Dog Biscuits!

[kentgirl]

I know this is a strange question....but have you ever made dog biscuits?

The only reason I ask is because my co-worker mentioned she makes her dog homemade dog biscuits, and her dog loves them! I can honestly say, that in my 40+ plus of living, I have never heard of anybody making dog biscuits. It just struck me as odd.

I had a dog for 10 years - he died last summer. So it's not like I never had a dog. But I never once considered making him dog biscuits!

[emilycat]

Hey, kentgirl http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

I remember these threads only because each time I saw them, I thought, "Huh, did other people eat these when they were kids, too?"

I was sadly mistaken http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/tongue.gif
http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/Archives/Archive-000001/HTML/20010301-1-001163.html
http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/Archives/Archive-000001/HTML/20010301-1-002002.html

[kentgirl]

Thanks emilycat---I didn't even do a search because I just never really thought people actually made dog biscuits.

My poor dog.....now I feel guilty that I never made him any homemade treats!

[KValley]

Hi kentgirl,

There is a funky pet shop in the U District (U of Washington) that has an entire dog and cat deli, complete with gourmet dog and cat biscuits. Not for people- for your pets http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif. THe name of it completely escapes me at the moment, but I'll call my dad in Lake Forest Park tonight and ask, if you or your friend are interested. The rest of the shop is great too- a must-see for dog and cat lovers.



[This message has been edited by KValley (edited 03-26-2001).]

[hka]

Hi kentgirl and emilycat. It's funny because recently on TBS on Dinner and a Movie they did a recipe on how to make dog biscuits that humans can eat too. They were showing Turner and Hooch and making these dog biscuits. I don't have the recipe but I bet if you went to the TBS, Dinner and a Movie website, they'd have it posted there. By the way, if you get that TV station, that's a pretty cute show to watch on Friday evenings. The two hosts are pretty cute and they've gotten funnier since they first started airing the show. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[aggie94]

All our dogs are on low-fat diets because they tend to be prone to obesity (they're beagles). Anyway, our vet suggested making low-fat "cookies" for them also, rather than buying Milkbones as we've always done. He does this by just scooping little spoonfuls of low-fat canned food onto a cookie sheet and baking them until they're hard. We've never actually bothered, but a friend of ours baked the dogs some homemade peanut butter dog cookies once and they went nuts for them. I have a hard enough time finding time to bake for myself...

[RunnerKim]

Yep - I bake my dog's treats. About once every other month I'll make up a batch. Basically whatever flours I have around, some chicken broth and other flavorings (peanut butter, cheese, pumpkin etc), mix it altogether to get the right consistency to roll out. I also feed her a home-prepared diet. If you think what's in human convenience food is poor nutrition then you should do some reading about dog and cat kibble!

If you're looking for more exact recipes you'll be surprised at how many you'll find by doing a Internet search.

Kim

[KValley]

Speaking of dogs and diets, can I share my pooch's Success Story?: About a year and 1/2 ago, our dog began having hip problems and I took her into the vet. It was clear that she needed to lose weight and I was at a loss of what to do: we exercised her regularly, no human food, regular feedings. SHe's a pug and Corgi mix, so pretty prone to adding poundage.

Our vet suggested rice cakes!! He said that dog biscuits, even the haute cuisine of IAMS or Science Diet, have a very high fat content and as long as her dog food contained the appropriate nutrients, there was no need to double up on calories with dog biscuits. We were pretty dubious, but I can report 18 months later that Lucy has lost the 15 pounds the vet recommended and just completed a seven mile hike over the weekend with us at Mt Hood! Hip problems are gone! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

We buy the mini-cakes. Her preference is for caramel, but she will suffer the occasional apple cinnamon. DH and I have been known to swipe a couple, but they aren't that tempting. Lucy is crazy about them, however...

Just a suggestion- it worked!! If it were only so easy for the rest of us, eh? Wait, let's not get started on a "rice cake diet" thread....



[This message has been edited by KValley (edited 03-26-2001).]

[ebobbitt]

I've never made dog biscuits but I did make cat treats one time. I bought the cutest little kit with a mix and two cookie cutters (shaped like a fish and a mouse). When I added water to the mix it smelled just like milk. After mixing, cutting and baking do you think the two Himalayans would taste them? Of course not. They couldn't turn up those little non-existent noses fast enough! That was my only attempt at pet treats. However, I've been tempted to make cookies for my horses but haven't had time.

Elizabeth

[Karen M]

We have a store near us called Three Dog Bakery. They sell homemade pet treats made with all natural ingredients, no preservatives, etc. Here's their website:
http://www.threedog.com/

[lanie]

What a SUPER topic! Guess this could only come from an "out and out animal lover" I make my own dog food from Essex Cottage - they also have a recipe for cookies - I truly believe that we are what we eat (we all know that) and our 'canine/feline' friends absolutely fall into that category. Anyone interested, do a search or let me know - I love making this 'food' for my 2 goldens, as much as I love preparing CookingLight recipes for my 'human' family.

