DIY Puppy Treats with Excalibur Food Dehydrator

The Excalibur Food Dehydrators is a kitchen electronic unit that is ideal for making easy, delicious, and nutritious treats for your pet. These homemade treats will have NO Additives and NO Preservatives; making them the most natural treats you could possible give your pets.

The unit is ideal for creating organic pet treats in volume.  Excalibur’s patented technology makes Excalibur units the most efficient heat/dry combination on the market.  The unit’s adjustable Thermostat (95◦F to 155◦F) keeps the temperature range low enough to preserve active enzymes in fruits and vegetables, but high enough to meet safety standards for dehydrating product, such as meat for jerky. Available online at www.ExcaliburDehydrator.com

Key features include:

·         CLEAR door! *NEW* Made of Clear, Polycarbonate Material
·         Case exterior is made of Stainless Steel. Case interior is polycarbonate
·         Features Excalibur’s patented Parallex™ Horizontal Air Flow and Hyperwave™ Fluctuation Technology, the most efficient heat/dry combination on the market
·         9-large Stainless Steel trays, 15″ x 15″ each
·         26 Hour Timer lets you set it and forget it. Unit automatically turns off when the set time is complete
·         Adjustable Thermostat 95◦F to 165◦F. Temperature range is low enough to preserve active enzymes in fruits and vegetables. Temperature range is also high enough to meet safety standards for dehydrating meat for jerky. Unit turns on automatically when thermostat is in use
·         7-inch fan, 600 watts

DOG TREAT RECIPES

Chicken Jerky Strips

These all natural chicken jerky strips make the perfect snack for your dog, plus they are so good you can even eat them yourself! A few quick tips for easy preparation: Popping the meat into the freezer for about 15 minutes beforehand makes the meat much easier to slice thinly, and the thinner you slice the meat, the less time it takes to dry.

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast tenders, sliced into strips about 1/4 to 1/8 of an inch thick
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tbs. salt
• Dog Friendly seasonings including parsley, rosemary, and sage

Rinse off chicken breast and remove any fat. Slice the chicken with the grain. This will help make the jerky even chewier for your dog. Fat slows down the dehydrating process and will make your chicken jerky spoil faster. Next coat the chicken slices with a few dog friendly seasonings including parsley, rosemary, sage.

Place the chicken breast strips evenly throughout the tray, leaving an equal space between them and ensure that they do not touch each other, as dehydrator air flow between them is necessary while drying.

Once strips are on the dehydrator, turn on and set the temperature for 140 degrees. Drying will take between 3 and 12 hours to fully dry, depending on how thick you cut your slices. Check it once every hour after the first hour by opening the tray and taking one slice out. Cut it open with a sharp knife and exam the inside. No moisture at all and if it is properly dried it will have the same color throughout. If it is not finished put it back in for another hour. Once it gets close start checking once every half hour.

Store jerky in sealed containers; zip lock bags work great for this. Note the date of prep on each bag and store in the refrigerator for a long shelf life.

Dog Treats- Vegetarian & Vegan options

Your dog will love this treat if he/she follows a vegetarian or vegan diet.  For variety, you can substitute just about any fruit or vegetable. 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.

Sunflower Horse Treats- ( Not only for Horses, but dogs and cats also love these treats!)

1/4 C sunflower seeds
2 C flour
1/2 C 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.

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 and peel 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 approximately 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 C water
1/2 C oil
3 tablespoons peanut butter –we recommend natural peanut butter – no sugar added
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 C cornmeal
1/2 C 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 for approximately 6-8 hours or until done.
Add time if needed as treats should be VERY dry.