When you think of Christmas treats, beef liver usually isn't on the list. But we're thinking of goodies for your four-legged friends: canine cookies and feasts for felines.
Pet stores have entire aisles devoted to nibbles 'n' bits; some are even festively packaged for the holidays. But, then again, supermarkets have aisles of people treats that you can buy. Yet whether it's people treats or pet treats, there's something about "homemade" that makes them more personal.
Some advantages of make-your-own pet treats: There are no artificial additives. You can tailor them to fit special diets and the size of your pet.
We found recipes in "The Three Dog Bakery Cookbook," a national chain that makes specialty dog food, "Dog Bites! Canine Cuisine," by Rick and Martha Reynolds, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and on a Web site called PetPlace.com.
The Kitty Liver is simple to prepare — if you slice the meat when it's partially frozen so it's not slimy. If you don't want liver odor wafting through your house for several hours, put a big pot of simmering potpourri on the back burner of the stove to mask the smell. These nibblers resembled little pieces of a blown-out tire. (Pardon us for being catty here. )
The ingredients for Beppo's Treats to Go are mixed into a stiff dough and rolled out like sugar cookies. In the Deseret Morning News test kitchen, we tried out Christmas-y cookie cutter shapes, such as stars and trees. The hand and gingerbread man shapes put a new spin on the phrases, "Biting the hand that feeds you," and "Dog bites man."
Kitty Liver, Tuna Tidbits, Fleas Navidad Nibblers and Beppo's Treats to Go use easy-to-find ingredients. The Bowser Biscuits recipe was more troublesome. Soy, corn and oat flours, as well as wheat bran and unsulphured molasses, were all available on the baking aisle at local Smith's and Albertsons grocery stores. But the brewer's yeast required a trip to the health food store. (Thankfully, none of our recipes include live mice or the mailman's ankle — those might be even harder to find.)
Before you head for the kitchen and whip up your own treats, there are a few precautions. Recipes should be specifically for animals, not humans, because some foods that humans love — such as chocolate and onions — can be toxic to dogs.
"Raisins have also been shown to be a problem when eaten in excess," said Dr. Lynn McCarron, a veterinarian with the University Pet Clinic in Salt Lake City. "They can make a dog really sick."
Salty foods should also be avoided. "Animals aren't used to that much salt. Most commercially prepared foods on the market are really high in sodium, and dogs don't need it."
If you're making treats as a gift for someone else's animal, ask about allergies first. "Some animals have food allergies and are on restricted diets," McCarron said.
And just as people should avoid going overboard on holiday goodies, they should also avoid overindulging their pets.
"I think the temptation is to give them a lot of treats, and they are less tolerant of it than people, so there needs to be some common sense," said McCarron. "The most common side effects from too many treats is diarrhea and sometimes vomiting."
Recipes for homemede goodies for your four-legged friends can be found here: Whip up a tasty treat for your pets
E-mail: vphillips@desnews.com