Healthy Dog Treat Recipe (original)

Pumpkin Hearts

Little George our new puppy came to us full of- to put it delicately- Intestinal parasites. As disgusting as that is it’s common for puppies especially when they 1st leave their mommies. Needless to say he has had a tummy ache since he got here! Upon our 2nd visit to the vet we discover he indeed has SEVERAL parasites! GROSS! And they make his skin flaky and dry. The veterinarian suggested that I give him a little pumpkin every day to soothe his stomach and help firm up his poop. The treatment would not help with the poo for a while- but they would make him feel better. Also adding some oil to his diet would help immensely with the dry skin.  I could certainly give him a spoonful of pumpkin everyday but I also wanted to help out with the dry skin. It sounded like a treat recipe was in the making!

I went online (of course) and discovered flax seed and it’s oil is good for skin. I did not have any flaxseed oil on hand- but I did have flaxseed meal and olive oil. I also read that ginger is soothing to the doggy tummies- that makes sense doesn’t it ? Ginger is very soothing for humans. Apples are good for your tummy so I decided applesauce would be a good idea as well. This treat contains everything that the pup needed. I also decided to minimize the processed wheat using several alternative grains and alternative flours.The results are below. These treats I call “Feel better Little Puppy”  Pumpkin Hearts.  Why don’t you give them a try?

“Feel Better little Puppy” Pumpkin Hearts

1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup pumpkin
1/2 cup of olive oil
2 eggs

1 cup instant brown rice
1 cup rice flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup millet flour
1/2 cup bulgur
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup powdered milk
1 teaspoon ginger powder
2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed or flaxseed meal

1 cup cold chicken broth or cold water

Heat oven to 350°F.

Combine all dry ingredients into a large bowl and mix together well. In a separate bowl combine all wet ingredients except for the water and mix together. Combine wet ingredients and dry ingredients- mix with a large wooden spoon and then your hands- inside the bowl to minimize mess. Add half cup of water/broth and then more as needed to combine. Mix well. Roll one third of the dough out on a well-floured surface at a time. Roll to ¼ inch thickness. The dough will be sticky. Add flour liberally as needed on both sides to keep dough from sticking to the countertop or the rolling pin. Use cookie cutters to cut into shapes. Place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Poke holes on the tops of the shapes t keep treats from puffing up too much. Bake at for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Store in airtight container or the fridge.