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.

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'.

Easier to Slice Raw Meat with a Good Sharp Knife!

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.

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Use Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast

"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.

Slice Chicken into 1/4" Thick Slices

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.

Spray Your Trays, Lay Down the Chicken Slices

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.

Use our Fahrenheit to Celsius converter here on our site!

Molley and Kylee Awaiting their Dog Treats by Donna!

How to Tell when the Chicken is "Done"

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."

Check for a Nice Roasted Chicken Smell

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."

Change it Up - Use Beef Liver!

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.

Don't forget to get your free "Six Simple Steps" eBook where I share how to dehydrate food safely!