Elaine http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[sneezles]

KValley
Thank you so much for the rice cake suggestion. My 2 yr old, blk lab/greyhound mix has developed Irritable Bowl Disorder and unlike most canines suffering from this she cannot tolerate a high protein diet. She has to be on a high fiber diet. No milk products, no pigs ears, no dog biscuits. RICE CAKES...what a treat that would be for her!

[mah]

i made homemade dog biscuits this past christmas for all my friends and family with pets....i had christmas tissue paper with scotties, bones and holly on it, tied it with a ribbon, listed the ingredients and ended up with a great gift....

[KValley]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by sneezles:
[B]KValley
Thank you so much for the rice cake suggestion.

Hey sneezles-
you are most welcome. See what your vet has to say about rice cakes for your dog. I would never have believed it, but the rc's
have made nearly all the difference. We also moved from humid central Illinois to very arid central Washington state, which helped her irritated hip and I think her energy level. But the bulk of the weight loss (hah- no pun intended) came before the move.


Oh, kentgirl, I just thought of the pet store in Seattle with the gourmet deli -
BowWowMeow.

[luv2cook]

my new dog, Jake, has gained 10.5 lbs. since Nov. 28th! I nearly fell over. He was scrawny when I found him but yikes!

Since his heartworm treatment we've been trying to build up his tolerance. We went walking in the woods for two hours yesterday and about an hour into it, he was walking beside instead of in front. I guess it will just take time to build up his endurance.

I try to limit treats and people food. Since he's young, I do let him have the natural dog bones (like rawhides). But now i have to figure out how to keep him from gaining any more weight...i think he looks just fine.

[kentgirl]

KValley
- thanks for the name of the dog-deli. I'll pass it along to my friend. She might appreciate a day off from baking her dog biscuits. She's got two dogs, Simon and Schuster. What cute names, huh? Do you think dog names say a little something about the owner---she's an "editor" by profession!

Of course, my dog's name was "Skippy". I used to get so embarrased telling people his name. How original can you get?? But he was already named when we got him. Didn't have the heart to change it. I sure miss him...

[tovie]

Originally posted by ebobbitt:
I've never made dog biscuits but I did make cat treats one time. I bought the cutest little kit with a mix and two cookie cutters (shaped like a fish and a mouse). When I added water to the mix it smelled just like milk. After mixing, cutting and baking do you think the two Himalayans would taste them? Of course not. They couldn't turn up those little non-existent noses fast enough! That was my only attempt at pet treats. However, I've been tempted to make cookies for my horses but haven't had time.

Elizabeth

I got that as a gift but I've never tried it because I just kind of figured the cats wouldn't eat it. I have a cute cat cookbook with people and catfood recipes and I tried several recipes out of it when I first got it for my cats. I was sure the one would eat them, especially if I pretended it was people food (and since he'd eat about anything else). But neither one would have anything to do with it, not even the tuna dish.

I imagine that dog jerky recipe might be a hit with cats. I had a cat that loved jerky, to the extent that he actually stole it out of the oven one time when I was drying it. (you leave the oven door open partway while drying and when I got up in the morning, all the jerky as far in as he could reach on both sides was history)

[hka]

Mah, what a great gift idea!! I'll have to do that some time! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[Donna P]

I make my doggies cookies all the time. I make them for my husband's bake sale at work to benefit United Way and I always raise the most money!!!! Here is my basic recipe, I usually add a big spoon of peanut butter and also replace some of the flour with some yeast/garlic pellets I got at the health food store. Dogs go NUTS for these cookies. I use a bone shaped cookie cutter. I probably bake them for a longer period of time to make sure that they are nice and hard. Here is my recipe:



* Exported from MasterCook *

Rover's Rewards

Recipe By :Colorado State University
Serving Size : 48 Preparation Time :0:01
Categories : Cookies

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/3 cup margarine -- softened
3/4 cup water -- hot
1/2 cup powdered milk
1 beef bouillon cube
1 large egg -- beaten
3 cups whole wheat flour

In a large bowl, pour hot water over margarine. Stir in powdered milk, bouillon and egg. Add flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Knead 3 to 4 minutes, adding more flour if necessary to make a very stiff dough.

Pat or roll to 1/2 inch thickness and cut out with a dog biscuit cutter.

Place on a greased baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees for 2 hours or more until hard. Allow to cool and dry out until very hard. Makes about 1-1/4 pounds.

This is a healthy, tasty treat for our canine friends.

You can substitute water and bouillon cube with beef or chicken broth.


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per serving: 45 Calories (kcal); 2g Total Fat; (35% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 5mg Cholesterol; 34mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

NOTES : This recipe was developed by a nutritionist-veterianrian at Colorado State University.
Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0

[SusieO]

lanie:
Could you please post your dog food and cookie recipes? My pup isn't nearly spoiled enough already. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif

[KValley]

Originally posted by kentgirl:
KValley
- thanks for the name of the dog-deli. I'll pass it along to my friend. She might appreciate a day off from baking her dog biscuits. She's got two dogs, Simon and Schuster. What cute names, huh? Do you think dog names say a little something about the owner---she's an "editor" by profession!

