It's that time of year...time for sweet potatoes! If you are out shopping for Thanksgiving dinner, be sure and pick up some extra sweet potatoes to make a homemade, yummy, healthy treat for your dog!I love sweet potatoes, they are a super yummy and really good for me; and they are a great alternative to rawhide chews, which you may not know are not very good for dogs.
Not only do they present a choking hazard, they don't digest very easily and could become lodged in the intestines creating a dangerous health hazard. In addition, many rawhides are processed with chemicals which aren't good for dogs either.
So what's a dog to do? Have your Mum make some yummy homemade sweet potato chews!
Here is the recipe we use, courtesy of The Dog Treat Kitchen:
Sweet Potato Chews for Dogs
- Wash a sweet potato (organic is best and we like to peel them).
- Cut down the middle lengthwise.
- Then cut long lengthwise slices about 1/3 to 1/4 of an inch wide and place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet (use a stainless steel, for healthier cooking).
- Put in the oven at 250 degrees for about 3 hours.
This leaves them kind of chewy, but you could also bake them a little longer (about 20-30 minutes) to get them crunchy. Keep them refrigerated for up to three weeks. You can freeze them for up to 4 months.
Oh, and you can waffle cut them for more fun. Enjoy! And let us know how your dog likes them!
These are great! We actually have been doing this for years and the dogs absolutely love them.
ReplyDeleteThere many other things one can do, like apples and bananas for example. A healthy alternative to traditional dog chews.
This is great, I'm definitely going to make these for my dog, Enzo. He LOVES the locally made ones we buy at our boutique dog supply store, but they are admittedly very expensive. As much as I like to support those local shops, I'm thinking I'd like to save a few bucks and be able to give them to him more often. Thanks for the recipe, can't wait to try it out.
ReplyDeleteI always give my dog Clementine pieces of raw sweet potato, but this is a great way to make some treats that will keep.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to make these and share the recipe with friends!
-Kate & Clementine
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Does it take a while for the dogs to eat them or is a short-lived treat?
ReplyDeleteI'd say they are more of a short lived treat. They sure won't last like a bully stick or deer antler would, but they will last longer than a big biscuit. Kind of somewhere in between. The chewier you make them the longer they will last as a chew.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I need something for my dogs to chew. Pigs ears and such are too high value for my whippet to be reasonable about, and hooves make the beagle sick. It's tough to find the right thing!
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome! If you are looking for something very long lasting, we are crazy about deer antlers. They last a really long time. And both Gracie and I (Johann) love them!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great alternative for dog treats! That and carrots! Good post.
ReplyDeletethanks just made them . and my dog brewster loves them
ReplyDeleteThat's great Christine! Glad to hear it :)
ReplyDeleteGreat idea, thanks for sharing! We actually purchased a dehydrator a few months ago and have made steak treats for the dogs that they went BONKERS for! They will love these too I'm sure!
ReplyDeleteI made these using a pizza pan with the holes in it. That way they can dry from both the top and bottom. I did turn them also. Worked great. Just a suggestion. Cuts down on baking time.
ReplyDeleteAwesome idea....thanks for sharing!
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