National Dog biscuit day
February 23rd is officially National Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day – so let’s join in!
There are so many dog biscuits available in pet shops, supermarkets, garden centres and online stores so it can be hard to choose!
My own dogs, Merlin and Ripley, prefer softer biscuits to crunchy unless I break them smaller lol! Aero, my assistance dog in training, is happy with any texture and any level of soft or crunchy.
So many flavours are available now too! Consider that something very different to what your dog usually eats, both as meals and as treats, may be fine as a one off but giving a lot suddenly may lead to an upset stomach and messy results!! In moderation our dogs can enjoy tasty dog biscuits entirely!
Making your own dog biscuits might be something you already do or you may not realise it’s something you can do. At a time when many dog owners are needing to watch what they spend in general it can be a really great idea to make our own treats and biscuits – using affordable ingredients and storing in our reusable containers which means no extra costs on packaging either.
With so many dogs showing intolerances or sensitivities to more ingredients than ever now it can be even more beneficial to make your own dog biscuits so you know exactly what is in them.
On that note I’ve found us a couple of easy to make dog biscuit recipes – containing ingredients that can boost our dogs’ health as well as being super tasty for them! Plus as I know so many dogs on specific diets I’ve found vegan friendly and gluten free recipes so hopefully there’s something for most dogs x You can replace the Oat Flour with regular or gluten free flour if oats aren’t your thing!
Banana and Pumpkin Biscuits:
Ingredients
✅ 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
✅ 2 very ripe bananas
✅ 3 1/4 cups of unbaked oats
Method:
🐶 Preheat oven to 350 degrees/170c and lightly grease a baking sheet
🐶 In a blender / food processor blend oats to a fine powder then scoop out a little bit to flour your work surface.
🐶 In large bowl mash bananas together with pumpkin until a paste forms. Pour in the remaining oat flour and stir.
🐶 Move your dough onto the oat-floured surface and knead until all of the flour is incorporated.
🐶 Roll out your dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick and cut out treats in whatever shape you like. Repeat as needed until you have used up all of the dough.
🐶 Bake the biscuits for 8-10 minutes then allow them to fully cool.
Ingredients Info:
🎃 Pumpkin benefits –
Vitamin A promotes eye health and the development of night blindness and other eye degeneration. When combined with vitamin A (beta-carotene), E, and other antioxidants in pumpkin for dogs, it can possibly help prevent certain cancers from developing. Pumpkins have the unique ability to cure both constipation and diarrhea in your dog!
🍌 Banana benefits:
Bananas are loaded with magnesium, which helps with muscle growth. Magnesium helps relax your dog and plays an important role in heart function. Bananas potentially lead to improved brain function, thanks to the large number of E vitamins they contain.
Peanutbutter Dog Biscuits:
Ingredients:
✅ Oat Flour
✅ Cinnamon Powder
✅ Peanut Butter
✅ Water
Method:
🐶 Preheat the oven to 360°F/180°C.
🐶 Combine the oat flour and cinnamon powder.
🐶 Add in the peanut butter and water.
🐶 Stir to combine and knead the ingredients into a dough with your hands until it sticks together. If it’s too crumbly, add more water. If it’s too sticky, add more flour.
🐶 On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough. Cut out the individual biscuits in whatever shape cutter you have (or use a pizza cutter!)
🐶 Bake them in the oven for 10-12 minutes. They should be baked all the way through and crispy. Let them cool off before feeding them to your dog!
Ingredients Info:
Cinnamon powder:
Can help with bad breath. It also contains antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and can help counteract the effects of diabetes.
Peanutbutter for dogs:
Try to make sure there’s no birch sugar/xylitol sweetener in the peanut butter as it is toxic to dogs.
Water: Water and peanut butter hold the dry ingredients together. You might have to use a bit more or less water to get a smooth non-sticky dough.
If you’ve made your dog any biscuits we would love to see them!!
