In a pinch for time, but want to give your pooch a healthy dog treat? Check out this snack that takes about a minute to throw together!

The Quickest Dog Treat Ever (& Healthy Too)

Today is a special day for my family: It’s Pippa’s 1st birthday! Isn’t it crazy how fast time flies? To celebrate the occasion, I wanted to make her a yummy fish-based dog treat (fish is her absolute favorite).

My only problem? It’s a weekday and I have a big pile of work waiting for me. So, my time is limited today. Rather than just tossing her one of the many biscuits stored in my refrigerator, I busted open a can of wild-caught salmon in water, mixed it with some shredded cheese, and pressed my mixture into a medium-size bone-shaped cookie cutter.

The result?

A party-hat wearing Pippa — along with my other pups — are in heaven! They gobbled their serving down in less than a minute.

Ingredient Ideas

The Base – Use a can of drained, wild caught salmon in water as your base.

Mix-Ins – I used shredded mozzarella cheese for Pippa’s birthday treat because that’s what I had in my refrigerator. But some other fun ideas include:

  • Shredded carrots
  • Shredded zucchini
  • Chopped spinach
  • Finely chopped broccoli bits
  • Diced strawberries
  • Smashed blueberries
  • Cooked, mashed, cooled, and skinless sweet potato

Other Health Enhancers – If you would like to give these an extra health kick, you can mix some dog-approved spices, herbs, or ground seeds. Try the following:

  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric with a pinch of ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground chia seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground flaxseeds

Directions

  1. Drain a can of salmon.
  2. In a small mixing bowl, add other ingredients of choice. Mix until thoroughly combined.
  3. Place a medium or large-size cookie cutter on a plate.
  4. Spoon mixture into the cookie cutter, creating an even layer about 1/4″ thick. Remember: This is just a treat, not an entire meal! So you don’t want to over-do it on the portion size!
  5. Using your fingers, press to compact your mixture into the cookie cutter. 
  6. Continue to press down on your shaped fish mixture as you carefully lift the cookie cutter. 
  7. Serve!