Of course, my dog's name was "Skippy". I used to get so embarrased telling people his name. How original can you get?? But he was already named when we got him. Didn't have the heart to change it. I sure miss him...

Skippy is great!! Our dog was named "Honey" when we adopted her. After about two days of my DH and I not knowing which "Honey" was being addressed, we changed her name to Lucy. SHe was only six months old, so she quickly overcame the identity crisis and my DH and I could return to our affectionate monikers without fear of confusing our owner. Ooops, I mean the dog. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif

[AndreaU]

I'm the one who started off the original thread in the first place! Yes, I do make doggie biscuits- my pups loved the Snickerpoodles and the Cheese Nuggets. Someone gave me a mix that came with a cookie cutter a couple years ago. Since then, instead of buying the mix, I bake my own. I must add that I don't have children (well, that is, the two-legged kind) so Tupper and Colby are mine to spoil!

[JLS]

AndreaU:

Did you name Tupper after Tupper Lake?

(What a cute name.)

[mah]

you can get a bunch of recipes at "thepoop.com"

jls, do you mean tupper lake, NY; if so, do you vacation there?

[AndreaU]

JLS and mah... yes, as in Tupper Lake, NY. The other is named after Lake Colby (which is in Saranac Lake, NY). I went to school up there and we head up that way at least 2-3 times a year, hoping to move there one day!

[BeckyM]

I just wanted to post a somewhat-related story about dogs that need to lose weight. (It has nothing to do with baking dog biscuits though.)

My sister has a yellow lab named Sam that would eat himself to death if she let him. Sam was getting a bit heavy, so my sister's vet told her to feed Sam canned green beans! The vet said they would help him feel full and give him some good fiber and other nutrients without a lot of calories (just like veggies for people!). So she gives him half a can along with his dinner every night, and he LOVES them! I think he actually gets more excited about the beans than he does about his regular food.

So Sam is staying trim and healthy, but my husband and I suspect there is a side effect. Sam is probably the smelliest dog we know! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/eek.gif My sister keeps him clean -- it's not his coat. He's just rather "gassy", and we suspect it's the beans. My sister doesn't seem to really notice it, and Sam is happy, so green beans seem to be a great solution for them.

[KValley]

SO, we add this to my vet's suggestion about rice cakes and we're going to have some pretty fit and trim dogs (can you give a dog BEANO?)

I'm totally impressed with the number of you who prepare your pets' meals. Now I feel like a schmuck for giving Lucy store-bought. I love this dog with my entire being, but I just never even thought I should be home-cooking her meals. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

There is a really sweet and a propos article in the latest issue of Walking magazine "Want a life? Get a Dog"

[This message has been edited by KValley (edited 03-28-2001).]

[sneezles]

Funny about the green beans because that is part of the diet my dog, Roxi, has just been put on. She can't tolerate protein and this was discovered after months of tests & her spending two weeks with the vet trying different foods. Seems she needs a high fiber diet so he put her on one of the senior foods but she doesn't like it at all. So the homemade version had 1/2 carrots and 1/2 cup green beans cooked with lean beef and cottage cheese. She can't have the meat or cheese but I need to put more weight on her (she lost 10 pounds during this time) so she gets the carrots and the green beans with brown gravy and brown rice. Except for the fact she doesn't like green beans, picks every darn one out of the bowl and puts them in a pile on the floor! So she gets 1 cup of carrots-no green beans.

[JLS]

mah - No, unfortunately I don't vacation there !!!! I am a native NY'er, my Mom lives around Bing., but that is about as far upstate as I usually get.

[Mitchdoggy]

Any help for my friends dog-he scratches constantly. The vet hasn't been able to come up with any meds that would prevent him from licking and scratching. His hair on one side of his body is very thin due to this problem. He's a Brussels Griffon.-really cute!

[tovie]

Originally posted by Mitchdoggy:
Any help for my friends dog-he scratches constantly. The vet hasn't been able to come up with any meds that would prevent him from licking and scratching. His hair on one side of his body is very thin due to this problem. He's a Brussels Griffon.-really cute!

I'm speaking as a cat person whose cat had that problem, so this is more of a suggestion than a solution because it's likely different for a dog. Have your friend do a web search and discuss what he finds with the vet. Or try the library and see if they have back issues of a dog magazine your friend can look through.

My cat was going in about every two months for an allergy shot, which helped but it's bad for the animal to get continuously and will eventually quit working and the vet didn't like to keep doing it so he suggested some non-medical/vetrinarian solutions and told me where to look for more information. A fish oil supplement is what finally worked, just squeezed over her food.

Unfortunately, this is something that can also have a psychological cause and not a physical one, so you might ask your friend if the vet has considered that.

good luck