Wheat-Free Dog Treat Recipes

Just like humans, dogs develop allergies. A common canine food allergy is wheat. If your dog suffers from this allergy, your pet cannot have typical dog bones and treats. Oddly enough, there are many wheat-free recipes your allergic pooch can enjoy to keep any pet health and happy.

  1. Wheat Allergy Symptoms

    • It can be tricky to determine what is causing a wheat allergy in your dog. There are some symptoms to look for to help make the diagnosis easier. Itchy skin is a common sign. It may manifest in your pet chewing away on front paws, rubbing the face on the living room rug, or general scratching. It can also cause digestive problems, such as gas, vomiting or diarrhea. Sneezing and symptoms similar to an asthma attack are also normal. In extreme cases, you may see your dog experiencing seizures.

    Wheat Alternatives

    • Any existing dog treat recipe can be turned into a wheat-free one by making some substitutions. For each cup of regular, wheat based flour, you can substitute either 1¼ cups oat or rye flour. You can also substitute ¾ cup of potato flour. For a different texture, you can use ¾ cup of rice, oats, or barley in place of the one cup of wheat flour. Another option uses corn based products or even seeds and nuts. You can use ½ cup of ground nuts and seeds, arrowroot flour, or corn starch.

    Special Considerations

    • When you use a substitution for wheat flour, you will have to make some other considerations in the recipe to ensure proper baking and consistency. Swapping out the wheat flour for any other form of flour will change the texture of the end product. To compensate, add ½ teaspoon of baking powder for every cup of flour alternative. Unlike the original recipe, the wheat-free treats tend to fall apart. To help minimize crumbling, make them smaller. This helps your treats maintain shape and texture. The treats also require longer baking times. You will want to increase the time by an additional 10 to 20 minutes depending on your oven. Using a variety of wheat-free alternatives will produce a better result. If you take time to experiment with alternatives in different combinations and bake times you will successfully create an enticing treat for your dog.