Ready to kick off the new year with some healthier habits? Whether for the pups, peeps, or both, food choices and gut health can have a huge influence on other aspects of physical and mental health and well-being. So, let’s take a dive into gut-friendly treat ingredients with our special guests from The Bear & The Rat. It might even help you make (or share) healthier snacks for all of the family – fur and human.
Tail-Wagging Recipes: Tips to Craft Gut-Friendly Treats Your Dog Will Love
Guest Post Provided by The Bear & The Rat (Images by Dalmatian DIY)
We all want our furry friends to live their healthiest and happiest lives. To give them such a life, you must ensure they have a healthy gut, as everything from digestion and immunity to their mood and playfulness is connected to the gut.
Store-bought treats for dogs may not always guarantee the most nutritious ingredients, which can become a hurdle in your mission to keep their gut healthy. What if you had total control over the ingredients instead? Making your own dog treats gives you the freedom to choose healthy ingredients and an opportunity to tell your furry friend, “I love you,” straight from your heart and kitchen while supporting their gut health. Whether you’re making every day snacks or looking to make something extra special, like a dog birthday cake, gut-friendly treats can do wonders for your dog’s overall health.
So, roll up your sleeves and let us help you choose simple, gut-friendly ingredients to whip up nutritious, tasty treats for your pup to drool over! Not sure where to start? Short on time and need a helping paw in the kitchen? The same tips can help you choose healthier ready-to-serve dog treats, like we offer at The Bear & The Rat.
Begin by Understanding Canine Gut Health
Just like your furry friend adds love and joy into your life, their gut is the engine powering their overall health and allows them to give you lots of snuggles. When your pup has a healthy gut, you’ll observe them thriving and have better energy levels during playtime. Their gut microbiome is a delicate mix of good and bad bacteria working together to process your dog’s food, help them absorb nutrients, and protect them against illness. If your pup’s microbiome balance is disrupted, you may notice symptoms like bloating, diarrhea, itchy skin, or bad temper. Therefore, listening to your dog’s gut health is key to keeping them feeling their best inside and out!
Ingredients to Include for Gut-Friendly Dog Treats
Supporting your dog’s gut health begins with selecting the right ingredients for creating healthy treats. Below are some power-packed ingredients that provide nutrients and help to ensure that your pup’s treats are both tasty and tummy-friendly.
Probiotic-Rich Ingredients
Add good bacteria to your dog’s gut by using sources such as plain, unsweetened yogurt or kefir. These probiotics are known for keeping your dog’s digestive system in balance and making it easier to digest food and absorb nutrients. If your dog has lactose sensitivities, there are lactose-free or low-lactose options for their sensitive little tummies.
Probiotics can also help boost your dog’s immune system, reduce the risk of infections, and improve their overall gut health, especially after a course of antibiotics. Including probiotic-rich foods in your fur baby’s diet can also help promote a shiny coat, better breath, and make them happier and more energetic.
Fiber for Digestion
Fiber is a must in your dog’s diet as it regulates bowel movement and keeps stool healthy. Foods such as unsweetened pumpkin puree, sweet potatoes, and oats are rich in fiber, which helps keep things moving in your dog’s digestive tract. For example, pumpkin is a miracle ingredient that can offer quick relief for common gut issues, like diarrhea and constipation. Additionally, you can easily craft tasty treats for your dog using fiber-rich ingredients.
Anti-Inflammatory Options
Natural ingredients such as turmeric and ginger are perfect for calming inflammation in your dog’s gut and soothing many kinds of discomfort. Turmeric contains curcumin, a powerful anti-inflammatory compound. Ginger is known to aid digestion and can alleviate nausea or bloating. Healthy fats, like ground flaxseed or fish oil, are omega-3-rich foods that can be a great addition to your dog’s diet. In addition to the anti-inflammatory properties of the omega-3s, these foods can also help with nutrient absorption and give an energy boost.
