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Inflammation happens in dogs just like it does in humans. So, when my cousin asked if I could make anti-inflammatory treats for dogs, I obliged. However, I told him I would have to do extensive research.
First, I wanted to know why he was requesting anti-inflammatory treats for dogs. The answer…his neighbor’s dog injured his leg jumping up on a fence and it was swelling. Yes, they took him to the vet and yes, he is taking vet prescribed medicine.
However, they were in search of something they could do naturally for their dog. So, my research began to develop a recipe for anti-inflammatory treats for dogs. Consequently my hope is to help a 95-pound golden retriever named Muddy feel some relief from inflammation.
Research Behind Anti-Inflammatory Treats for Dogs
Most importantly, dog parents need to understand that inflammation is not always a bad thing. Why? It is a necessary response from a dog’s body when trying to heal from an illness or injury. To clarify, inflammation is meant to protect the body.
On the other hand, when inflammation becomes chronic, it is hard for healing to occur. As a result, dogs, just like humans, suffer in pain from chronic inflammation.
Chronic inflammation can be caused by a number of reasons. For instance, stress, pollutants, unhealed injuries, or arthritis can be a culprit. Therefore, it’s important to figure out the cause of the inflammation to help reduce it for your dog.
For example, with an injury, make sure that your dog has plenty of rest before resuming activities. Plus, major life changes can cause emotional stress. So, figure out ways to reassure your dog that everything will be okay.
You can also make sure your dog’s diet doesn’t include foods known to cause inflammation. For instance, grains like wheat and barley should be avoided. Furthermore, keep your dog away from eggplant, potatoes, soy, and corn.
However, you can include healthy foods in your dog’s diet that are known to help reduce inflammation. For example, the ingredients in anti-inflammatory treats for dogs will help reduce inflammation.
Buckwheat Flour in Anti-inflammatory Treats for Dogs
There are so many flours on the market now to experiment with when making dog treats. Furthermore, this was my first time using buckwheat flour in a dog treat recipe. It is a pseudograins flour made from roasted buckwheat.
To clarify, pseudograins aren’t seeds of grasses, but rather seeds of broadleaf plants. Buckwheat flour is a great source of dietary fiber, carbohydrates, and plant proteins.
However, it’s the rutin in buckwheat flour making it a good choice for anti-inflammatory treats for dogs. Rutin is a flavonoid used to make medicine. Furthermore, it is most commonly used for swelling in the arms or legs caused by lymph system damage.
To clarify, the rutin in buckwheat flour may reduce inflammation. Plus, it may reduce blood pressure and fight cancer. Buckwheat also boasts an impressive amount of minerals and vitamins necessary for healthy body functions.
Salmon in Anti-inflammatory Treats for Dogs
According to the AKC, salmon is safe for dogs and a great source of omega-3 fatty acids. It’s omega-3 fats that support the immune system and can lower inflammation in the body. Therefore, salmon is a great ingredient to add to anti-inflammatory treats for dogs.
Therefore, giving your dog salmon in a homemade treat can be a natural way to decrease inflammation. Plus, it can help relieve pain, and stiffness associated with arthritis. As a result, mobility will be improved.
Salmon is also a good protein source, and can keep your dog’s skin healthy and coat shiny. In addition, omega-3s are linked to improving heart and vascular function, and improving cognitive health. Furthermore, the vitamin A in salmon helps with vision and eye health.
Blueberries in Anti-inflammatory Treats for Dogs
These small juicy berries are filled with minerals and antioxidants that can help reduce inflammation. Therefore, blueberries make a great choice to add to anti-inflammatory treats for dogs.
In addition, blueberries are a great source of vitamin C, which helps keep connective tissues healthy. Plus, you can just give your dog blueberries as a snack.
Now This Is Something To Bark About!!
Turmeric in Anti-inflammatory Treats for Dogs
Although the above ingredients have health benefits, turmeric is the star of these anti-inflammatory treats for dogs. Curcumin, a substance found in turmeric, has been proven to help reduce inflammation in canines in recent studies.
“Even though turmeric hasn’t been studied extensively in pets, it still continues to benefit animals because of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It has passed many tests for inclusion in animal foods.”
Dr. RuthAnn Lobos, DVM, CCRT
The proper turmeric dosage will vary by the size of your dog. Dogs Naturally Magazine recommends ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon per day for every 10 pounds in weight.
A rough starting point could look like the following:
- 1-10 lbs.: ⅛ to ¼ tsp
- 10-20 lbs: ¼ to ½ tsp
- 20-50 lbs: ½ to 1 ¼ tsp
- 50-100 lbs: 1 ¼ to 2 ½ tsp
However, turmeric doesn’t absorb well into the body on its own. Therefore, it’s better to mix it with a healthy fat or some black pepper. You can make a “golden paste” for your dog or add turmeric to homemade dog treats.
Be sure to try our recipe for anti-inflammatory treats for dogs, but also try this “golden paste” recipe…
Ingredients:
- ½ cup organic turmeric powder
- 1 to 1 ½ cups filtered or spring water
- 1 ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup organic MCT oil or ghee
Directions:
- Mix the turmeric with water in a pan.
