# Homemade dehydrated dog treats



## Nargle (Oct 1, 2007)

My mom gave me her old dehydrator that she doesn't use anymore. What a perfect opportunity to make my own safe, healthy dog treats, right? So far I've been a little wary about making things, though I have made some sweet potato "jerky," which Basil seems to thoroughly enjoy. 

I bought some raw pigs ears, and I've been thinking about making my own dehydrated pigs ears for Basil to chew on. However, I want to make sure that they're safe for Basil to chew on, and I won't be creating something like rawhide, which can be dangerous. I'm also slightly confused about whether or not I should cook them before placing them in the dehydrator? Do I just put raw ears into the dehydrator and let them dry out? Is that sanitary, and will I be able to handle the dried ears afterwords without worrying about them being unsanitary? Is it possible for the ears to drip into the workings of the dehydrator and mess it up? This is all pretty confusing, lol! 

Also, if anyone has any other recipes for treats and chews I can make with my dehydrator, I would certainly appreciate hearing them!


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## CorgiKarma (Feb 10, 2009)

Slice chicken breast thin and place it in the dehydrater. I do this in the oven. You can do the same thing with liver.


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## Nargle (Oct 1, 2007)

Do I need to cook it first or just put it in raw?


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## Nargle (Oct 1, 2007)

Just curious, but what if I were to dehydrate a bone for Basil to chew on, to make it more sanitary on my floors? Would it be just as dangerous as a cooked bone?


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## misty073 (Mar 31, 2009)

I dont know about the bone question but I would think its not a good idea, because if you are taking the moisture out it would be like cooking and make it more brittle.

I do liver treats in my oven for 2 hours on 200. I cut into thin slices and lay on a cookie sheet, my dogs LOVE them. after they are done I cut into very tiny pieces and leave some on the counter for the day, put about a weeks worth in the fridge and freeze the rest.


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

I should do the liver. A local market often has beef liver for $.50 a pound. I sure am wasting that good deal. I don't hate the smell as much as I used to but dehydrating takes a long time. 

I dehydrated ostrich tendons raw. They came out looking just like the commercial kind so I think pig ears are done the same way. After drying I gave them a 10 minute baking to kill any bacteria which made me feel better. Before drying I actually washed them with soap and water. Nervous about germs, me? Dogs loved them, worked out great. I am worried that the food is sitting at a temperature that seems low enough to promote bacterial growth for a long time. 

Dehydrating doesn't kill germs. You can wash the bone with soap and water and rinse well. I had too much meat defrosted and it started to get stinky. Max finished it off as I simply washed it every day. The stink didn't get worse.


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## railNtrailcowgrl (Jul 24, 2008)

Kathyy said:


> I should do the liver. A local market often has beef liver for $.50 a pound. I sure am wasting that good deal. I don't hate the smell as much as I used to but dehydrating takes a long time.
> 
> I dehydrated ostrich tendons raw. They came out looking just like the commercial kind so I think pig ears are done the same way. After drying I gave them a 10 minute baking to kill any bacteria which made me feel better. Before drying I actually washed them with soap and water. Nervous about germs, me? Dogs loved them, worked out great. I am worried that the food is sitting at a temperature that seems low enough to promote bacterial growth for a long time.
> 
> Dehydrating doesn't kill germs. You can wash the bone with soap and water and rinse well. I had too much meat defrosted and it started to get stinky. Max finished it off as I simply washed it every day. The stink didn't get worse.


Can I ask where you found raw tendons? I've been thinking of doing this as I think it would be more economical than buying tendons from the pet store.


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

I have seen cut tendons at Mexican and Asian food markets. Maybe there are whole ones in the back? 

I found the ostrich tendons offered by a company here in California, Creston Valley Meats, who sells all sorts of raw foods for dogs. He started out selling products from his own birds so often still has all sorts of interesting ostrich/emu bits listed.


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## evinqubie (Jul 26, 2009)

I usually make chicken jerky with my dehydrator.
Just slice the chicken breast and put it in the dehydrator, you don't need to cook it.
My dog loves it!
Beef, lamb and sweet potato are really good too.


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## Nargle (Oct 1, 2007)

How do you sanitize the dehydrator after there has been raw meat in it? Just wash it with soap and water?


