Delicious doggie treats – because your fur-babies need spoiling too!
Most snacks we enjoy are not suitable for our four-legged friends, but here's an easy and economical recipe for something special they can enjoy too.
Responsible owners don’t need reminding of the basics in caring for their most precious four-legged canine companions, but being human, generally means there is nothing we love better than spoiling them with special treats.
Lots of what we think of being ‘treats’ are in fact horribly bad – and in some cases toxic. Always best to remember that just because you like it, doesn’t mean you are doing your dog any favours.
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Animals have very different rates of metabolism so don’t let adoring, begging looks tempt you into breaking off a piece of chocolate and sharing. In fact, for their own good don’t give them ‘human’ snacks like nuts, corn kernels and especially chips which may contain garlic and onion powder which happens to be rated near the top of the ‘worst foods’ list.
This easy to make, economical, nourishing, treat is an absolute winner with all dogs – small, medium or large. Cats also love them.
What you will need:
1kg liquidised chicken livers
2 large eggs
1 cup mealie meal or rolled oats (which I prefer to use)
2 cups cake flour or wholewheat
20ml cooking oil
2 dessert spoons of baking powder
Method:
Mix altogether in a large bowl until it ends up a bit thicker than cake mixture.
Grease a large flat baking tray and sprinkle with flour.
Using a flat-blade knife (dip it in water if it gets sticky) and spread mixture evenly less than half an inch thick and bake in a moderate to high preheated oven for about 30-40 minutes. Watch carefully until it is slightly under-baked – overdone will result in it being crumbly.
Once cooled, use a pizza cutter to cut into bite-size squares. (Definitely smaller squares for small breeds and cats).
The bread freezes brilliantly, so pack in small bags and freeze. In this way, your four-legged best friends (cats too) will be tucking into treats long after the festive season.
A word of warning – the treats are in every way nourishing and delicious, but not a substitute for a meal. Your doggies would love that, but remember, they are quite rich, so my best advice is only a few at a time.
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