- Stir the liquid on low/medium heat for 7 to 10 minutes to form a thick paste. (If too thick, add more water; if too watery, add more turmeric.)
- Add the pepper and oil and stir thoroughly.
- Allow the mixture to cool and place in a jar with a lid in the refrigerator. This will keep for up to two weeks.
Let’s Make Anti-Inflammatory Treats for Dogs
In addition to the ingredients mentioned above, the olive oil and cinnamon provide anti-inflammatory benefits.
These anti-inflammatory treats for dogs are made with responsibly sourced products. With the exception of the black pepper and olive oil, everything else was purchased at my local Sprouts. So, the products are organic.
However, you can opt to make these treats with non-organic products. Your dog will still beg for more without knowing how healthy this treat is.
Furthermore, this recipe yields 36 large bone and dog shaped treats. I could probably cut four small bone shaped treats per large bone. So, maybe that gives you an idea of how many small treats this recipe can yield.
Ingredients Needed to Make Muddy’s Munchies
- wild caught Alaskan salmon (boneless, skinless, and no added salt)
- blueberries (organic)
- extra virgin olive oil
- ghee (organic)
- buckwheat flour (organic)
- turmeric (organic)
- cinnamon (organic)
- black pepper
Directions to Make Muddy’s Munchies
Firstly, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
Secondly, drain two small cans of salmon and add this to a medium bowl. Then, use a fork to break apart the chunks of salmon.
Thirdly, purée a small carton of blueberries in a blender or mash them with a fork. Then, add this to the medium bowl with the salmon.
Next, add the olive oil and ghee to the medium bowl of salmon and blueberry purée.
Then in a small bowl, mix the buckwheat flour, turmeric, cinnamon and black pepper together. Add this bowl of dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and thoroughly combine with a spoon.
After that, dust your hands with buckwheat flour and knead the mixture into a dough ball. The dough will feel a little wet and sticky, so you might add a little more flour.
However, I left the dough ball a little wet and sticky and placed it on parchment paper. Then, I added another strip of parchment paper on top of the dough ball. I rolled the dough ball flat with a rolling pin about an ⅛ to ¼ inch thick.
Next…
Dip cookie cutters of your choice in all purpose flour and cut the dough into desired shapes. I used large dog shaped and bone shaped cookie cutters for the treats I made for Muddy. I cut out some smaller bone shapes for my fur babies, Bella and Edward.
After that, place the shapes on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 15 minutes. Then, turn the shapes over and bake for another 7 minutes.
Lastly, take the shapes out of the oven and thoroughly cool on a cooling rack before storing.
You can store these treats in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Or, you can store them in the freezer for up to a month.
In Conclusion
These anti-inflammatory treats for dogs were designed for Muddy, however I’ll be using this recipe again. Both Bella and Edward are senior dogs, and arthritis is beginning to settle in.
When I shared these treats with them, they immediately wanted another one. Therefore, these treats will be an easy remedy for the stiffness and inflammation caused by arthritis.
You might want to try these other treat recipes in the Dog Chef section of our blog…
Which of these ingredients have you tried with your dog to reduce inflammation? We would love to read about your experience in the comments below.
Do you have a way to naturally boost your dog’s health? Please share with us in the comments below.
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Muddy’s Munchies
Ingredients
- 2 6-ounce cans wild caught Alaskan salmon in water (no salt added, boneless, skinless)
- 1 6-ounce carton blueberries (¼ cup purée)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp organic ghee
- 1½ cups organic buckwheat flour
- ⅛ cup organic turmeric
- 1 tsp organic cinnamon
- pinch black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Drain the two cans of salmon, and add to a medium bowl. Use a fork to break apart the chunks of salmon.
- Purée the carton of blueberries in a blender or mash them with a fork, and add to the medium bowl with salmon.
- Add the olive oil and ghee and thoroughly mix together with the salmon and blueberry purée.
- In a small bowl, mix the buckwheat flour, turmeric, cinnamon and black pepper together.
- Add the bowl of dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients, and thoroughly combine with a spoon.
- Dust your hands with buckwheat flour, and knead the mixture into a dough ball.
- Place the dough ball on parchment paper on the countertop. Place another strip of parchment paper on top of the dough ball.
- Roll the dough ball flat with a rolling pin about an ⅛ to ¼ inch thick.
- Dip cookie cutters of choice in all purpose flour, and cut the dough into desired shapes.
- Place the shapes on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 15 minutes, turn the shapes over, and bake for another 7 minutes.
- Take out of the oven, and place on a cooling rack to thoroughly cool before storing.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or the freezer for up to a month.
Notes
- The curcumin in turmeric doesn’t absorb well into the body on its own. It needs to be mixed with a healthy fat or a pinch of black pepper.
- I like to use Ceylon cinnamon in dog treats and here’s why. However, for these treats I was unable to find it, so I opted for organic cinnamon.
- You don’t have to use organic products.
