DIY Dog Treats: Peanut Butter Coconut Oil

Maddie chews and licks on her paws A LOT.  Even though we get her groomed and bathed regularly, switched to grain free food and dog treats, and even tried a natural formula allergy pill we bought at our local vitamin store, she was still chewing on her paws.  This worried Bruna when she was in town with us, so I promised I’d figure something out to help Maddie’s skin irritations.

My hubby and I are all about trying natural remedies before using medications.  While we know that there are times you need to use pills, we would prefer to use something else, especially when it’s not life-threatening like allergies.

I remembered a peanut butter coconut oil homemade dog treat recipe that my mom had sent me.  Dane and I have been using unrefined organic coconut oil for over a year to help our digestion.  I knew it had lots of benefits, but I just learned that it can help puppies with skin irritations!  So, I decided to make some of these grain free, no bake dog treats and give this natural remedy a try.

Before I give you the link to the homemade dog treat recipe I used, …

Here are a few tips I have for making the dog treats:

• Make sure you use a peanut butter that does NOT contain xylitol. Xylitol is toxic to dogs!
• Although the recipe says to use equal parts of peanut butter and unrefined coconut oil, this isn’t true. Keep reading!  You should actually use 1 teaspoon unrefined coconut oil per 10 lbs of your dog’s bodyweight.  BUT you should gradually build your dog up to that amount because too much coconut oil too quickly can cause an upset tummy.  I started Maddie with a ¼ teaspoon.
• Maddie is only 14 lbs, so I cut the recipe in half. Using the adorable pink silicone ice-tray I bought, it made 6 pawprint and 2 bone dog treats.
• Coconut oil solidifies, so you will have to melt it. It really is easiest to melt coconut oil on the stovetop and not in the microwave.

And now, click here for the homemade dog treat recipe I used from 12 Tomatoes.

After letting the dog treats freeze for a couple of hours, I removed them from the silicone tray (which was super simple) and let Maddie try one.

A couple more things I learned after making the dog treats….

• The dog treat melts quickly, so I suggest leaving them in the silicone tray in the freezer until you want to use them. Maddie ate her treat really quickly, but if your fur baby likes to savor his or her treats, I’d suggest giving these outside to avoid a peanut butter mess on your floor!
• If you don’t want to use a silicone tray, you could always put the mixture in a kong and freeze it. The result isn’t as cute, but it still works!

Maddie absolutely LOVED these peanut butter coconut oil homemade dog treats.  Now, we’ll have to see if they are just yummy or if they really do help with her itchy skin….

*Remember!  While I’m an expert dog mom, I’m NOT a veterinarian.  Consult your vet with any specific questions about your fur baby’s diet or medical conditions.

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