Saturday, September 7, 2013

Homemade Dehydrated Beef Lung Dog Treats

With stories of dogs becoming ill (and even passing away) from dog treats made in china, questionable ingredients in dog treats (propylene glycol and artificial colors), and liking to know where things come from, I decided to try my hand at making some meaty treats for my mongrels, using the dehydrator I purchased yesterday. 

I started with some beef lung (I used more than just this picture) from Rodney.  Sadly, I received an email that he will no longer be in the raw dog food business.

I cut it up (scissors work best) into 1-2" cubes and rectangle pieces, trying to create a uniform thickness.
The first of four sheets on the dehydrator.

 All four sheets in place, lid on, machine plugged in.

I couldn't resist sneaking a peek.  This is what they looked like about 30 minutes in.  There was no odor whatsoever coming from them, which made Les very happy. 

Four hours in.  At this point, I rotated the trays.

Five hours in.  I considered them done here.  All were dry to the touch, and of a fairly firm texture.  I am sure I could have let them go longer, for a crunchier texture.

I divvied them up in to baggies.  I am sharing some with my awesome neighbors, and a good friend of mine at work.  

These have already proven to be a success with my crew, even picky Faolan.  I am quite pleased with the results.  As they contain no preservatives, I am going to store them in the refrigerator. 

I plan on trying chicken hearts/gizzards, other species of lung (goat, lamb, etc) and perhaps liver. 

Does anyone else dehydrate their own dog treats?  If so, what cuts of meat do you use, and for what length of time do you dehydrate?




 

10 comments:

  1. OMD!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE these!!! thou, Ma doesn't have a dehydrator, so she has to pay the big bucks ($10 for a lb bag)! I am sooo jealous!! These look much better than the ones I get!
    Kisses,
    Ruby ♥

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  2. Beef lung is my "go-to treat" for clipping the dogs' toenails. They'll do anything for lung, even let me chop off their nails!

    I used to dehydrate dog treats... but I never really liked how they turned out (I dehydrated thin strips of chicken, kind of like chicken jerky) so now I buy it from our local very health conscious dog supply store.

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  3. lungs are easy and fast to dry, much more economical than meat slices. I also make my own chews by dehydrating beef tendons, ligaments, and tracheassss. ^^

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  4. LOL. Do you feed the pack intestines? We dehydrate those under the sun and deep fry it... it's considered human treats here.

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  5. Good job on getting a dehydrator! I've been dehydrating treats for the pups for about a year and a half now and I've saved so much money that way. I've done beef liver, heart, and kidney, chicken heart, breast, and feet, and duck gizzards. A good way to tell if your treats are done dehydrating is by snapping them in half. Do they snap easily, or do they still bend a little? If they still bend, leave them in there for a few more hours.

    From my experience, liver and kidney STINK! So I'd suggest dehydrating those in an open space (and avoid doing it in the summertime).

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    Replies
    1. Yes on the stink. When doing liver I put the dehydrator in the bathroom shut the AC vent. Open the window and close the door.

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  6. Great to see i will try to do. I have making this food i will update

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  7. Let's explore five compelling reasons for dehydrating with a electric food dehydrator. food dehydrator

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  8. Rather, decide on a lean huge cut like Flank or London Broil. Cut back off any additional excess. Cut it into strips as meager as you are capable contrary to what would be expected. Pencil flimsy or quarter inch thick will do. grass fed beef sticks

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  9. On my excursion to the wellbeing food store I could see there were no entire food fixings recorded on those beautiful jugs of improved nutrient water refreshments. homemade sambal chili paste

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Thanks for the howls!!