Bake dog or cat biscuits yourself? What do you need to know?

That sounds like a fantastic idea! Homemade Dog or cat biscuits can be a fun and healthy treat for your four-legged friend. Here are some do's and don'ts, as well as some considerations when baking dog biscuits:

Do's:

1. Use Dog or catfriendly ingredients: Ensure that the ingredients you use are safe for dogs/cats. Some human foods, such as chocolate, grapes, and onions, can be harmful to dogs/cats.
2. Choose healthy ingredients: Use ingredients that are healthy for dogs/cats, such as whole wheat flour, oatmeal, peanut butter without xylitol, and unsalted broth.
3. Avoid additives: Be cautious with additives like salt, sugar, and other spices. Dogs/cats have sensitive digestive systems, so it's best to keep it simple.
4. Experiment with flavors: Dogs/cats have their own preferences, so experiment with different flavors to find out what your dogs/cats likes best.
5. Consider allergies: If you know your dog/cat has allergies, choose ingredients that are safe and avoid potentially irritating substances.

Don'ts:

1. Avoid toxic ingredients: As mentioned earlier, avoid ingredients that are toxic to dogs/cats, such as chocolate, grapes, raisins, onions, and garlic.
2. Limit salt and sugar: Too much salt and sugar can be harmful to dogs/cats. Keep the amounts to a minimum.
3. Be careful with nuts: Some nuts, like macadamia nuts, are toxic to dogs/cats. Use only safe nuts like peanuts (make sure they have no salt or additives).
4. Do not use yeast dough: Yeast dough can cause problems in a dogs/cats digestive system, so avoid using it.
5. Be cautious with allergenic ingredients: If your dog/cat is sensitive to certain ingredients, avoid them to prevent allergic reactions.

Considerations:

1. Portion control: Give dogs/cats biscuits as treats and ensure they do not make up more than 10% of your dogs/cats daily calorie intake.
2. Store them well: Ensure homemade dogs/cats biscuits are stored properly to prevent spoilage. Refrigeration or airtight containers are good options.
3. Check for allergic reactions: Monitor your dog/cat  the first few times you introduce a new ingredient to ensure there are no allergic reactions.

Safe and Popular Ingredients:

It's great that you can use so many different ingredients to bake dogs/cats biscuits. Here is a list of some safe and popular ingredients for homemade dogs/cats biscuits, as well as some ingredients to be cautious with:

Grains or flour: Whole wheat flour, oatmeal, rice flour.
Meat: Cooked and finely chopped chicken, beef, or turkey.
Fish: Cooked and mashed salmon, tuna, or whitefish.
Vegetables: Cooked and pureed sweet potato, carrot, pumpkin, or spinach.
Fruits: Mashed banana, apple, blueberries, or strawberries (without seeds or skin).
Dairy products: Unsweetened natural yogurt, cottage cheese (watch for lactose intolerance).
Nuts: Peanut butter (ensure it has no xylitol, which is toxic to dogs).

Ingredients to Be Cautious With:

1. Onion and garlic: Even in small amounts, these can cause anemia in dogs.
2. Chocolate: Contains theobromine, which is toxic to dogs.
3. Grapes and raisins: Can cause kidney problems.
4. Nuts: Some nuts, such as macadamia nuts, are toxic to dogs.
5. Dairy products: Too much lactose can cause stomach issues, so be careful with dogs that are lactose intolerant.

It's always wise to introduce new ingredients gradually to prevent allergic reactions. Additionally, it's important to know if your dog/cat has specific health issues or intolerances before adding new ingredients to their diet.

Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits:

Ingredients:

• 250 grams flour
• 90 grams oatmeal
• 85 grams peanut butter
• 300 ml water

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C (347°F).
2. Mix the flour with the oatmeal.
3. Add the peanut butter and water, knead well.
4. Roll out to a 6 mm thick sheet and cut out cookies or roll into balls and flatten.
5. Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 40 minutes.
6. Turn off the oven and let cool overnight.

Cheese Cat Biscuits:

Ingredients:

• 140 grams Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• 4 teaspoons butter or lard
• 8 tablespoons potato starch

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F).
2. Mix the cheese, egg, and butter or lard with a mixer until smooth. Gradually add the potato starch and mix until the dough has a nice, even consistency.
3. Form long, thin rolls about the thickness of a finger. Cut the rolls into pieces with a knife.
4. Spread the raw cookies on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Keep enough distance between cookies as they will double in size in the oven.
5. Bake the cheese cat biscuits for about 15 minutes in the oven.

Tuna Cat Biscuits:

Ingredients:

• 140 grams canned tuna, drained
• 1 egg
• 120 grams oat flour
• 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
• 1 to 2 tablespoons water

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F).
2. Mix the tuna, egg, and oil with a mixer. Add the flour and water and mix until a smooth dough forms.
3. Form small balls from the dough and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
4. Bake the tuna cat biscuits for about 12-15 minutes in the oven.

Chicken Cat Biscuits:

Ingredients:

• 250 grams chicken meat or bones
• 1 tablespoon yogurt
• 1 teaspoon sunflower oil
• 200 grams rice flour
• 1 egg

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C (347°F).
2. Cut the chicken into small pieces and cook in water.
3. Let the meat cool slightly and puree it with a blender or mixer.
4. Add the egg, yogurt, and oil, and mix with a fork.
5. Gradually add the rice flour until a dough forms.
6. Alternatively, you can use canned chicken wet food instead of fresh chicken.
7. Bake the chicken cat biscuits for about 20 minutes in the oven.

Cheese Dog Biscuits:

Ingredients:

• 250 grams flour + extra for sprinkling
• 50 grams lean beef or ground beef
• 50 grams grated cheese
• 75 grams oatmeal + extra for sprinkling
• 160 grams chicken or beef broth

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F).
2. Mix the flour, cheese, oatmeal, and meat together with a fork.
3. Gradually add the broth and knead with your hands to form a ball.
4. If the dough is sticky, add more flour; if dry, add water.
5. Form a firm ball, roll it out to about 0.5 cm thick.
6. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters and place them on parchment paper.
7. Sprinkle with extra oatmeal and bake for 45 minutes in the oven.
8. Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Simple Dog Biscuits:

Ingredients:

• Flour
• Coconut oil
• Peanut butter
• Cornstarch

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F).
2. Mix flour and cinnamon in a bowl, add coconut oil and peanut butter.
3. Mix until a soft but firm dough forms (add water if the dough is crumbly).
4. Knead the dough with your hands into a firm ball.
5. Dust the work surface with flour and roll out the dough to about 5 mm thick.
6. Cut out approximately 24 cookies with cookie cutters.
7. Bake the cookies for 20 minutes and allow to cool completely.

Icing:

1. While the cookies are baking, prepare the special icing by mixing peanut butter and cornstarch.
2. Gradually add water until a pourable consistency is achieved.
3. Once the cookies are cooled, drizzle the icing over them.
4. Let the icing dry for about 30 minutes.

The dog biscuits are ready for your dog to enjoy. They can be stored for about a week in an airtight container.