There’s nothing a like a good pumpkin dog biscuit to sooth the soul. These are highly recommended by our resident discerning dog palate, and this recipe is versatile too – it accepts just about any kind of grain or grain-substitute.
Our latest doggie medical adventure has been red, infected eyes. The third lid (dogs have three eyelids) was flaming red in both eyes.
A few weeks ago the vet (who we try really hard to stay away from – nothing against him, of course) prescribed antibiotic/steroid ointment for the eyes, which were indeed, very red and itchy. He also had this brownish-red mark coming out of his brown eye.
It’s better now, but the brown spotting is lingering. We’re hanging tight because we don’t want any more drugs than we already have in our lives. Given that our dog runs through the woods and into all kinds of puddles and lakes every day, any of those adventures could have resulted in an eye infection or injury.
I double this batch often, and store half the biscuits in the freezer or the refrigerator until we’re ready for them. Seal them tightly if you freeze them. Some grains return a moister biscuit, so you can use just a 1/4 cup of squash if you want a drier biscuit.
Pumpkin Dog Biscuits
Updated 12/7/13: You can use this dough to make cut-out dog biscuits. Roll out the dough to about 1/4-inch (.653 cm) in thickness. You’ll want to adjust the time baking the cookies because they’ll bake faster— bake them for 15 minutes on one side, and then turn them over and bake for another 15 minutes. Bake them until they snap when you break them in half, or store them in the refrigerator if they’re not fully dried. Cool and store sealed.
I use these bone cookie cutters, but any you have on hand will do the job, or use the top of a small jar.
Ingredients (makes 16-18 biscuits)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup of squash (pumpkin or any other kind of squash)
- 2 1/2 cups of flour (I use oat or brown rice flour, but any whole grain flour or grain substitute will probably work)
- optional seasonings (like cinnamon)
Preparation
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and blend well.
- Place the dough onto a non-stick baking mat or piece of parchment paper, resting on top of a baking sheet. Shape the dough into a log, about 2 inches wide and 12 inches long. Smooth it out with your hands or a spoon.
- Bake the dough for 20 minutes.
- Cool for a few minutes, and then slice the dough into biscotti-style biscuits, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch in thickness.
- Bake for another 20 minutes or so. If you want these to be crunchier, turn off the heat and leave them in the oven for another 10 minutes or so.
- Cool and store in a sealed container. I store them in the refrigerator so they last longer. More than a few days, and they can go bad.
Thank you, I will try out your suggestions later today.
Can you tell me the weight in grams of your flour you used? I wanted to use brown rice flour but mine is 160g per cup and that made 400g of BR flour. This in turn made the dough to dry and crumbly so I added water which led to more flour which led to more water…
I don’t have those flour bags anymore, but I think it will depend on the flour to some degree. I would go down by 1/4 cup at least if it’s not holding together. You can always add more flour back. Another thing you can do is add another egg if it’s that dry and not holding together.
I found that the dough was way too dry and would not come together. I had to add a little more than double the amount of pumpkin to get enough moisture into the dough. Was there a liquid measure missing from the original posted recipe?
I haven’t had a problem with the dough. Yes, it is a bit dry but you can press it together. I like to keep it on the dry side so that it comes out of the oven firm and crunchy (dog biscuit texture).
My dog is allergic to eggs. Any suggestions on what to replace it with for this recipe?
You can try flaxseed or chia seed. I haven’t tried either though.
Thanks for this recipe, I really like that you can use different flours- I have 2 boxers. With food allergies so wheat is out of the question but this might work!! So excited. Your dog is beautiful.
Thank you for this post. I have been searching for a healthy treat for my 3 Labs. They are all on a home cooked diet and The only treats they get now are apples or carrots and raw peanut butter. They will love the crunchy treats.
Thanks Ruth. My dog already has had about 3 years of pet cod liver oil in his diet. The eye thing started about a month ago, so I’m not sure there is a connection.
It is so funny that you posted this. We also have Australian Shepherds, one of which seems to have an allergy to most commercial dog foods. We think it may also be wheat she is allergic to. You would know a CD dog owner would have a dog with wheat allergies! I was so excited to see this GF dog biscuit, and I am looking forward to making it for all of our dogs. Your dog is beautiful and I am sorry he is having such trouble. One of our dogs got hit with something in her eye when we had a tornado near by. Thanfully it healed up nicely after treatment, but it worried me for a while!
My 2 year old Shih Tzu only has human food. I need to eat gluten, corn and soy free, as a result, he eats that diet too! Although I read in a vet posting that my diet is the best for dogs, as well. I think that eating a diet rich in Omega 3 fats and vitamin A, the eye staining is prevented. My dogs eyes are very clear and he has no eye stain.