Go for Prebiotic-Rich Ingredients
Prebiotics are non-digestible fibers that act as food for beneficial bacteria (probiotics) in your dog’s gut. By nourishing these bacteria, you can keep their overall health great as they support a healthy gut microbiome, which ensures their digestion, immunity, and mood are fantastic. Plus, many prebiotic-rich foods are tasty dog-friendly favorites. So, you can include prebiotics in their treats and feed them something both delicious and healthy. You can find prebiotics in vegetables and fruits like carrots, asparagus, bananas, apples (without seeds), and blueberries.
Always check before introducing a new food, and be aware that not all fruits and vegetables are safe or suitable for dogs. For example, if you’re wondering whether bananas are good for dogs, they are; in fact, when given in moderation, they prove to be a brilliant source of potassium, fiber, and prebiotics that gently support your dog’s gut health.
You can also consider combining prebiotics with probiotic ingredients for a synergistic effect known as synbiotics to pamper your furball with extra gut-friendly goodness.
Hydration and Digestive Support
Don’t forget hydration! Liquid-rich ingredients and snacks such as bone broth, coconut water, cucumber, or celery are a fun and delicious way of keeping your dogs hydrated while supporting their digestion. By using these ingredients, you can create treats that not only quench your pup’s thirst but also keep their tummy happy and healthy!
Ingredients like cucumbers, celery, watermelon (no seeds), strawberries and coconut water provide hydration and essential vitamins to your pup to help maintain energy levels, support healthy skin, and improve their overall well-being. In addition to hydration, bone broths also have nutrients like collagen and amino acids that promote gut lining health and joint support. As noted above, always ensure that a particular fruit is dog-safe before including it in recipes or sharing snacks.
Ingredients to Avoid in Gut-Friendly Dog Treats
When creating treats for your dogs, it’s important to know what ingredients to avoid using that could upset your pup’s stomach. Some foods that are considered safe or healthy for humans may not be a suitable for your furry friend. Therefore, research well and/or consult your vet before adding new ingredients to your pup’s treats or introducing other types of new foods.
It’s safest to avoid using artificial additives like colors, flavors, and preservatives that may cause strain on your dog’s digestive system by disrupting their gut microbiome. Artificial sweeteners are a big no. These can not only cause harm to their gut health, but some, like xylitol, can cause serious illness or fatality if ingested.
Some dogs may have individual food sensitivities, allergies, or other health issues. Grains such as wheat and corn are common in commercial treats but may trigger sensitivities or allergies in some dogs. Dairy may seem gut-friendly because of the probiotics, but it may not suit all dogs. As noted above, if your dog is lactose intolerant, dairy treats or treat ingredients may can lead to bloating or diarrhea. It’s important to always introduce new ingredients slowly to ensure that they sit well with your furry friend.
Tools and Prep Tips for Homemade Dog Treats
Making dog treats at home is easier and more enjoyable with the right tools on hand. Just like we love it when our food looks aesthetic, your pup will also adore it if their treats are in fun shapes. Silicone molds are perfect for shaping treats, and they’re nonstick, which makes them easy to clean. Having a food processor will help you shred or blend ingredients such as pumpkins, oats, or bananas into a smooth mixture so that it’s easy for dogs to consume and digest. If you’re planning on making chewy treats, a dehydrator is worth the investment as it saves both time and energy compared to using an oven on a low setting.
For your health and your pup’s health, general food safety practices are also essential. It’s important to maintain cleanliness whenever you’re working in the kitchen. Whenever you set out to prepare homemade treats for your furry friend, always wash your hands, tools, and utensils to avoid contamination. Try to use fresh, high-quality ingredients to ensure treats are as healthy as possible, and if you’re working with perishable items such as yogurt or meat, store them in the refrigerator to maintain freshness.
Lastly, while planning your treat-making session, decide on the portion size early on to help prevent overindulgences that might cause tummy upsets. Smaller treats are easy to store and become little morsels of love and balance that your pup’s gut thrives on.
