We all love givingtreats to our dogs from time to time, but finding ready-made natural, raw, healthy treats can be tough.
So, why not make them yourself?
These raw dog treat recipes are the way to your dog’s heart. They’re quick and easy and don’t take a lot of time. Better yet, they’re safe and healthy.
1. Frozen Strawberry and Banana Smoothie Dog Treats from The Cottage Market
Banana, strawberries, yogurt … Yes, I’m sure these treats are for dogs (although I may just have a few myself). And don’t worry if you don’t have fancy bone molds – just use an ice cube tray.
**This recipe includes skim milk, but since cow’s milk isn’t great for a lot of dogs we recommend switching that out for raw goat milk or unsweetened kefir. You may also want to use kefir instead of the Greek yogurt.
2. Pumpkin Banana Frozen Pup Pops from Dogvills
This recipe uses 4 simple ingredients and how cute are those star shapes? Packed with nutrient-rich pumpkin, this is a low cal treat that not only tastes great, it’s really healthy as well.
To boost your dog’s daily probioticintake, you could also switch out the yogurt for kefir in this recipe.
[RELATED] Probiotics are important for your dog’s gut health. Here’s why.
3. Watermelon Dog Treats from The Huffington Post and Gone To The Snow Dogs
These pups are so patient waiting for their treats to freeze!
Watermelon is a sweet treat that’slow in calories and packed with nutrients like vitamins A, B6, and C and potassium.
**Make sure you remove all the seeds.
4. Doggylicious Christmas Pudding Recipe from Tanya Arnold
This nourishing Christmas recipe isn’t just for the holidays. Your dog will love this delicious combination all year round.
Jam-packed with healthy veggies, antioxidant-rich fruit and nutritious raw meats, these are the real deal as far as raw dog treat recipes.
5. Frozen Coconut Oil and Blueberry Dog Treats from Hello Nature
We love this recipe because your dog is getting his healthy fats from the coconut oil plus fresh antioxidants from the blueberries. Perfect for warm summer days or just as a refreshing treat any time of year.
**The recipe shows the treat on top of a bowl of kibble, which we don’t advocate … but of
6.Doughnut Pupcake Recipe from Tanya Arnold
Raw doughnuts may not seem all that appetizing to you, but I promise, your dog’s going to go crazy for these treats.
They may be a little more labor-intensive than some of the others on this list, but don’t let that scare you. That just makes them even better as far as nutrition.
7. DIY Organ Meat Dog Treats from Kol’s Notes
Oneof the biggest mistakes raw feeders make is not feeding enough organ meat. So, with this
And, you can make this one in your oven on its lowest setting if you don’t have a dehydrator.
8. Frozen Chicken Broth and Apple Treats from Savor + Savvy
Apples are a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, and dietary fiber. And they’re always easy to find. The same goes for chicken broth. Literally 2 ingredients – that’s it!
Use organic apples instead of pre-sliced and organic chicken broth. Just core the apples and make sure there are no seeds in there.
And, instead of disposable containers, freeze the treats in an ice cube tray and pop them out as you give them to your dog.
9. Dog Friendly Easter Eggs from Tanya Arnold
3 ingredients. Heathy fats. No baking.
Sounds like a good recipe to me. Plus, it makes 20 mini eggs for your dog share and you can freeze them for up to a month.
[RELATED] Coconut oil isn’t just convenient for treat making – it’s also really healthy for your dog. Find out more here.
10. Tropical Pupsicle Dog Treats
Are you starting to see a theme here – we really do love coconut oil for dogs.
Make these coconut
11. Banana Frosty Holes From Sugar The Golden Retreiver
Bananas are a good source ofvitamin C,potassium, fiber andvitamin B6. They’re also lowin sodium, cholesterol
They do contain a fair amount of sugar though, so don’t let your dog gobble all the treats at once (everything in moderation).
This 2-step recipe makes a quick and delicious treat ready in under an hour!It calls for yogurt, and I’d definitely pick organic. Or maybe try it with kefir for the probiotic benefits!
Ingredients To Avoid In Your Own Dog Treat Recipes
We’re all about making healthy, natural treats for our dogs, but far too often the recipes we come across feature ingredients that we shouldn’t be giving to our dogs. Just because you’re making those treats at home and know exactly what’s going into them, doesn’t always mean they’re healthy.
Avoid these ingredients in your own dog treat recipes:
- Peanut butter. You may be surprised to see peanut butter at the top of the list since so many commercial treats are peanut butter flavored, but peanut butter is actually really bad for your dog. It contains aflatoxin, a naturally occurring mycotoxin. Mycotoxins are one of the most carcinogenic (cancer-causing) substances. Most peanut butters also contain harmful fats and tons of sugar.
- Peas or beans. These are starchy vegetables and they commonly contain
anti-nutrients, or substances that can rob your dog of valuable nutrition. Nuts are also a source of anti-nutrients so keep them out of your treats too. - Starchy carbs (potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice, cereal grains). Carbs serve no purpose in your dog’s diet and they can actually feed the harmful bacteria in your dog’s stomach!
- Sugars. Your dog’s already sweet enough (and he doesn’t need you to add any sugars … seriously, they’re no good). White sugar just feeds all the things we try to keep our dog safe fromyeast, parasites and harmful bacteria. It can cause diabetes, allergies, and even inflammation. It also feeds cancer cells. Just say no to sugar.
If you’re looking for a way to share the love with a yummy treat for your dog that’s also healthy, try one of these and see him jump for joy!
Tell us in the Facebook comments what some of your favorite raw treat recipes are!
