Doggy Treats, still experimenting and things are lookin good

[Nutczak]

I emptied my freezer of several various game meats than have been losing quality, showing a little freezer-burn, and generally taking up space that I dearly need for this years kills.

I found Deer, Bear, Moose, Elk, & Caribou meat about a pound and a hlaf of each.

I tasted some, and the freezer burn made it kinda nasty, So I ground it up, added granulated garlic, just a pinch of salt to the meat. And I stuffed it into small diamter collagen casings. I smoked the sticks for 14 hours at a low temperature with lots of smoke to completly dehydrate them.

My dogs go mental for these things, they snap like a hard pretzel they are so dry. (I do not want them to spoil)

So I decided to do some chicken sausages the same way, I only added garlic and anise to the meat. The garlic is for their health, the anise is to improve their doggy-breath.

So far so good, They love these too.

Now my question, I would like to work with liver & oats, or maybe some barley to make the liver less sloppy. Anyone ever played with a similar combination for human food? I am trying to avoid curing salts, since I do not know how dogs react to it.

Has anyone else played with making treats for dogs, care to share some techniques?

Thanks in advance

[wheels]

Nutczak

My daughter's boyfriend's father makes a 'liver cake' for the dogs. It's sort of leathery ground liver - I'll find out how he does it.

Phil

[Nutczak]

Nutczak

My daughter's boyfriend's father makes a 'liver cake' for the dogs. It's sort of leathery ground liver - I'll find out how he does it.

Phil

That would be wonderful, Thank you! I am looking for any and all good pet treat recipes. becuase;

I actually decided to start a small home-based business making dog treats. We have had some serious problems in the states over the last decade with imported dog food and treats being contaminated with several poisonous compounds and people are looking elsewhere for their pets health.

My plans are to use human-edible quality raw ingredients, using as little cure as I can to make it safe for smoking, (dogs tolerate cures if used in proper amounts) and marketing them as a high-end canine treat that is also healthy for them. Curing agents are avoided by most people when they are found in pet foods, but treats are not meant to be fed to the dog daily and in the amounts of regular dog food.

I was actually quite appaled when I researched what is used, and is considered acceptable to make most dog foods. What is marked "inedible" by the slaughter houses needs to be "Denatured" so a human would not be tempted to eat it, common denaturing agents are fuel oil, kerosene, citronella,ground charcoal and other nastiness, and of course this does not get washed from the meats before being processed into pet foods. And moldy grains are commonly used causing toxins to be present in many pet foods. Anyone remember the melamine that was found in Chinese sourced grains? they used it to falsley show a higher protein content!
I feed my dogs (2 German Shepherds) a commercial food, but it is made near me, and they have gotten great reports from breeders and the regulatory agencies. the bulk of the food is meat, not grains.

I operate a BBQ-Catering business in the summer months, so I have 3 commercial smokers sitting idle most of the winter, So why not see if they can produce some doggy products to help pay for them?

I have a few retail outlets willing to give my products shelf space, and I hope to have some internet-based storefront too. If things progress, I hope to be in an actual retail building with production and sales areas.

Oh, here is another thing that will make you sick, when people's pets die or get killed, it is common practice for those animals to be processed at a rendering plant, and to be used in animal feed. So you may be feeding your pet, someone elses pet after they died!! That brings a whole new meaning to "it is a Dog eat dog world" doesn't it?

[wheels]

To save waiting for that recipe you could try the one here:

http://agilitynet.co.uk/active/caninecook.HTML

Others are similar (some have equal flour/liver). One uses flaked oats instead of flour.

