Is it just me or do dogs breath naturally stink?
Maybe it is just me that my dog just has this rancid breath that could melt the flowers. Even after taking her to a vet for a dental, her breath still stinks. I knew for a while now, that I wanted to do something about it. With my new found love for making dog treats, I knew there had to be a treat out there I could make that would freshen her breath.
It wasn’t until I started to experiment with these beauties that I knew I had stumbled onto something great. Usually I try to post one treat recipe a week on this blog, but here’s a little secret about me that you guys don’t know: I am deathly allergic to peanut butter and boy, do these treats have a lot of it! I knew right off of the bat that these treats would knock me out for a few days after making them so I was hesitant to even try. But after a particular bad morning with my dog breathing on me with her nasty breath, I knew I couldn’t wait any longer!
What Do You Need?
This is a treat recipe that is a bit more complicated then other treats I have made, even the Thanksgiving Pie treats I made just last month. It incorporates more ingredients than usual, but even so, each of these ingredients can be highly beneficial to your dog.
Oat Flour
While I typically like to use grain free flour for dog treats (I’m a holistic maniac I know), in this instance I opted to use oat flour. I figured since I was using old fashioned oats for it anyway, there was no reason to go completely grain free with it. Oat flour is a gluten free flour that has added fiber which can help to support a healthy digestive tract and keep your dog regular in the process.
Old Fashioned Oats
Old fashioned oats are a healthier oat alternative to use instead of oatmeal or regular Quaker oats. Oats are high in protein, plenty of fiber, natural antioxidants and essential vitamins and minerals that dogs need to thrive. It is also great for dogs who have adverse reactions to gluten.
Starting to see the theme here?
Nonfat Dry Milk Powder
Since dogs are naturally lactose intolerant, you can understand why I am always against using milk in any of the treats that I prepare. However, nonfat dry milk powder is a great ingredient to use to avoid lactose sensitivities.
Parsley
Parsley is an ingredient that is often added into dog treats because it is a natural dog breath freshener. (Who would have thought?) Parsley also has the added benefit of soothing a dog’s stomach as well as boost their overall diet with added nutrition. The best type of parsley to use is either fresh or dried.
Eggs
Eggs are a natural source of digestible protein, selenium and riboflavin. This is a great ingredient to use for dogs who are prone to having an upset stomach. When added to treats, it gives them a nutritional boost that is hard to resist.
Organic Peanut Butter
What is a dog treat without peanut butter? Peanut butter itself is a natural source of protein, healthy fat sources, niacin, Vitamin B and Vitamin E.
As you can see, every ingredient in these treats are highly beneficial for your dog. Of course, as with most treats, even if they are used to freshen their breath, these treats should only be consumed in moderation.
The Process
Now that you understand what ingredients are needed for this treat recipe, it is time to begin making them. I promise the process isn’t as complicated as you may think it is.
To kick things off, preheat your oven to 300 degrees. While the oven is heating up, place a sheet of parchment paper onto a baking sheet.
In a bowl, add in the oat flour, old fashioned oats, milk powder, chopped parsley, eggs, peanut butter and warm water. Stir well until evenly mixed. Keep in mind the mix may be incredibly moist. Continue to add in oat flour by the ¼ cupful until it reaches a pliable consistency.
Transfer the dough onto a light floured surface. This is when things begin to get tricky. For me, the dough began to break apart once I began to roll it with a rolling pin. This may happen to you as well so follow this advice: As you roll the dough into ¼ inch thickness, press down firmly with the rolling pin to keep it from breaking apart. Then take a dog bone shaped cookie cutter of your choice in size and cut out up to 24 shapes. Transfer the shapes onto the prepared baking sheet.
Place into the oven to bake for 30 minutes or until light gold. Remove and set aside to cool completely. Once cooled, you are ready to serve. Or if you prefer, store the treats in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
There you have it!
See? I told you these treats weren’t so hard to make! If you have the chance to make them, hit us up in the comments below letting us know how the process went for you. Or hit us up on Instagram and share your craft creations using the hashtag #PetFoodiotreats.
See you guys next time!
Oh my god this is an issue that even a veterinarian cannot fix sometimes. This Minty Breath Dog Treat sounds really good and tasty for dogs. My pet is going to love this. The ingredients needed for this treat is not some complicated ones, it is just our everyday using ingredients. The directions to cook these also looks really simple. I Love how it only takes thirty minutes to cook them.
I can’t wait to give this to my pet. Thank you so much for sharing this with us.
You are very welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe! Hopefully your dog will love them as well 🙂
What’s Up Vanessa!
I was reviewing the comments section and happened to bump into your site! This is really great info on treating dogs for bad breath. I didn’t know using parsley takes away bad breath from dogs and at the same time relaxes their stomachs. Something new.I’ll have to try cooking up this recipe, once I get a dog though lol. I’ll be sure to swing by in the future to look up more recipes.
Jose
Every dog owner know the struggle with dog breath. We tried everything and nothing worked.
I’ll definitely try it out.
Do you reckon the recipe would work with for example basil, sage or rosemary as well? Could I use it for my cats as well?
Also, why is it called minty if we use parsley? Does it have something to do with reacting to oats?
I’m glad you found the recipe to be helpful.
To answer your questions:
1. You can use rosemary, basil or sage for this recipe, but the best alternative would be dill if you don’t have parsley on hand.
2. I wouldn’t recommend feeding this treat to cats as the peanut butter used can cause vomiting/diarrhea if consumed in excess.
3. I called the recipe Minty because it leaves the dogs breath with a distinct mint and odorless smell, while leaving their teeth squeaky clean in the process.
HI Nessa,wow,what a fantastic site you have here.It really shows that you have a great love of animals and their welfare.I like how you emphasised the fact that our animals need to be treated the same as you we would our fellow humans.Yes you are also correct that our animals will tell us plenty of things if we would only just take the time to look and listen to them.Obviously they won’t speak but we can learn just as much by looking at them.Loved your Site Nessa.Good work !!