Jack bravely volunteers to test the final product. Photo by JeffreyW
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From our Food Goddess, TaMara:
While I was debating between two topic requests for this week’s recipe exchange, a commenter at Balloon-Juice sparked a whole new idea. Pet Treats. So I asked for some ideas and those became tonight’s post. Thanks to ButchF, MattR, WereBear and JeffreyW for the ideas.
First from JefferyW – Cheddar Cheese Biscuits (recipe here)
And MattR gave us the recipe he uses for Peanut Butter Treats (recipe here)
Then I decided cat lovers needed equal time, so I contacted WereBear of Way of Cats, and asked for her advice on cat treats. Here’s what she told me:
Aw, so sweet of you to think of me and the kitties. Now that’s parity!
However, while dogs are gourmands, cats are fussy gourmets. So I can’t guarantee happy consumption. In fact, [here is] Why Cats Are Fussy (read here) …. because not all cats are going to like all things.
That said, here is my recipe for Chicken Liver Pate for Kitties:
1 cup chicken livers
2 tbsp butter or bacon fat
sprinkle of catnip (or parsley, sage, or basil, if cat likes the smell)Classically, pate includes onions, but these (and all bulbs!) are toxic to cats.
Melt fat in pan, and saute livers JUST until ALMOST done. Do not overcook or the pate will lose its silky texture. Then sprinkle the herbs of choice. (Test them via smell on our kitty, or kitties. A sharpening of attention is a good sign; aversion will be quite evident.)
Now cool a bit (livers will finish cooking here) and scrape all contents onto a cutting board (if chopping by hand) or into a blender or food processor. If our cat likes chunky, hand mincing is easy and quick; if our cat likes smoothness, we can blend.
Be sure it has cooled to being only warm before offering it to our cat. Part of the fun is making a fuss over how good it smells. Get them worked up! This is Dinner Theatre.
Leftovers can be dabbed onto a sheet of waxed paper or into ice cube trays and put in the freezer for an hour or so. Then they can be put into a freezer bag for easy treats next time.
So good, and so good for them!
Now I have to figure out how to explain to my cats that garlic is not good for them, because they go after anything I have that is extra garliky. Silly felines, garlic is for everyone else.
How about it? Do you make your own pet treats? Have any favorite recipes you want to share? But what I really want are lots of pet stories, because I know you have them! Hit the comments.
Now on to the featured recipe. This all started because ButchF said he makes dog biscuits every week for his dogs and they won’t accept anything else. I, of course, asked him to share the recipe.
Just a few notes from me – all my dogs have been allergic to corn – we’d get bad digestive issues. So if that’s the case for your furry critters, go ahead and substitute brown rice flour or oat flour for the corn meal in this recipe. It may very well change the texture, so experiment with the amount of substitution, just remember as ButchF notes, you want to be able to roll it out. As long as you can roll it out, it should be fine once you bake it. These are dog treats people, not gourmet crackers you are serving to company. Dogs will eat just about anything including cat droppings, horse apples and light bulbs. As long as the final product does not crumble onto your floor before they can wolf it down, you’re probably good.
On to the recipe. From ButchF:
Dog Biscuits
This recipe has been modified pretty extensively from the original, which I found in an old cookbook. First, the original included boiled, pureed liver, which not only made the cookies perishable but meant handling boiled, pureed liver. Second, the original used so much water that the dough looked like pancake batter, and couldn’t be rolled out or cut.
There is a disadvantage to these treats. A while ago I got busy and bought some commercial milk bones because I didn’t have time to make the treats. The dogs would take them each to their designated snack spot, drop them on the floor, and stare forlornly at this strange foreign object they had been given.
Some optional additions to the recipe include ¼ cup or so wheat germ, ½ cup brewer’s yeast, or some grated cheese. Do not, unless you feel like cleaning the carpet, add bacon grease or leftover gravy.
2 or 3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon yeast
1 tablespoon or so honey (I don’t measure)
1 or 2 teaspoons salt
1 or 2 teaspoons bullion (powdered; the cubes won’t dissolve in the dough)(optional; also can use flavor packet from Ramen noodles)
2½ cups warm water
1 cup powdered milk
1¾ cups oatmeal
2 cups corn meal (see TaMara’s note above)
3 eggs
2 cups whole wheat flour (don’t substitute rye flour, because it behaves differently than wheat flours)
At least 3½ cups white flour.Adding water and eggs first to the bowl first, combine all ingredients except white flour in a bowl, and then add white flour a cup at a time and mix well (best using a heavy-duty stand mixer). More than 3 1/2 cups of white flour may be needed. The goal is a smooth, cohesive dough that cleans the sides of the bowl and can be handled fairly easily, but don’t get it too dry or it becomes impossible to roll out.