HTH

Phil

[Chuckwagon]

Hey Nutc,
That's interesting info. Thanks for sharing. I've raised Shetland Sheepdogs (shelties) in pairs all my life and indeed remember the Chinese melamine scare a few years ago. Kind of makes a person wonder about processed foods these days. Our outfit makes literally everything we eat from scratch. Good luck with your dogfood project. Heck, package it and sell it. I'd sure stand in line to get some for my pups.
Best Wishes, Chuckwagon

[Nutczak]

Hey Nutc,
That's interesting info. Thanks for sharing. I've raised Shetland Sheepdogs (shelties) in pairs all my life and indeed remember the Chinese melamine scare a few years ago. Kind of makes a person wonder about processed foods these days. Our outfit makes literally everything we eat from scratch. Good luck with your dogfood project. Heck, package it and sell it. I'd sure stand in line to get some for my pups.
Best Wishes, Chuckwagon

One other thing to consider, and this is fully relevant for a sausage making forum no matter where you live, when the Chinese got nailed for selling melamine tainted pet foods, they also got nailed for baby-foods and formula tainted with melamine a few months later.

So they regulatory agencies test for the stuff now (Allegedly), I have heard some info that all this tainted product has now been fed to hogs, so Pork sourced from that area may not be too good for you! And guess where 90% of all natural hog casings used in the states come from? Yup, China! So we may be getting some nastiness with our sausage casings as an aftermath of this melamine debacle.

Just be careful guys & gals, I got into sausage-making for a few reasons, I hate finding bone-chips and chunks of rubbery cartilage in commercial sausages, and I figured I can control the quality of the raw products used for my own sausages, and then I find the natural casings I enjoy may be dangerous too.

Wheels, thanks for the link. I will research and copy the recipes I can use for my venture.
I find it interesting that you posted a link to a dog-agility website, since I have trained one of my Shepherds to compete in agility competitions. I am trying to find an activity to suit the other Shepherd, and agility is not his forte. Maybe tracking would fit this guys size and drive instead.

[wheels]

I can't comment on that - we have a schnauzer (miniature) with a family history that's better than mine - and don't he know it! He loves the wife and girls, but for some reason doesn't like me - unless I've got ham or sausage in my hand!

When he barks it makes me think he's got Tourettes Syndrome!

[kmvet72]

Hate to be a downer, but I asked my vet about Garlic and Brewers yeast as a natural flea repellent, and she said Garlic (and onions) can cause neurological problems in dogs. It's a cumulative thing, the problems only start showing after the dogs eat the garlic for a while. I'd ask your vet, and do a little research before you give your kids (dogs) anymore, or sell any garlic dog treats.

On a more up beat note my brother has a hobby size pig farm, (like 30 pigs a year). I cube all the organ meat in to 1inch cubes, cover with kosher salt and fridge overnight, rinse, then smoke at 225-250fh till as Grandpa use to say "dry as a popcorn fart." The dogs go nuts! for that mater the cats do to. The lungs will dry first, and the liver last. If you like organ meat grab a few half done chunks and add a splash of hot sauce. good stuff.

Good luck with you dog treat biz.

Mark

[JaneRH]

The following link has some useful recipes for dog treat and a link to a list of ingredients that could be toxic for dogs
http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/recipe_dogbiscuit.htm

As I have had dogs with sensitive tummies (notably a Shetland Sheep dog and a rough collie) - when I make dog food or treats for them I replace flour with oats or rice - works well . Brewers yeast is an excellent addition as it adds both flavour and the nutrition that dogs need that is lacking in just meat and rice/flour etc.

Good luck with your business!

Jane

[kmvet72]

The following link has some useful recipes for dog treat and a link to a list of ingredients that could be toxic for dogs
http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/recipe_dogbiscuit.htm

As I have had dogs with sensitive tummies (notably a Shetland Sheep dog and a rough collie) - when I make dog food or treats for them I replace flour with oats or rice - works well . Brewers yeast is an excellent addition as it adds both flavour and the nutrition that dogs need that is lacking in just meat and rice/flour etc.

Good luck with your business!

Jane

Hi Jane, I hope I did not give the idea that brewers yeast is bad for dogs. The yeast is a good source for B vitamins, and I give it to my dogs. My worry was about the Garlic. It's not on your "toxic for dogs" list, but my vet says garlic and onions have a compound that builds up in a dogs system over time, and can cause neurological problems. My vet may have misread a research paper or something, but I'd hate to see any dogs get sick.