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## DJEtzel (Dec 28, 2009)

I'm going to try the liver treats in the oven. The local supermarket sells chicken livers and beef livers for .34/lb so those would be great cheap treats!


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## evinqubie (Jul 26, 2009)

Nargle said:


> How do you sanitize the dehydrator after there has been raw meat in it? Just wash it with soap and water?


Yeah just wash it with soap and water


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## Labmix09 (Feb 12, 2010)

Yea I do the chicken jerky as well and my pup. love's em'. I might have to try some of the other stuff ya'll are talking about though I think she'll like some of those.


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## CorgiKarma (Feb 10, 2009)

I bake chicken and sweet potatoes in the oven at around 180*-200* for a couple hours, flipping periodically. I'm sure the same would work for liver. I grease the cookie sheet with olive oil first very lighty. Very very lightly.


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## Nargle (Oct 1, 2007)

CorgiKarma said:


> I bake chicken and sweet potatoes in the oven at around 180*-200* for a couple hours, flipping periodically. I'm sure the same would work for liver. I grease the cookie sheet with olive oil first very lighty. Very very lightly.


Whenever I've made dried liver, I haven't had to use any oil. It sticks a tiny bit, but if I wait for it to cool it can easily be removed. It's especially easy when I cut it up into tiny cubes for training treats, because I just brush my hand over them and they all unstick and roll, lol!


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## Youme Webark (Mar 14, 2010)

hello there!

I read this thread and decide to make chicken jerky for my dogs with a solar oven. It takes one sunny day. My dogs love them.










Here is my beagle begging for one piece.


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## wolfsnaps (Apr 27, 2007)

Love the begging beagle pic. VERY cute


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## Youme Webark (Mar 14, 2010)

Thank You wolfsnaps

Any suggestion for what other treats I can make with the oven?


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## HunterBellasMama (Jun 10, 2012)

Hello! I have been making the chicken jerky in the dehydrator, I microwave the chicken 1st to cook it. They have come out great! I would like to find a way to add banana or apples or carrots.... My dogs used to love the store bought treats of chicken wrapped around apples/bananas/carrots (the bad "made in China" type-before I knew better!) but I can't seem to get the chicken to adhere to the fruit, it comes apart when I wrap them. Any ideas or recipes??


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## Wicket (Aug 21, 2011)

This thread is awesome, I'm definitely going to try to dehydrate my own jerky... I just need to find a good butcher, lol. I don't really like the big chain grocery store stuff, and have been meaning to switch us all over.


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## titiaamor (Nov 17, 2011)

I love this thread. It inspired me to do some heart. $1.50 for the whole thing. The dogs LOVE it. I dried it in the oven for about 2 hours on 180.


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

I bet the commercial jerky with veggie stuff isn't cooked first so it sticks together better.

I had a lucky find of ground turkey a few years back and made sweet potato and turkey jerky. You could try that but it isn't chewy. I happened to leave the turkey raw and cooked and pureed an equal amount of sweet potato but you could try cooking the turkey and pureeing the veggie and turkey together to try to get it smoother. Anywho, I spread it thin on wax paper on the dehydrator tray and turned it on. Once the top of the jerky was dry I turned it over and peeled off the paper and left to finish drying. It makes great training treats as it is easily pinched into small bits and can be part of a kong stuffing.


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## BullyDogDays (Sep 5, 2012)

We buy straight from the slaughterhouse. A 5kg box of chicken hearts is $17. We bag em up and freeze them until we need another batch (they dont last long). We do the same with our chicken breasts and livers. Then dehydrate for treats and or pan sear a few for an immediate snack. no oils, sauces or sprays added.
As far as fruits and veggies, buy local, always. We buy berries by the kilo too as we consume a lot of these ourselves. Sweet potatoes, blueberries and strawberries get dehydrated regularly. As treats.

Has anyone experimented with doggie fruit leathers?


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## wolfsnaps (Apr 27, 2007)

I just made dehydrated lung yesterday in my dehydrator. Took about ten hours or so.


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## poko (Oct 9, 2012)

I just got a not 100% well rescue puppy (Poko), just prior to that I purchased a de-hydrator and now I'm ready to make him 'clean food' treats. I think I will start with the easiest thing which seems to be the chicken. How long is the drying process for that - I have a Sedona dehydrator.


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