Tripawds Three Legged Dog & Cat Forum Archives

Since we're keeping Zula on a mostly grain-free diet, I searched the web for grain-free treats I could make......the few times I tried to make biscuits, they ended up way too brittle & crumbly. But, one thing I did find at the time was a recipe for sweet potato treats - just slice a sweet potato (we leave the skins on), then sprinkle with ginger & garlic powder. The recipe suggested baking in the oven on low heat, but it seemed to take forever, so my husband suggested using the dehydrator (that we've had in the pantry for years, but I forgot about.)

It works great, and I've done tons of other things since then, too. We do apple slices, bananas, and turkey or beef (look for the really thinly-sliced cuts like cutlets - it saves a ton of time when preparing into jerky strips). We don't treat the meat, just slice and dehydrate. I also take some slices and wrap around the apples or bananas for an extra-special treat.

Both dogs LOVE the dehydrated stuff, and it really doesn't take much time - about an hour of prep time every 3 weeks or so. Our quadpawd, Izzy, has had digestive issues for the last 2 years (would have terrible episodes every few days) - even though we were using Blue Buffalo grain-free biscuits and jerky, and other premium-brand treats. But, since switching to these homemade, natural treats, her episodes only come about once a month now, if that.

I'm not sure of the price of a dehydrator, but I would say whatever it is, it is well worth it!