I had a Shetland sheep dog when I was a kid, great dogs.

Mark

[Nutczak]

You state that garlic is neurotoxin for dogs. Does it differentiate between fresh raw garlic ,or dried granulated garlic? I could understand fresh garlic being an issue due to it's oils.
You specify they are cumulative, so that would lead me to believe there is no acceptable amount to allow in their diet.


I will try to research that more, any pointers of where I may find this information published?
I do know that onions have a very high sulphur content, it is so high that vegetable oil that was used to cook onions shows a much higher pollutant output when converted to biodiesel fuel and burned.
I could see the gaseous emissions from canines digesting onions being toxic too!

For decades we in the US have been told that garlic powder is beneficial for canines, and dried garlic should be sprinkled on their food to aid in digestion and stimulate appetite.
But at the same time, most vetrinary doctors get very little nutrition training when in school.
(I swear both of my dogs are retarded sometimes already)
I am aware that grapes and raisins are to be avoided, and I found that odd since we had a dog that would beg for grapes.

Thank you for the information,

I hope to do some smoked & dehydrated mutton sticks for the pooches, the meat comes from organically raised animals, so that is a benefit IMO.

[kmvet72]

You state that garlic is neurotoxin for dogs. Does it differentiate between fresh raw garlic ,or dried granulated garlic? I could understand fresh garlic being an issue due to it's oils.
You specify they are cumulative, so that would lead me to believe there is no acceptable amount to allow in their diet.


I will try to research that more, any pointers of where I may find this information published?
I do know that onions have a very high sulphur content, it is so high that vegetable oil that was used to cook onions shows a much higher pollutant output when converted to biodiesel fuel and burned.
I could see the gaseous emissions from canines digesting onions being toxic too!

For decades we in the US have been told that garlic powder is beneficial for canines, and dried garlic should be sprinkled on their food to aid in digestion and stimulate appetite.
But at the same time, most vetrinary doctors get very little nutrition training when in school.
(I swear both of my dogs are retarded sometimes already)
I am aware that grapes and raisins are to be avoided, and I found that odd since we had a dog that would beg for grapes.

Thank you for the information,

I hope to do some smoked & dehydrated mutton sticks for the pooches, the meat comes from organically raised animals, so that is a benefit IMO.

Hi Nutczak,

I don't know what study my vet was referring to. She is from Romania, and uses as much nutritional, and homeopathic care as possible. I did not ask about dry Vs. fresh garlic, but she looked like I said Drain'o might be a good way to cure constipation in dogs when I asked about garlic for flea control. So my guess is all garlic is a bad idea for dogs. I was talking with a friend at work about this, and he said National Geo. had an article about food that was toxic to dogs that mentions garlic and onion as bad for dogs.

I'm from a Florida, and remember giving my dogs garlic years ago, I also had a few dogs that acted retarded now and then .

Good luck

Mark

[Nutczak]

Thanks KMVet72,

it is amazing at what people feed to their dogs while not considering that it may be bad for them. Especially some of the canned soft foods, there is enough nitrates & nitrites to poison most mammals in some of those, The trick they use is to make it look palatable to the pet owner, with no regards to the pets health.

And hearing that garlic is one really caught me off guard since it is so widespread that it is beneficial.


Some people are amazed at what dogs find palatable, But then again many people treat their pets as if they are human children. I treat mine very well, but I always keep in mind that they are only a few evolutionary steps away from their ancestor the wolf! (it helps keep the reality when they look similar to wolves, and have similar behavior)

I have been looking for "Dogs + Garlic" on and off for a few days, then I get disgusted because of porn sites with both of those words in them, and I stop. Back in the early 90's, it was difficult to find a porn site! Not now!

here is another little dog related story, A Native friend of mine told me that in the native-American dialect of Ojibwe and Algonquin, the word for "Dog" (Animosh) means "Eater of horse dung"
Maybe I could fill casings with horse manure and drive all the dogs crazy with the taste? (Just kidding)