Homemade Treats for Dogs with Food Allergies

Identify What Your Dog Is Allergic To

• Most dogs with allergies or intolerances can't eat certain items. Your veterinarian should give you a list of items your pet can't eat. Armed with this list, you can plan on making substitutions in any dog food or treat recipe. For example, some dogs are intolerant of wheat or corn. You can substitute other flours such as barley, rice or buckwheat in the treat recipe.

Choose Novel Protein and Carbohydrate Sources

• Dogs are usually allergic to a particular protein or carbohydrate source such as beef and chicken or corn and wheat. Switching to a novel (new) protein and carbohydrate source, that is, one not normally found in a dog's diet, is the first step. Be careful about choices in protein, though, as in the past lamb was considered a novel protein source, but isn't any longer because so many people began feeding lamb thinking it would help with coat problems.

  Novel protein sources include venison, fish, duck, elk, buffalo and other exotic game meats. Novel carbohydrate sources include buckwheat, chickpea, barley or rye. You can find these meats and flours at a specialty health food stores.

Eggs and Milk

• Some dogs are sensitive to eggs and milk, which are common in recipes. You can substitute a half of a mashed banana, a quarter cup of applesauce or 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. oil and 1/4 cup water for the egg. Substitute goat's milk, soy milk or rice milk for cow's milk.

Watch the Fats, Too

• If your dog is allergic to corn, it makes no sense to use corn oil or margarine made from corn oil. Luckily you can buy various oils including flaxseed oil, sunflower oil, Canola oil, or safflower oil at a natural foods store. These should substitute nicely for margarine or butter.

Sample Recipe

• The following is a recipe you can try that your dog should love.

  1/4 lb ground buffalo
  3 cups buckwheat flour plus up to 1 cup extra flour
  1 cup goat's milk
  1/2 cup safflower oil
  1 tsp sea salt
  1 tsp baking powder

  Preheat over to 400F.

  In a frying pan, cook meat until thoroughly cooked, crumbling it into small pieces. Set aside and cool.

  Mix all ingredients together with cooked meat in a mixing bowl and knead in as much flour as you can with your hands to form a stiff dough. Add a little water if too stiff.

  Roll out dough to 1/2 inch on a floured surface and cut with a dog bone biscuit cutter. Alternatively, you can cut rectangles of about 1-by-2 inches with a knife.

  Set on a cookie sheet and bake 10 to 15 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Cool on a wired rack.