Remove from bowl and let rest, covered, about a half hour; the goal is to let the gluten relax more than it is to allow the dough to rise. Divide the dough into four pieces and roll out each on a well-floured surface into a large rectangle to about pie crust thickness.
Transfer to parchment-lined cookie sheets and cut into rectangles to whatever size using a wheel pizza cutter. (I use four cookie sheets to bake; two are big enough that they take up most of an oven rack, and two are small enough that they will fit together on one rack, so that all three racks in the oven can be used.)
Bake at 300 degrees for about 55 minutes, rotating the sheets top to bottom and front to back at least once during baking; remove from oven and cool on the cookie sheets. Don’t cover until they’re thoroughly cool.
These cookies are at least a weekly chore with my four big dogs, so I don’t try to make shapes other than rectangles. If you do want to make shapes, transfer the rolled dough to the cookie sheets and then cut out the shapes, because otherwise the dough tends to stretch.
Thanks again to everyone who contributed to tonight’s recipe exchange. And just a brief public service note from me. If your dog or cat has digestive issues, hot spots, chews or scratches incessantly, loses an excessive amount of hair, or their hair has a bad texture (too dry or too oily) these can all be signs of a corn allergy. Especially with breed dogs it can be bad. I learned this the hard way, with Great Danes and Greyhounds, all very big dogs to have to deal with these issues. (shudders from the memory)
This was before it was easy to find pet foods without corn, so I made my own. It wasn’t easy or pretty, but it solved all of their issues. Thank goodness you can find good quality food without corn now. My cats are on a corn-free diet, too and the shedding and fur balls are down to a minimum. So if your favorite furry critter is suffering from any of those issues, my (not meant to be a substitute for a veterinarian) advice it so start by getting rid of corn and corn meal. Maybe even go to a very basic lamb/brown rice food to see if helps. Some dogs (not naming names, Miss Shelby) can even be allergic to all grains. And grass. Some flowers. Possibly my ex-husband. So it may take some experimenting.
mclaren
In asia I’m told pets are a real treat, especially barbecued.
TrishB
Can I just use this space to whine? Ah, nevermind. I’ll do that anyway.
My 12 year old puppy has diabetes and Cushing’s disease. She’s also blind from mature cataracts and went “blinder” when the glaucoma kicked in.
She’s the best dog ever. Damn, she gets 2 insulin shots, 3 different eye drops, gall bladder pills, etc/per day. The only time she grumbles is when I drag her out of bed.
Lately, she’s had lots of sleepy days. The vet says Pepper is the healthiest dog he’s ever seen with this set of problems. As a schnauzer, Pep might make it to 17.
I don’t now how to help her best anymore.
Just Some Fuckhead
My cat is crazy about catnip. He just hoovers it up, sneezes a few times, throws himself on his back and then does a seven mile stare at the ceiling for an hour.
ranchandsyrup
we make pupcakes using the below recipe one time a year for our 3 mutts. Joint B-day celebration.
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/doggie-birthday-cake/
Amir Khalid
What the commenter at #1 said is very far short of the whole truth.
MonkeyBoy
For cats I would just recommend Saki Ika (dried shredded squid).
One piece can be teased apart into lots of threads each one packing a flavor wallop that all cats I’ve known go crazy for. And they have to chew the threads rather than just suck them down as with softer treats.
MikeJ
@Amir Khalid: You have something against pie?
The Bouchon Bakery cookbook has a recipe for dog biscuits, but not having a dog I’ve not made them.
I’m off to the store for some yukon gold potatoes to wrap around some halibut.
Short Bus Bully
I stopped making treats for my dog when I saw him eating his own barf.
True story.
Yutsano
@MikeJ: It was on sale at QFC a few weeks ago. I haven’t checked to see if the price held up.
gogol's wife
@TrishB:
It sounds as if you’re helping her just fine.
Ben Franklin
I guess pet treats doesn’t go well with hunger strikes.
Yutsano
Not to put too fine a point on it, but all of these treats are safe for human consumption as well.
Litlebritdifrnt
I defrosted some lamb today so I can make myself a Lancashire Hot Pot tomorrow, can’t wait.
