Homemade Dog Treats: Salmon and Sweet Potato Jerky

January 5, 2015

by Natalie Secretan

Homemade Dog Treats: Salmon and Sweet Potato JerkyAre you as fed up as I am over forking out crazy amounts of money just to keep your dog furnished in dog treats? My dog is part beagle, so treats are essential if I want to get her attention. Successful training with her is all about the treats. Needless to say, our weekly consumption is fairly substantial, enough to send me on a quest for the best sale in town. (The price of dog food is no better, but that’s another blog post for another time). Today, we’re talking about saving you money by making your own dog treats.

My quest for better dog food prices took me to a closing sale at a pet store in my neighbourhood, where I discovered Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Jerky Bark. My dog adores fish and I’m all for healthy dog treats, so I decided on the fish and sweet potato recipe. They were over $20 for a relatively small bag, but I was lucky enough to get them for 25% off.

My dog loved them so much, I set out to find a recipe online and happened upon one called Doggie Squares that I have renamed Salmon and Sweet Potato Jerky. As the original recipe suggests, you can substitute the salmon with 1 pound of turkey, beef or venison.

Salmon and Sweet Potato Jerky Dog Treats

Ingredients:

  • 1 - 14½ oz can of salmon
  • 2 to 6 Tbsp. sweet potato flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. ground rosemary
  • 1 egg

Preparation:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Coat a 13-by-9-inch cookie sheets with nonstick spray.
  3. Mix salmon, sweet potato flour and ground rosemary together.
  4. Lightly beat the egg and add to salmon mixture. Mix well.
  5. Using a spatula, spread mixture evenly in the pan.
  6. Bake 20 to 30 minutes, until firm and dry to the touch.

After these dog treats have cooled in the pan, you can cut them into squares or get adventurous and use a cookie cutter to cut them into cute shapes like rabbits, bones or hearts.

It would probably be a good idea to cook up a big batch of these dog treats, so you don’t run out. They easily store in the freezer for about a month and your cat will enjoy them too.

 

Photo credit: Varresa: Woofminster Dog Show