...daily? Weekly? Does a small amount cause enough inflammation to be concerned with? Is any level of inflammation acceptable? Too many questions. Sometimes significant changes can be seen when we make tiny changes to our dog’s lives and diets. The food as medicine movement grows each day, and we learn more about how both human and canine bodies react to those “treats” we indulge in. Maybe a nice bit of dehydrated liver is a better choice for our pups.