Now that the feast is over, it’s time to let Fido indulge, too. Take leftovers and make homemade dog treats out of them. Dogs can tell when their people are having special meals and good foods. Everyone gathers while the smells are building and then they all sit down and enjoy, and the pups notice. They want some, too.

Here’s a simple recipe that uses your holiday leftovers and makes the dog happy, as well. Remember, don’t give your dog too many treats because they can get fat, too.

If your dog reacts to eggs or cooked potatoes, this recipe shouldn't be used. A few dogs will react to raw potatoes, but cooked potato flakes are usually digested just fine.

# Cooked Turkey ground or shredded and chopped in small pieces
# 1 cup of sweet potatoes (cooked and mashed, not candied)
# 1large egg (optional)
# 1 cup of leftover vegetables (NOT corn)
# ½ cup of processed cranberries (jellied or preserved)

1.)Crack the egg into a bowl and stir it until it’s well mixed.
2.)Add all the other ingredients and mix well.
3.)Spread evenly on a slightly oiled, rimmed baking sheet ¼ to ½ inch thick.
4.)Cut into bars or squares, depending on the size of the dog.
5.)Bake for 25 minutes.
6.)Remove from the oven and using a spatula turn each one over and return to the oven. Bake for 20 more minutes.

They should be hard and crunchy. Test them out as soon as they’re cooled by giving Fido one.

Often when I make these treats I divide the batch in half and freeze one half and keep the others in the refrigerator. My dog loves the frozen hard ones more than the regular ones. Plus, it’s good for their teeth to have cleansing, crunchy snacks.

Once again, remember that your pooch can get fat, too, and you don’t want that. Giving treats should not replace meals or be given too frequently, just like your treats. I can’t stand it when I see someone’s dog is so fat it can’t scratch it’s own rear end! Your dog will live a longer, healthier, more comfortable life if he’s not overweight.

Here’s a dog treats recipe that’s easy and good for the dog, too. If your pet is allergic to eggs, just cut them out, don’t use them. The treats will still work out good.

For Harley’s Orange Squares

You will need:
1 pound of ground meat (cooked, use beef, chicken, fish or lamb)
1 large sweet potato (cooked and mashed)
1 large egg
½ cup water

A large bowl
A wooden spoon
A baking sheet
Oil to coat the pan with

Preheat your oven to 350(f) degrees
Combine egg, sweet potato and water in large bowl.
Add meat and mix thoroughly.
Spread on lightly oiled baking sheet. If your wooden spoon sticks to the mixture, simply wet it and try it again. Wet it each time it begins to stick.
Cut into bars or squares and leave them on the pan.
Bake them for 30 minutes and take them out of the oven. Turn them over, then bake them again for 20 more minutes.
Remove them from the oven and cool them on a wire rack.
Serve when cool. Yield is approximately 30 - 45 squares or bars.

Yield is approximately 30 - 45 squares or bars, depending on how you cut them.

Remember, even if the treats aren’t bad for your dog, too many will make for an obese dog. Carefully monitor how many treats you give your pet.

List of Foods That Contain Gluten

The Enemy - A List of Gluten-Containing Foods

Wheat (including any kind of flour)
Barley (most all grains)
Oats (you can buy gluten-free oats)
Soy products
Food starches (cornstarch, wheatstarch, etc.)
Roux-based soups (made with flour)
Bouillon cubes
Roux-based gravy (made with any kind of flour)
Brown rice syrup
Sausages
Malts
Malt vinegar
White pepper
Pastas
Pickles
Some curry powders
Teriyaki sauce
Rye
Semolina
Bulgur
Wheat Grass
Gluten is also used as a stabilizing agent in ketchups and some ice creams.

Do your own research. Look for hidden gluten. Good luck and happy baking!

Foods Dogs Can't Have

There's a lot of foods that people eat, but dogs should never have them. Many people are aware that dogs shouldn't have chocolate or peanuts, but do any of them know why? Well, some do, lucky for us, so I'm posting the list here for your convenience and benefit.

