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DIY Gluten Free Dog Treats with Pumpkin

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DIY Gluten Free Dog Treats with Pumpkin

I’ve written about the health benefits of pumpkins for dogs and cats, including improved digestion, urinary health and even weight loss. Here are some recipes you can make at home for your dogs that include pumpkin, but not gluten. I discovered that Sanchez and Gina are gluten intolerant after seeking holistic veterinary care, so I particularly appreciated that these recipes are gluten free.

A Facebook fan, Heather Hill at RelaxThePaw.com lead me to the following picture and recipe in Marilyn Naron’s blog post Retriever Retriever, Pumpkin Eater. Marilyn made them for her dog, Cleo, when she wasn’t feeling well.

Photo Credit: Marilyn Naron

Cleo’s Pumpkin Dog Biscuits

2 eggs
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons dry milk
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 1/2 cups brown rice flour *
1 teaspoon dried parsley (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.

In large bowl, whisk together eggs and pumpkin to smooth. Stir in dry milk, sea salt, and dried parsley (if using, optional). Add brown rice flour gradually, combining with spatula or hands to form a stiff, dry dough. Turn out onto lightly floured surface (can use the brown rice flour) and if dough is still rough, briefly knead and press to combine.

Roll dough between 1/4 – 1/2″ – depending on your dog’s chew preferences, ask first – and use biscuit or other shape cutter to punch shapes, gathering and re-rolling scraps as you go. Place shapes on cookie sheet, no greasing or paper necessary. If desired, press fork pattern on biscuits before baking, a quick up-and-down movement with fork, lightly pressing down halfway through dough. Bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully turn biscuits over, then bake additional 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely on rack before feeding to dog.

* Brown rice flour gives the biscuits crunch and promotes better dog digestion. Many dogs have touchy stomachs or allergies, and do not, like many people I know, tolerate wheat.

Makes up to 75 small (1″) biscuits or 50 medium biscuits

Next: Recipe for Pumpkin Squeaks Dog Treats

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Read more: Allergies, Cats, Diet & Nutrition, Dogs, Everyday Pet Care, Health, Pets, , , , , , , , ,

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Lisa Spector

Lisa Spector is a concert pianist, Juilliard graduate, and canine music expert. She is co-founder of Through a Dog's Ear, the first music clinically demonstrated to calm the canine nervous system. Their new high-tech pet gadget, iCalmDog, is the portable solution to canine anxiety. Lisa shares her home and her heart with her two "career change" Labrador Retrievers from Guide Dogs for the Blind, Sanchez and Gina. Follow Lisa's blog here.

96 comments

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6:26AM PDT on Jun 24, 2014

thanks for sharing :)

8:46PM PST on Jan 23, 2014

I'm excited to try these for herself but will wait until my granddaughter can help what with being a cookie maker extraordinaire.

1:26PM PST on Dec 13, 2013

Thank you for this recipe! I just made it and my dog is happy again! One thing I changed...I used white rice flour instead. Also, coconut milk instead of eggs. My dog can't have the brown rice flour because his vet said it is ground WITH the hulls. Allergy and bladder stone issues...

10:53AM PST on Dec 2, 2013

Thank you

11:30AM PST on Nov 20, 2013

Just something to consider, but many of the humans who react to wheat, rye, and barley aren't reacting to the gluten in them, rather the fructan - another protein chain entirely.

Because our pets can't tell us when something is upsetting their stomachs, if you suspect that gluten is a problem, you may want to do some more research into fructans as well, neither of which wolves would have encountered in the wild, before we domesticated them.

Though the research about fructans and fructose reactions is pretty scarce at this point, it is worthwhile to note that pumpkin is on the list of foods to avoid on the FODMAP diet.

2:25PM PST on Nov 16, 2013

Thank you

7:55AM PST on Nov 8, 2013

PUMPKIN IS VERY GOOD FOR THE DOGS DIGESTIVE SYSTEM AS IT IS HIGH IN FIBER!

12:35AM PST on Nov 4, 2013

Thanks for sharing.

8:35PM PST on Nov 3, 2013

Thanks for sharing. We give our senior basset pumpkin puree for tummy troubles on her vet's advice and it works like a charm.

3:52AM PDT on Nov 2, 2013

Thanks for sharing

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