Dog Cake Idea:

Check out this link to learn the step by step process of making this cute Dog cake.

Fighting Dog Obesity:

Most dogs are much smaller than humans; therefore, extra pounds play a bigger toll on their body and joints.  Maintaining your dog’s weight can help them avoid medical conditions such as Diabetes & and therefore live longer.   View this link to see if how your dog scores in terms of weight.

Here are some ideas to help your dog lose weight and/or stay healthy:

·         Govern calories by cutting back on the regular dog food and adding healthy items like green beans, canned pumpkin, apples, bananas, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cooked rice, non-fat plain yogurt or non-fat cottage cheese.

·         Exercise together.  You can make exercising fun by play games, walking your dog through obstacles, practicing obedience/tricks while on your walk.  Your dog will love the attention and praise.  

·         Help your dog to eat slower by putting food inside of a toy or smearing food in the bowl so that it’s harder to eat.

·         Feed your dog smaller amounts 2+ times a day.  This may help increase metabolism.

·         When your dog begs, give him/her attention rather than food.

·         Make sure your dog drinks plenty of water.

·         Feed your dog items that are high in fiber & protein and in low fat & calories.

View http://www.petobesityprevention.com/ for more information on pet obesity.  They have many tools and lots of information to help your dog maintain a healthy weight.

Wheat Flour Alternatives:

Why does the type of flour matter when baking a certain recipe?  It’s because there are different amounts of gluten-forming proteins in each type of flour make it more suitable for specific uses by contributing to texture, density, moisture, ability to rise, etc. 

All-purpose flour is one of the most commonly used flours and it is made from hard and soft wheat.  Corn, wheat & soy can be harder for some dogs to digest.  Furthermore, many flours contain gluten which some dog's digestive systems do not tolerate well.  So although your dogs can eat products with these types of flour, it’s recommended to use healthy alternatives.

You can buy white or brown rice flour at a health food store like Whole Foods. White rice flour is great for baking because it doesn’t have a strong flavor. Brown rice flour has bran which adds additional nutrients and fiber to food. These flours should be substituted ¼ cup for every 1 cup of wheat flour your recipe calls for. 

Other gluten free & easily digestible flours include: Potato starch flour (great thickening agent), Amaranth flour (sweet, spicy & nutty flavor), Oat bran (great source for soluble fiber), & Teff flour (sweet flavor with a good source of calcium, protein and iron).  There are also gluten-free flour mixtures available at your local health food store.  These are usually equivalent substitutes, cup for cup.

You may also want to add a gluten substitute like “pre-gel” starch when you use gluten free flour.  Use 1 tsp for every cup of gluten-free flour or mix.  This will help your baked goods from crumbling or falling apart.

For more information, read this article on alternative flours.

Safe & Healthy Ingredients for Dog Baking:

The below items are great ingredients for dog baked goods.  Check out this article to learn why some of these ingredients are healthy for your dog! 

• Nuts: Peanuts, Walnuts, Flaxseed, Sunflower Seeds
• Fruits: Apples, Bananas, Blueberries, Cranberries
• Vegetables: Pumpkin, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Spinach, Green Beans
• Meats (not raw): Liver, Chicken, Beef, Bacon & Lamb
• Flours: Bran, Rice Flour, Oatmeal, Barley flour, Beet Pulp  note: wheat, soy & corn are generally harder for dogs to digest and are more likely to cause allergic reaction.
• Spices: Parsley, Tumeric
• Other: Peanut Butter, Eggs (not raw), Carob, Baking Soda, Baking Powder, Gelatin

The below items are edible for dogs, but should only be used in moderation.

• Dairy: Yogurt, Cheese, milk
Fats: Canola Oil, Shortening, Butter, Peanut Oil
Sweetners: Molasses, Honey, sugar