Healthy Recipes for Pets

TUNA TREATS

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup nonfat, dry, powdered milk
• 1/2 can tuna, in oil OR 1/2 cup cooked chicken, chopped into small pieces
• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil OR cod liver oil
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup water
• Catnip (Optional)

Preparation & Cooking

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease cookie sheets with cooking spray. In a large bowl, mash the tuna (or chicken) into smaller pieces. Then add flour and milk. Mix well. After all is mixed pour in water and oil. Mix well again. Now, beat egg in a separate dish until egg gets a foamy texture. Add to mix. Mix well. The dough mix will be sticky, so don’t worry. Using your fingers shape dough into small bite size balls, about the size of a marble. Put balls on greased cookie sheets. Flatten.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove treats from oven wait five minutes and turn treats over so other side will cook. Bake 10 more minutes or until golden brown in color. Place treats on cookie rack to cool. Cool for 15 minutes.

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Note: Many cats are lactose-intolerant, which means that they cannot digest cow's milk properly and they get diarrhea or gastric upset when they drink it. 

According to the ASPCA, "Unless they are spoiled or moldy, milk, cheese and other dairy foods are not considered to be poisonous to pets. However, many pets’ digestive systems cannot tolerate dairy foods very well. This can result in vomiting and diarrhea, which in severe cases could lead to inflammation of the pancreas. For this reason, it’s always a good idea to check with your veterinarian before offering any “people food” to your pets."

One alternative is using lactose-free milk in recipes, which you can find in pet stores.  Whiskas makes a product called CATMILK.

For further reference, see: ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center, Section on "People foods for pets"