Melissa
We experimented with dog treats when Lucky and I took a Tricks class. The reward had to be small and quickly chewable in order to move onto the next trick. On the advice of the instructor we tried cutting up soft treats, then cutting up hot dogs, and finally braised and cut chicken liver.
I love chicken liver but stopped eating it 20 years ago, assuming it was bad for me. Now I learn that’s it’s fine occasionally. So we both get liver about four or five times a year.
And yes, Lucky can spin, creep along the floor, and jump through hoops—pretty high hoops.
Highway Rob
When our pup was on a food trial to see if we could narrow down her allergies, she had to be totally vegan but for specially processed (read: expensive) kibble. We made her these:
3-4 bananas, sliced 1/8-ish inch thick
juice of a couple of lemons
Dunk banana slices in lemon, place on butcher paper on cookie sheet. Place in oven on lowest possible setting. Flip every 45 min to 1 hour, until medium to dark brown.
She loves these, and we still occasionally make them today, even though the food trial wound up proving nothing other than that the dog hates specially processed chicken protein kibble.
@TrishB: Ours is Pepper too, and my heart goes out to you. I don’t have an answer for you, but I wish you strength and the best of luck.
Yutsano
@Litlebritdifrnt: When’s dinner? :)
PS: have you seen this? A tin of golden syrup from there looks quite reasonably priced.
raven
We buy marrow bones at Publix.
AdamK
@TrishB: My pomeranian is 11 and has Cushing’s and diabetes and cataracts. I got him (expensive!) cataract surgery, and it was wonderful to see the change in him–acting like a young dog again. (My previous dog had cataracts too, but wasn’t a good candidate for surgery.) Other than a somewhat ratty coat, he doesn’t seem to be suffering at all. There is nothing about which he is not enthusiastic.
But homemade pet treats are out, because all 3 of my geriatric pets have food allergies and restricted diets.
raven
@AdamK: Our Lil Bit has no tear duct’s so she get’s doggie restasis twice a day for life. She also had cataract surgery on both eyes. All-in-all she’s a little miracle and just as happy as she can be.
RoonieRoo
Those are great treats. I’m definitely making both of these for the furry ones.
I would add one addendum to the cat treats. Just make sure that you feed it in moderation. Too much liver will give your cat a dark, tarry poop to diarrhea. Our cats get liver in their meal every day because they are raw fed but proportion is important. Just remember to wear your “all good things in moderation” hat when feeding the treats.
TaMara (BHF)
@raven: I totally forgot about adding those. I used to make them all the time, perfect size for the Danes. Well and my duck, too, otherwise he would steal one of the Danes’ bones. Which was pretty damn funny to watch. That duck loved marrow.
I always cooked mine (bones, not duck), but I know people who do them raw.
raven
@TaMara (BHF): Yea, they love the fresh marrow. I think cooking them would make them splinter.
MattR
@Yutsano: I’ve never actually done it, but I have been tempted to take some of the dough and add sugar to see how they come out.
I like to think my friends’ dogs love me because they can sense I’m a dog person, but I am pretty sure it is just because I have a history of bringing cookies when I visit.
TaMara (BHF)
@raven: Surprisingly, I boiled mine and they never splintered. About once a month I’d walk around the yard, pick up old dead bones before giving them fresh ones. They were well gnawed, but pretty much whole.
bystander
If it’s not too late to play, like Melissa @ 14, I needed a super-treat to train a sighthound to recall (there are easier things to do). The instructor recommended “tuna fudge.” Various recipes available via Google. You can use tuna or salmon, I throw in a can of sardines no matter which I use to make it extra stinky, and omit the garlic. Garlic (according to my veterinarian) can be problematic for some dogs. It’s not an every day treat – it’s for when I need the hounds HERE, NOW! Seems like something a cat might like, as well.
WereBear
@bystander: I heard scenthhounds like peppermint patties. Sighthounds are probably different.
MikeJ
@raven: Cooking marrow bones doesn’t make them splinter. I don’t waste good marrow on dogs though. Mmmmm. Bake ’em, get a marrow fork and some toast points.
Anne Laurie
@MikeJ:
Believe me, the dog will not be too proud to eat your leftover bone.
Soup bones — except poultry — are good dog treats, too. Even after they’ve been used to make soup for the humans, just about any dog will spend many happy hours gnawing away at a beef shin bone or ham hock. If you have all-white carpets, get a boiled scraped bone and stuff a little peanut butter or cheese into the marrow hollow. My dog guru, who’s been doing rescue work for 20 years, suggested we use a soup bone just slightly too big to pick up & carry to help resocialize our aggressive ‘foster’ Gloria. We used an old metal link collar to chain “her” bone inside Gloria’s crate, and it worked wonders to persuade her to ‘time out’ when she started getting too hyped up with us or the other dogs.
quannlace
Yup, and not only when I run out of the standard Milk Bones.
