Homemade Treats For Your Diabetic Dog: Part 1

This topic covers one of the most frequently asked questions that we see on Facebook Group pages.  Your vet probably told you that you can only feed your dog twice a day and no treats.  Wrong!!  Just because your pup has Diabetes, it doesn’t mean that every aspect of life changes.  There can still be fun, adventure and TREATS!!!

The most important aspect for treats now that your pup has Diabetes is that the treat doesn’t affect BG (Blood Glucose).  In most cases, vegetables are a good treat that won’t affect your numbers.  Many people give green beans, fresh, frozen, canned (low sodium), however they come.  My Max didn’t like green beans so that didn’t work for me.  Many give celery as it satisfies the “crunch factor”.  The only veggies that we have seen that can affect some pup’s numbers are broccoli and cucumber.  Like every aspect of this disease, trial and error is the only way to know for sure.

Once again, being in a community pays off when it comes to treats.  With permission from the co-founders Christy and Eileen, I have been given the go-ahead to share some of the recipes that our members of Canine Diabetes Support and Information Facebook group have created and shared along the way.  I love that there are those that can create a recipe that works for our pups and then share it to the group!

Here are some all-time favorites:

Turkey Meatballs

1 lb of ground turkey breast or ground chicken breast

1 cup of diced Kale or spinach (or any finely diced veggie)

1/3 cup of egg whites

1 tbsp of pure pumpkin

Roll into small meatballs or press in to an 8” x 8” pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25-28 minutes.If you use the pan or cookie sheet, you can cut the mixture into small squares once cooked.

Chicken Breast Jerky

Preheat oven to 200 degrees, lightly grease a baking sheet or use parchment paper and skip the grease.

Rinse off chicken breast and remove any skin and fat. Slice the chicken with the grain (this will help make the jerky even chewier). The slices should be very thin, about 1/8” to ¼” thickness. You can freeze the chicken breasts to make them easier to cut.

Place the strips on the baking sheet and bake for about 2 hours or to desired crispness. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack until completely cool.

Jerky can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 weeks or in the freezer for up to 8 months.

Egg White and Spinach Balls

Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

3 egg whites, combine with 2 cups of diced spinach or green beans and bake for 30 minutes or until middle is set.

Sardine Bites

2 - 3.75 oz cans sardines packed in water (no salt)

1 teaspoon fresh or dried parsley

2 eggs (only 1 yolk or just egg whites)

½ cup veggies diced or ¼ cup pumpkin puree

Preheat oven to 375. Coat a small casserole dish with non-stick spray. Drain and chop the sardines, then mix with parsley and veggies or pumpkin. Pour sardine mixture into the casserole dish and spread evenly. Pour egg/egg white onto the top of the sardine mixture. Bake for 25 minutes or until eggs are cooked. Cool before serving. Store in fridge for 3 days or freeze in airtight container for up to 6 months.

We will do frozen treats for summer in the next post. Happy baking, all!

You’ll notice that for most of the products or groups that I mention, the text is linked to a website that you can purchase that item or a link to join the group mentioned.  Just click on the colored text (red or blue, depending what device you are on) and it should take you right to the item or group.  If you have any thoughts or ideas for topics that you’d like to see covered here, please feel free to comment below or send me an email at NancyForPetTest@PharmaSupply.com.  As always, please “like” this blog post or any of the others that have helped you or just refreshed your memory.  Look for new posts every Monday, Wednesday and Friday!

Until next time…