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How to Make Dog Treats in a Dehydrator

close up of sweet potato chips on a food dehydrator tray

Making dehydrated dog treats isn’t much different than dehydrating foods for humans. We as humans already use dehydrators to dehydrate a variety of things such as vegetables, meats, grains, and fruits. Homemade dog treats are really just human foods that we make dog friendly by leaving out the bad things that dogs should not have.

Making Dog Treats in Dehydrator

When baking dog biscuits for your fur family or cooking homemade dog food, there is always a bit of mess. Pots, pans, mixing bowls and cooking utensils stack up pretty fast when you are baking. Making treats like chicken jerky or sweet potato dog treats in a food dehydrator not only make less of a mess, but usually cost less to make than the commercial treats you buy in the store.

Dehydrator Dog Treat Recipes

If you are looking for an easy dog treat to try in your food dehydrator, you can’t get much easier than these sweet potato dog treats. And considering there is only one ingredient, you know exactly what is in it. Don’t be scared to try other fruits and vegetables as well like green beans or apples. Just remember to remove the apple seeds and core first.

Sweet Potato Dog Treats

Whole and sliced sweet potatoes on a black towel

Ingredients:

  • Sweet Potatoes

Instructions:

  1. Wash and pat whole sweet potatoes dry
  2. Slice thinly, just under 1/8th inch.
  3. Place on the dehydrator tray with a small gap between each slice
  4. Turn on to 70 degrees and set the timer for 5 hours.

We found this easy treat recipe at Pet Sitter Ireland.

Dehydrated Carrot Dog Treats

Bowl of carrot chips on a table next to bunch of whole carrots

Ingredients:

  • Carrots

Instructions:

  1. Either wash carrots thoroughly or peel with a vegetable peeler.
  2. Cut your carrots into bite sized pieces. The larger the pieces, the longer it will take to dehydrate.
  3. Blanch the carrot pieces in boiling water until heated through.
  4. Place the carrot pieces on dehydrator trays.
  5. Dry the carrots into dog treats at 135 degrees for 2 to 10 hours depending on the thickness of the carrots.

Thank you to the Lazy Budget Chef for these easy instructions.

How to Make Chicken Jerky for Dogs in Dehydrator

man holding food dehydrator tray filled with raw chicken strips

Dehydrated chicken makes great and easy to prepare homemade treats for dogs. However, don’t feel like you are limited to just using chicken. You can use other meats such as turkey, lamb, beef, or even ground meats to make jerky treats. Just follow the settings recommended for your dehydrator for dehydrating meats, but leave out any marinades or spices your pup should not eat.

Chicken Jerky Recipe for Dogs Using Dehydrator

raw chicken next to dehydrated chicken on a piece of parchment paper on a slate tray

Ingredients:

  • 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 (Optional)
  • 1 tbs. salt (Optional)
  • Dog Friendly seasonings including parsley, rosemary, and sage

Instructions:

  1. Cut the chicken breast tenders into strips about 1/4 to 1/8 inches thick.
  2. Coat the chicken in oil and season with salt and your choice of dog friendly herbs. ( The I Heart Dogs post says that they omitted the oil and salt and just sprinkled parsley over the chicken with a good outcome.)
  3. Dehydrate for about 12 hours.  

This recipe originated on the Excalibur Dehydrator website, but has since become unavailable. Thanks to I Heart Dogs for having a version on their site.

Food Dehydrator Dog Treats

Variety of glass storage jars filled with pastas and grains on a shelf.

Once all of the treats have cooled completely, food dehydrator dog treats should be stored in an air tight container in a cool, dry, and dark location like in your pantry. Vegetable and meat dog treats can be stored for up to 6 months, while you can store dehydrated fruit snacks for up to a year. With these recipes you should be able to keep a healthy supply of dog treats for a long time to come.

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