Pretty basic: Whole wheat flour, one egg, a squirt of honey and enough chicken stock to make a dough. Roll out, cut into shapes if you’re ambitious; if not just cut into strips. Like your dog will care.
Even before they go into the oven Katie seems to know I’m making something just for her. She really does make a big fuss over them. Though I don’t know how proud I should feel that my dog likes my cooking.
raven
@MikeJ: I ain’t wastin shit, I don’t eat meat and I love my dogs.
muddy
@Anne Laurie: When I give my dog soup bones he crunches them up like potato chips. He went through a whole lamb femur the other day in about 10 minutes. The marrow slices are okay, though. I freeze them to make the treat last longer. Also put peanut butter in used slices, and freeze that. These treats are generally consumed on the porch.
jamick6000
I enjoy these posts — you all are clearly talented cooks — but I wonder if “Friday Recipe Exchange” wouldn’t benefit from a zippier title, such as “The Dish.”
WereBear
When I had a Newfie mix pup, he was putting on 10 pounds a month. Which the local Newfie Rescue assured me was “normal.” I’d rather overfeed than underfeed; it’s easier to fix.
Point is, he’d go through a Kong filled with peanut butter in one evening. I decided it was “normal.”
dexwood
Home made pet treats are great, no doubt. The animals, dogs for us, love them. They can be fun to make while extending your baking skills. The Dog Brothers get them in our home. You know what else they like? Short carrot sticks, raw or steamed, and lightly steamed green beans. They make good treats.
TrishB
@AdamK:In an odd way it’s good to know that I’m not the only one dealing with this particular trifecta. Glad to hear your pup is doing well. Pepper’s a schnauzer and we started all this fun just after she turned 9, so three years now. Wish we had done the cataract surgery. The day she went blind was the day I was laid off from my job of 12 years. The day we went to see the ophthalmologist was the day I got the details of my severance. So Pep is still blind, and now we can’t do the surgery due to a host of other current complications. She’s the slowpoke of the dog family, but she enjoys her outside time.
raven
@TrishB: Aw. With all the problems our little one has we figure she will lose her sight but, like you, we just do the best we can.
Susan
Can I sidestep all the controversy and just say I absolutely LOVE Jack? Wanna kiss that little nose…wanna wanna wanna…
BruceJ
@TrishB: Just keep loving her, hugging her and hoisting her butt up where it cannot reach on it’s own anymore.
Never gone through all of that with ONE animal, but combined, I think I’ve done all that.
Koi Princess Dances With Dogs, who was the very best cat ever in all of history, died of a horrible cancer, Vaccine-Related Sarcoma, which kills them slowly while parts of them rot from the inside out. Not good, but at least it’s not usually painful.
She was tended to lovingly by one of our dogs, and finally ended her days blind, paralyzed and surrounded by love.
Dogs and cats have an astonishing ability to remain optimistic, happy and unfazed to the very end regardless of what’s happening to them, offering an unconditional love which demands nothing less from us.
I’m one of those obnoxious atheists who feels we should be judged by how we treat those less powerful than ourselves while we’re alive, because that’s all we’ve got, and hope to end my days as someone who was worthy of their love.
seaboogie
@Short Bus Bully: Well apparently your pooch just wanted to enjoy them twice – consider it a compliment, and be glad that it wasn’t cat poo he was noshing on – trust me, it does nothing for their already bad breath.
I once happened upon my (late) beloved Seamus puppy following the kitty who had not quite finished moving her bowels, and I was all like “Dude, are you actually squeezing the kitty for snacks?”. Gross, but a funny memory now.
BD of MN
I’m a homebrewer, and spent grains (the leftover barley after all the starches are converted and the sugars are rinsed out) make fabulous dog treats.
I usually go with 4 cups spent grain, 4 cups flour, two eggs, and a cup of peanut butter. It mixes into a sticky mess, push it out into a couple of jelly roll pans, score it to whatever size treats you want (I usually go 1″ x 4″, but I have Great Pyrenees) with a pizza cutter, then bake for 30 minutes at 350°. let cool enough to handle, break apart into your prescored pieces, then dry completely through either in a 200° oven or a dehydrator.