Storage Tips for Homemade Dog Treats
For different treats, you need to follow distinct storage methods. To keep your homemade treats fresh, store them in airtight containers. Storage and duration depend on the type of treat. For example, refrigerated treats, such as yogurt bites, last for up to a week; on the other, dehydrated sweet potato chews can stay fresh for several weeks when stored in a cool and dry place. To make them last longer, freezing is the best option. You can thaw them as and when needed. A pro tip to track the freshness of your homemade treats is labeling your containers with the date you made them. This can help ensure you’re serving them at their freshest, supporting your dog’s gut health by preventing spoilage and harmful bacteria.
Note from Dalmatian DIY: If you’re making treats with one of our recipes, you’ll find information in the recipe post to help you with storage for that particular type of treat. There are also guides in our Pet Chef Help section that can help with general information and support.
Final Thoughts
Cooking for your little furry friend is a labor of love that strengthens your bond with them. Imagine choosing quality ingredients that upkeep their gut health and whipping up treats that reward you with a wagging tail and shiny, bright excitement in their eyes. So, grab your aprons to experiment, get creative in your kitchen, and whip up something pawsome for your furry friend. We’re sure that they will thank you for the healthy and delicious treats with endless affection and, of course, lots of slobbery kisses!
About the Guest Author
Manshi Dixit, Content Writer, Editor & Strategist. This guest post was created by Manshi Dixit on behalf of The Bear & The Rat. Manshi has loved writing since she was little; today, that passion has become her career. With an SEO-savvy touch and a knack for storytelling, she crafts engaging content for clients across diverse fields. From insightful business and real estate articles to imaginative home decor content, Manshi tailors each piece to suit its unique audience. She shares her insights on Medium, pens a Substack newsletter, and writes compelling social media content, website copy, YouTube scripts, and case studies. Working with reputable clients like MyRegistry, Pfister, and Instent, she brings a thoughtful voice to every project, proving that well-crafted words truly connect.
Pawnote from the Blog Dogs of Dalmatian DIY
Thanks for the guest post, Manshi and The Bear & The Rat! This is great information to consider for healthier dog treats, but also for our own diets and snacks. Humphrey would like to point out that many of these ingredients are easily shared between people and pups. He is particularly fond of helping me with cleaning up any Greek yogurt spoons, bowls, tubs…. My ever-helpful spotty assistant kept a close watch on the ingredients during our mini-photoshoot for the pictures that accompany this post and enjoyed quality control sampling and clean-up.
Gut-Healthy Snacking with Humphrey
We love that some of the suggestions above are also some of our go-to treat ingredients and foods that Humphrey enjoys as little extras in his overall carefully balanced diet. In addition to gut health and nutrient benefits, foods like dog-friendly fruits, veggies, dairy are common lower purine recommendations for Dalmatians to support their urinary health and reduce stone-formation risks. Others, like fish oil, are part of his heart health supplementation plan with his vet. And bone broth has long been a favourite for our furfamily.
After the mini photoshoot for this post, Humphrey enjoyed sampling a few snacks, but all things in moderation, of course. Most of the whole berries went into the fridge. Those strawberries were freshly picked from our own garden just before the photos – so delish! The veggies were processed to mix with the oats and some turkey mince for a batch of turkey meatballs treats. These are tasty (and gut-friendly) as special dog treats, but in our house, they are quick and convenient favourites for crumbling and adding as little extra tasty toppers for meals.
Hungry for more tasty treats? There are all sorts of homemade dog treat ideas in our blog archives. You can explore Dalmatian DIY through the blog menu, navigate with categories and tags for related content that might be of interest, or use our internal search tool to sniff out something specific. Remember, treats (bought or homemade) are for spoiling your pup in moderation. Different animals will have different preferences (likes or dislikes), just like people. Some pets may have special dietary requirements and/or food allergies or intolerances. If you are ever in doubt or have questions about what’s suitable for your pet, have a chat with your trusted vet.
