Whether it’s a cat, goldfish, prize hound or stallion, Excalibur owners report amazing ways they’re taking care of their pets. You may have heard of “Mrs. Pasture” who makes “horse cookies” in her Excalibur Commercial Food Dehydrator and sells them all over the country in pet stores -- they’ll literally make horses come running. All she does is combine fresh organic ingredients and dehydrates them into cookies.
You can do the same for your favorite family pet – right in your own home. Oats, bran, molasses, barley, apple scraps, and water. What fun! For dogs and cats, mix in some dried meat or fish scraps and they’ll be your friend forever. One thing to keep in mind, if you are making and dehydrating dog treats for small dogs, toy breeds or cats, they have tiny mouths and tiny teeth- it might be hard for them to eat a really big treat or super dry treat. So just adjust the drying times so that they are not so crunchie and more moist-- you can check this by breaking a few in your hand to gauge how hard they are. Here are some Basic Recipes to get your started.
Sunflower Horse Treats- not only for Horses. Dogs and Cats love these treats also
1/4 C sunflower seeds
2 C flour
1/2C chopped apples
1/4 C carrots, peas, or other vegetables
1/4 C oats ground to powder
1 C peanut butter
1 C rolled oats
1 C molasses
Combine ingredients into a large bowl, add molasses until dough is stiff. Additional oats may be added to make the dough stiff.
Roll out dough & cut into shapes or squares
Dehydrate at the highest setting 145 - 155 until done.
Approximately 4 hours. Add time if needed as treats should be VERY dry.
Dog Treats- Vegetarian & Vegan options
If you have your dog on a vegetarian or vegan diet this is a treat that your dog will love. You can substitute just about any fruit or vegetable in this great vegetarian dog treat recipe to add variety. This recipe uses an egg as a binding agent but if you want to make these treats vegan-- just mix the dough longer and omit the egg.
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup dry milk powder
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tbs. brown sugar
• 2 vegetable bouillon cubes; dissolved in 3/4 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup carrots, green beans, apples, or blueberries
• 1 egg (optional)
In a large bowl mix all ingredients and form into a ball. On a flour dusted cutting board, roll out the dough to about 1/4" thick.
Cut with bone-shaped cookie cutter or any cutter shape your pet will like.
Dehydrate at the highest setting 145 - 155 until done.
Approximately 6 - 8 hours. Add time if needed as treats should be VERY dry.
Sweet Potato Dog Chews
This is a very simple dog chew/treat- your dog will love this one and it is easy to make.
Thoroughly wash sweet potatoes. Slice the sweet potato into 1/4" slices- you can also cut down the middle lengthwise and slice into 1/4" strips.
Dehydrate at the highest setting 145 - 155 until done. Drying approximently 6-8 hours will leave them with a chewy texture. For crunchier treats dehydrate longer until the desired consistency.
Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup oil
3 tablespoons peanut butter --we recommend natural peanut butter – no sugar added
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup oats
1/4 C Honey Crunch Wheat Germ
In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, oats and wheat germ. Stir in oil, peanut butter, vanilla, and water.
Knead till smooth, adding more flour or water as needed. Roll out the dough to about 1/4" thick.
Shape into bars or cut with bone-shaped cookie cutter or any cutter shape your pet will enjoy.
Dehydrate at the highest setting 145 - 155 until done.
Approximately 6 - 8 hours. Add time if needed as treats should be VERY dry.
Charlies Cheese Rolls
2 C Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 C Cornmeal
1/2 C Cheese
note: any grated cheese will do. Our dog Charlie does a flip for cheddar cheese!!
1 egg
3/4 C water
1/2 C fine grated parmesan cheess (set aside)
Mix all ingredients except parmesan cheese.
Knead dough until thoroughly mixed.
Roll dough into shapes e.g. sticks, rolls or squares
Roll shapes in parmesan cheese.
Dehydrate at the highest setting 145 - 155 Approximately 4 - 5 hours or until dry.
This recipe is a must try. Our Dog goes crazy for these treats. Cats like them also, just make smaller shapes.
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
