How to Make Tartar Control Dog Treats

Just like humans, a dog's teeth can become covered in plaque, a soft substance that is formed by the mixing of bacteria, saliva and food pieces. As this plaque hardens over time, it turns into tartar, which must be removed to avoid tooth decay or loss. You can help remove tartar by giving your dog hard chew treats, which you can bake at home.

Things You'll Need

  • Cookie sheets
  • 2 cups white flour
  • 1 tsp. activated charcoal
  • 3 tsp. vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp. dried parsley
  • 1 egg
  • 2 1/2 tsp. dried mint
  • 2/3 cup plain yogurt
  • Sealed containers
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup corn meal
  • 1/4 cup spinach oil
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1/4 cup bran
  • 1 tsp. bone meal
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 tsp. peppermint extract
  • Bread maker
  • Rolling pin
  • Cookie cutters
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Instructions

  1. Yogurt and Mint Treats

    • 1

      Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

    • 2

      Lightly grease a cookie sheet and set it aside.

    • 3

      Pour two cups of white flour and one tsp. activated charcoal, which can be purchased at many pharmacies, into a large bowl. Stir.

    • 4

      Add three tsp. vegetable oil, 2.5 tsp. dried parsley, one egg, 2.5 tsp. dried mint and two-third cups plain yogurt to the mixture. Stir.

    • 5

      Place teaspoon-sized dollops of the mixture onto the cookie sheet, approximately one inch apart from each other.

    • 6

      Bake the dental treats for 15 to 20 minutes, or until firm.

    • 7

      Allow the treats to cool completely before offering to a dog. Place the unused treats in a sealed container and store in the refrigerator.

    Honey and Peppermint Treats

    • 8

      Preheat an oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

    • 9

      Mix one-quarter cup honey, 1.5 cups whole wheat flour, one-half cup corn meal, one cup white flour and one-quarter cup spinach oil in a large bowl. Stir.

    • 10

      Add one-half cups rolled oats, one-quarter cup bran, one tsp. bone meal, 1.5 tsp. baking powder, 1.5 cups water and one tsp. peppermint extract to the bowl. Stir. Place the contents of the bowl into a bread maker that has been set on the "dough" cycle.

    • 11

      Remove the contents from the bread maker and place them onto a surface covered with 1 to 2 cups of white flour. Roll the dough with a rolling pin until it is approximately one-quarter inch thick. Cover the rolling pin with a coat of flour to ensure the dough does not stick to it. Cut the rolled dough into several shapes with a small to medium sized cookie cutter.

    • 12

      Place the shapes onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for approximately 45 minutes, or until the treats are golden brown. Allow the treats to cool completely before offering to the dog. Store the treats in a sealed container.