Sweet Potato Dog Chews (Dehydrator and Oven)
Although it may surprise you, dehydrated sweet potato dog treats are a delicious and nutritious treat for your beloved dog. Sweet potatoes have many health benefits for your dog, and dehydrating them into a chew is easy and fun.
You can add this recipe to your repertoire if you love spoiling your pup with homemade dog treats and snacks.
Can Dogs Eat Sweet Potatoes?
Yes! Sweet potatoes are a completely safe snack for pups and have a lot of health benefits to offer your dog.
However, store-bought sweet potato treats may have additives, such as extra fat that may harm your dog. It’s best to make dog chews at home to ensure your dog gets the maximum benefits from their treat without excess junk.
Benefits of Sweet Potatoes for Dogs
Sweet potatoes have a few benefits that make them the perfect treat to give your dog, whether they’re a young puppy or an aging friend. Check out these benefits, so you can feel good about giving your dog these sweet potato chews.
Enhances Vision
The antioxidant compound called beta-carotene is the same compound found in carrots. It can enhance and maintain your dog’s vision, which is essential as they age. Increasing this antioxidant is recommended for dog breeds likely to develop eye problems later in life.
Improves Digestion
Sweet potatoes are a great source of fiber for dogs, especially if they have trouble going potty. Many people give their constipated dogs sweet potatoes or similar vegetables to help get things moving! But even if they aren’t having issues, extra fiber can help their digestive tract function.
Reduces Risk of Cancer
Because sweet potatoes have so many antioxidants, they help fight free radicals, which cause cancer. In addition to cancer, free radicals can lead to other chronic diseases, so antioxidants are an irreplaceable part of your dog’s diet.
High in Potassium
Potassium is essential but challenging to incorporate into your dog’s diet. But sweet potatoes are high in potassium, which regulates and balances fluids in the body. Plus, it can lower blood pressure!
Source of Minerals
In addition to potassium, sweet potatoes have other minerals that can help your dog’s body function better and stay balanced. Sweet potatoes contain healthy minerals like manganese, magnesium, calcium, iron, and zinc without being high in sodium.
Low-Fat Content
It’s always fun giving you dog treats and watching them get excited. But those treats can be high in fat and calories. These sweet potato chews are an excellent and healthy alternative to fattening treats and snacks.
Yummy Taste
Of course, you want to give your dog treats they’ll enjoy! Most dogs love the sweet but savory flavor of sweet potatoes, and the texture of cooked potatoes is fun for them to snack on! Unsurprisingly, most dogs don’t love lettuce, but you can still give them a healthy treat.
Ingredients Needed
Gather the following ingredients for this recipe:
- Sweet potato
That’s it! All you need to make sweet potato dog chews is a sweet potato. You can grab four or five potatoes if you want to make a large batch of chews but start with one if you aren’t sure if your dog likes sweet potatoes.
Optional Ingredients
- Cinnamon
- Ginger
- Salt
If you want to make these with a little extra flavor, you can add a small amount of one of these optional ingredients, but just choose one!
Cinnamon, ginger, and salt are acceptable for dogs to eat in small quantities, but using all three may harm your dog. Not to mention, the combination may be too much flavor for your dog! So sprinkle a tiny amount over the raw, sliced sweet potatoes before baking or dehydrating them.
It’s best not to add any of these seasonings or spices the first time you make these for your dog. They may love sweet potato taste all by itself, and there’s no reason to add extra ingredients.
Sweet Potato Dog Chews Recipe: Oven
Below are the instructions for making sweet potato chews for dogs using a standard kitchen oven.
- Preheat your oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Wash the potatoes with a scrubber and warm water.
- Peel the skin off the potatoes (optional).
- Using a knife or mandoline, slice the potatoes. Make them as thick or thin as you want, but a centimeter thick is perfect for many dogs.
- Line baking sheets with a silicone mat or parchment paper (baking paper).
- Once the oven preheats, place the baking sheets in it and start a timer for two hours.
- Check the potatoes every 20-30 minutes to ensure they don’t burn. You can cook them for two to three hours for the best texture.
- Halfway through (about an hour), pull the potatoes out and flip them over.
- Once they’ve reached your desired crispiness, pull them out and let them cool completely, which should take about an hour.
- Store them or give your pup one!
Sweet Potato Dog Chews Recipe: Dehydrator
Follow the steps below to make sweet potato chews for dogs in a dehydrator.
- Wash the potatoes gently.
- Peel the skin off the potatoes (optional).
- Slice them to desired thickness, around half a centimeter thick.
- Place the slices evenly on the dehydrator racks. Make sure they don’t touch each other.
- Set your dehydrator to 135 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Allow the sweet potato slices to dry for six or seven hours, depending on how soft or crunchy you want.
- Store the chews or give your dog one right away!
Tips for Making Sweet Potato Dog Chews
Here are some things to consider when making dehydrated sweet potato dog chews.
Peel the Potatoes
This tip is optional. There’s some debate about whether sweet potato skins are okay for dogs, so if you want to err on the side of caution, peel them before slicing.
Use a Mandoline
You can slice sweet potatoes with a chef knife, but this takes more effort, precision, and time. If you have a mandoline, definitely use it!
How to Cut the Potato?
You can slice the potatoes width-wise or length-wise. Width-wise will give you a smaller, rounder chew, like chips. Cut them length-wise for bigger, longer chews, like pieces of jerky.
Monitor While In the Oven
Not everyone will cut sweet potatoes to the same thickness, and not everyone wants them cooked the same way. Check on the potatoes every 20 minutes or so the first time you make them and see how quickly they’re cooking.
Accommodate Your Dog
Ask your dog how they like them! They can’t answer you, but you can give them crispier and softer options and see which one they like better. And if you have a smaller dog or young puppy, you can cut the slices in half to make it easier for them to chew.
Storing Sweet Potato Chews for Dogs
Storing these dehydrated sweet potato dog treats is easy. Put them in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge where they can last for several weeks. If you make a large batch, you can freeze half of it for later.
Giving Your Dog Sweet Potato Chews
The exact calorie content of a dehydrated sweet potato dog treat will depend on how thick you cut them and if you add seasoning. But each chew is roughly 15 calories per treat.
For smaller dogs (under forty pounds), you should only give them one or two a day. Give larger dogs two to four treats per day, which should be an appropriate percentage of their daily calorie intake. If unsure, go with less, as you don’t want to overfeed them.
FAQs
If you have more questions about giving your dog potatoes or similar vegetables, read the commonly asked questions and answers below.
Can dogs eat raw sweet potatoes?
No, do not give your dog raw sweet potato. It’s hard to chew, can cause digestional problems, and even result in an intestinal blockage if they swallow too big of a piece their stomach can’t digest.
Can dogs have regular potatoes?
Dogs can have regular cooked potatoes. But they don’t have the health benefits like the minerals and antioxidants found in sweet potatoes. Plus, they have a blander taste to your dog, so it’s best to use sweet potatoes if you have them.
Can dogs have yams?
Yes! Dogs can have yams, which offer similar benefits to sweet potatoes, such as beta-carotene, minerals, and vitamins. If you can’t find sweet potatoes, yams are the next best choice, and you can use the same recipes as above.
Final Woof
Why not treat your dog to these dehydrated sweet potato dog treats? They’re healthy, yummy, and easy to make! There is risk in raw potatoes (but the same could be said for satin balls or dehydrating chicken)
Try out this recipe, and you may discover that sweet potato is your dog’s new favorite food!
