Homemade Oatmeal Tuna Dog Treat Recipe

There are so few good dog treats out there. Even the ones that use words like "wholesome" and "natural" on the package and use pictures of real meats and fresh veggies, designed to trick us into thinking their treats are really good for our dogs. But read the ingredients and look at where the treats are made. After all, there have been so many recalls, why take a chance?

Also, have you ever actually figured how much those packaged treats are costing you per pound? You could use cut up hot dogs or make some meat balls from hamburger for far less money. Anyway, I found the recipe for this great dog treat at mamalisa.com, its so easy to make and only has three ingredients.

My dogs LOVE tuna. And, in moderation, its good for them. It's a very lean protein and high in many minerals that your dog needs, including selenium, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium. Tuna is also a good source of vitamins B3, B6 and B12. and it contains omega-3 fatty acids which promote heart health. The ASPCA recommends using tuna packed in water, not oil, to avoid added fat.

But be careful, tuna has more mercury than many other fish and should only be given as an occasional treat. Tuna steak contains more mercury than canned tuna and canned white albacore has more mercury than chunked light or white canned tuna. Canned tuna however is high in sodium. another reason to only give as a treat.*

I have one dog with awful food allergies. One bite of the wrong thing and his ears become inflamed and his feet get unbearably itchy. This recipe contains nothing that will cause a reaction for him but if your dog does not have these problems you can use flour or even corn meal instead of the oatmeal if you wish.

This is what I did.

First I made my oatmeal flour by processing rolled oats in a food processor.

Then I added canned drained tuna and egg and processed into a soft dough.

Next I rolled out the dough and cut into squares.

Then I placed the treats on a parchment lined cookie sheet and baked in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes.

Let cool completely and let your furbabies enjoy one or two.

Store in refrigerator in air tight container.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups oatmeal (or white flour or corn meal or a combination of flours)
• 1 (5 oz.) can tuna packed in water
• 1 egg

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Put oatmeal in a food processor and blend until it has a flour-like consistency. If you are using flour or corn meal you can skip this step.
3. Drain tuna and discard water. Add tuna and egg and mix until fairly smooth.
4. Take dough out of the food processor. Add more flour if needed to get a smooth consistency or add a little water if its too dry.
5. Roll out the dough on a floured surface.
6. Use cookie cutters to make shapes or simply cut the dough into squares.
7. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray. Place treats on the cookie sheet with a little room in between them.
8. Cook for about 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown. Turn them over with a spatula at least once during the cooking process. 

Yield: About 30 small treats

Note: I like to keep oatmeal flour on hand for making dog treats so if I am getting low I just put more oatmeal in the food processor and store the extra in a airtight container. This also gives me some extra to work with if I need to add more to the recipe.

* http://pets.thenest.com/giving-salmon-tuna-dogs-10029.html