by: Susan Gast / Author, Blogger at Beesville Books, Bored Boomers, and a Food Dehydrating Fanatic!
Dog Treats by Donna ~ DIY Chicken and Liver Pet Jerky
Are you fed up with mass-market pet jerky and treats that contain ingredients you can't even pronounce?
Donna and her daughter Jenna, below, came to our rescue with these easy-to-make treats made from real liver and chicken.
Donna's daughter, Jenna, preparing chicken for their dogs' jerky treats!The best thing about this treat is that it's not imported.
It's not full of God-knows-what, it's got no preservatives, no added color, or fillers. It has ONE (as in '1') ingredient—You gotta love '1'.
First and foremost: Use a sharp knife for the slicing of the meats. A really sharp knife!
"My daughter Jenna does this for me because I have a reputation for being dangerous around myself with sharp objects!" Donna joked.
Check out this great chef's knife with a full tang that means the handle and blade "are one" so they can't come apart when we're slicin' and a dicin'.
I know these Cutluxe Chef knives may be a little expensive, but they do last pretty much a lifetime when you maintain their cutting edges.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn commission from qualifying purchases. The price you pay does not increase. Read disclosure here.
Jenna Carefully Slices The Chicken"I use boneless, skinless chicken breast.
Trim off any excess fat.
Fat leaves grease stains on your carpet," says Donna, with a wink.
"Once you have the fat trimmed off, you can give them jerky on the couch, if you want," she added with a smile.
"If we measured our affection toward others
by how many nicknames we bestow upon them,
our pets would be the most loved."
— Carrie Brownstein
"If we measured our affection
toward others by how many
nicknames we bestow upon
them, our pets would
be the most loved."
— Carrie Brownstein
Remember to slice the chicken as thin as possible. Try to get your chicken about 1/4" thick—but no worries if it ends up a bit thicker than that—it will still dry well.
"I've gotten lazy and bought chicken tenders and simply flopped 'em on the trays. They just take a little longer to dry," Donna said.
Get your hands on this eBook today.
Be prepared for lots of wagging tails
and plenty of face lickings.
Read how to make
NUTRITIOUS dog food here.
Get your hands on
this eBook today.
Be prepared for lots
of wagging tails
and plenty of face lickings.
Read how to make
NUTRITIOUS dog food here.
Spray the trays with non-stick cooking spray, then lay the slices of chicken on them - about half an inch to an inch apart.
Donna told me there is NO set time as far as drying because it depends on your brand of dehydrator, the thickness of your chicken slices, and the ambient air temperature... but figure on at least 48 hours.
REMEMBER to turn the heat UP to 160°F
never dehydrate meat on a lower setting,
that's not safe (germ-wise).
REMEMBER to turn
the heat UP to 160°F
never dehydrate meat
on a lower setting,
that's not safe
(germ-wise).
Use our Fahrenheit to Celsius converter here on our site!
Sliced Raw Chicken on a pre-sprayed tray
"Molley and Kylee love our dog treats!"
— Donna K. and Jenna
"Molley and Kylee
love our
dog treats!"
— Donna K. and Jenna
This is how you can tell if the chicken is done: Remove a piece from the tray and bend it quickly. If it snaps in half—it's done.
If it bends all the way without breaking, it's not ready, so put it back on the dehydrator and check again—every 12 to 18 hours.
Moisture causes the chicken to bend instead of breaking—this happens with any jerky making.
Excess moisture is also what causes jerky to go bad—so a good rule of thumb is: "If in doubt—put it back on the dehydrator."
When the chicken pieces break apart, it's done! It also should have a nice roasted chicken aroma. Donna also said, "In rare (very rare) cases it CAN GO BAD.
For example, there were a couple of times when I forgot to turn the machine on right away—and once when I made the jerky out in my shed in the winter—it just didn't cook fast enough. You'll know right away if it's not good," she said.
Donna added: "If you're at all like me, you check your chicken when you open it (by giving it a sniff!) and you can tell instantly if the chicken is bad.
So, if you pull out your tray(s) of dehydrated chicken and if it stinks—toss it out. Again, this is a rare occurrence and, in my case, it was always my fault. Since our pets are family, we don't want to take any chances. If in doubt, throw it out."
Dog Treats by Donna
Check out Donna's LIVER jerky dog treats HERE
Dog Treats by Donna
Check out Donna's
LIVER jerky dog treats HERE
Last, but not least, there are other meat options to use, such as beef liver. The great thing about beef liver is that you don't have to slice it! And for Donna, that's a good (safe) thing!
Read all about Donna's Liver Jerky Dog Treats.
If you don't have time to make your own treats, take a look at Dog Treats by Donna on her Etsy store and buy 'em ready-made!
Thanks for stopping by to learn all about how Donna and her daughter, Jenna, make their homemade "Dog Treats by Donna" Chicken Jerky Dog Treats.
If you want to try your hand at making 'wet' dog food, then please check out my "Make Your Own Dog Food" page and read why we started making our own dog food for our adopted dog. Our vet says her eyes are bright, her coat is sleek... but best of all? She's a happy dog who eagerly looks forward to her Chicken Chow every day and guess what? Her poop is firm, and doesn't stink. Can't beat that.
Is your dog drooling to have its photo featured showing us how much he/she enjoys your homemade doggie meals? Do you have a great recipe? Share it!
Your recipe will be posted "auto-magically" and you'll have your very own recipe and webpage featuring your dog's favorite food!
Don't forget to get your free "Six Simple Steps" eBook where I share how to dehydrate food safely!
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Hi, I'm Susan Gast and I've been making food preservation simple since 2010.
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Hi, I'm Susan Gast and I've been making food preservation simple since 2010. Let me show you how to keep your food pantry full, whatever the reason or season!
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THANKS for your support! Read full disclosure here.
easy FOOD DEHYDRATING: Making food preservation simple since 2010.
I show you how to keep your food pantry full, whatever the reason or season!
AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE: I am an Affiliate for Amazon, and other sellers of quality merchandise.
Should you purchase an item through their links, I may receive compensation. The price you pay does not increase.
THANKS for your support! Read full disclosure here.
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easy FOOD DEHYDRATING: Making food preservation simple since 2010. I show you how to keep your food pantry full, whatever the reason or season!
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