Alcohol - it goes without saying, but it can cause intoxication, coma and even death.
Baby Food - in large enough quantities your dog will become malnourished. There's not enough nutrition in them for growing or grown dogs.
Bones - again, an obvious problem, is likely to cause obstructions and lacerations inside your pet.
Cat Food - Too high in protein and fats for dogs. Could cause diarrhea.
Chocolate, Coffee, Tea - these contain caffeine, theobromine and theophylline. These are cardiac stimulants and diuretics that can affect heartbeat and nervous systems.
Citris Oil Extracts - Can cause vomiting.
Fat Trimmings - Can cause Pancreatitis, a very painful ailment.
Grapes and Raisins - Toxic to the kidneys. Grape seed oil is okay, though.
Hops - an unknown compound in hops causes panting, increased heart rate, elevated temperature, seizures and death.
Human Vitamin Supplements - can cause damage to digestive system linings and is toxic to the liver and kidneys.
Large Amounts of Liver - can cause Vitamin A toxicity, which affects muscles and bones.
Macadamia Nuts, Peanuts - toxic to digestive and central nervous systems and muscles.
Milk and Dairy Products - adult dogs and cats do not have the enzyme necessary to break down Lactose in milk, causing diarrhea.
Spoiled Food - If you wouldn't eat it, don't feed it to your dog, either. Bacteria can cause stomach upset, diarrhea and is poison to other organs.
Mushrooms - can contain toxins that may affect multiple systems in the body and cause shock and even death.
Onions and Garlic - contain sulfoxides and disulfides which can damage red blood cells and cause anemia. Cats are more susceptible than dogs.
Most Fruit Pits - can cause obstruction and many fruit seeds contain a natural cyanide that can build up in the system and cause eventual death.
Potato,Rhubarb and Tomato Leaves - contain oxalates which can affect the digestive, nervous and urinary systems.
Raw Eggs - contain an enzyme called avidin which decreases absorption of biotin (vit. B). This can lead to skin and coat problems. Raw eggs may also contain salmonella.
Raw Fish - some species of raw salmon will make a dog very, very ill, and could even kill it. If fed any kind of fish regularly, a dog will develop a thiamine deficiency leading to loss of appetite, seizures, and death.
Sugary Foods - can cause tooth decay (pain) and obesity.
Tobacco - contains nicotine, which affects the digestive and nervous systems. Can result in a rapid heart beat, collapse, coma and death.
Xylitol - artificial sweetener - has killed small dogs within hours of ingestion. Causes liver failure and quick death.
Potato Peels and Green Potatoes - contains oxalates which affect digestive, nervous and urinary systems.
Nutmeg - causes tremors, seizures and central nervous system damage.
Avocado - all parts of the tree and fruit are poisonous to dogs.


Sources:
www.animalrescuegroup.com/articles/human_foods_toxic_to_dogs.html
www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c+2+1659&aid+1030

Homemade Dog Treats Recipe and List of Gluten Containing Foods

Hello, and welcome to Harley's kitchen!

Harley is a black lab who's allergic to nearly everything edible - that's an exaggeration, of course, but it was how it seemed when we were trying to figure out what he's allergic to. We've had to put him on a strict diet and we've learned a lot along the way.

One thing I've learned is that not a lot of people know what gluten is nor the foods that either contain gluten or produce it when mixed with another ingredient. There's a lot of misinformation online and I think that sometimes people post information that hasn't been well researched. I think they mean well but some of the recipes I've come across were labeled 'gluten-free' and when I looked at the ingredients I found that they contained gluten.

Harley is highly sensitive to gluten so I modified the recipes to fit his needs and you can be assured that there's no gluten in them. Harley tries everything we post on here, so these recipes have been tested by him and Mungo, Emma, Shasta and Lola - all different breeds and ages, and they're my test dogs.

When finding recipes for food and treats for your allergic pet, there's one hard, fast rule: The fewer the ingredients, the better. That translates into this: the fewer ingredients means the fewer potential allergens you introduce the pet to.

Today's Homemade Dog Treats Recipe

Guaranteed to be gluten free:

• 1 pound liver - chicken, beef or any kind
• 3 cups instant mashed potatoes - the 100% real lpotatoes kind with no other ingredients

1. Liquefy the liver by putting it in a food processor or blender and then pour it into a bowl. Rinse the container out and pour the water in the bowl, too.
   
2. Pour in 2 cups of the potato flakes and stir it in until well mixed. When that's all mixed in, put the last cup in. The mixture should be doughy and should not move when you take the spoon out of it. If it does move, or kind of settle down when you take out the spoon, pour some more potato flakes on it and mix them in.
3. Put on a foil-lined baking sheet that's been oiled or sprayed so food won't stick to it. Spread it out evenly throughout the pan until it's about 1/2 inch thick. If you wet the spoon, the dough won't stick to it while trying to spread it out. Just dip it whenever it starts to stick.
4. Bake at 375(f) for 25 minutes. It should be lightly browned on the top and cooked all the way through.

Cut into squares or bars (depending on the size of your dog) and cut into small bits for cats.

It's got a lot of protein and cooked potatoes are easy on a dog's digestive system. Harley and the test dogs just love it - and so do our cats.

You can make this two treats in one! Simply put the squares into the freezer and let them freeze solid. Harley and the others enjoy this one so much they actually 'ask' for it.

I'll be back with more recipes and a list of foods that we know of that contain gluten.

Now here's that list I mentioned:

The Enemy - A List of Gluten-Containing Foods

Wheat (including any kind of flour)
Barley (most all grains)
Oats (you can buy gluten-free oats)
Soy products
Food starches (cornstarch, wheatstarch, etc.)
Roux-based soups (made with flour)
Bouillon cubes
Roux-based gravy (made with any kind of flour)
Brown rice syrup
Sausages
Malts
Malt vinegar
White pepper
Pastas
Pickles
Some curry powders
Teriyaki sauce
Rye
Semolina
Bulgur
Wheat Grass
Gluten is also used as a stabilizing agent in ketchups and some ice creams.

Do your own research. Look for hidden gluten. Good luck and happy baking!