Sweet Potato Dog Treats

Storing sweet potato dog treats in mason jar

Sweet potatoes sliced and either dehydrated in a dehydrator or in the oven can be a good chew treat for your dog.  These treat are easy to make, inexpensive and a healthy alternative to rawhide or dried pig parts.

Sweet potatoes are actually not a potato but they are roots or tubers.  In their raw form they can be very tough to cut so be very careful when you do this recipe.  A sharp knife is required so be careful of cutting on weird angles.

• Wash the sweet potato thoroughly and either slice into 1/4 inch slices (length or cross) or cut into 1/4 sticks for smaller breeds.
• Layer into a dehydrator
• Set on 155 degrees
• Dehydrate for 6 hours for a chewy consistency
• Dehydrate for 8 to 11 hours for a dryer, crunchy consistency

If you are drying in the oven.

• Set the oven on 250 and dry for 4 hours then cut the oven off and let them cool in the oven for a crispy texture or take them out soon to maintain a softer flexible texture.

The dryer the longer the shelf life of these treats.

My dogs, which eat rocks, small trees, etc., were a little reluctant however after tasting them they seemed to like them very much.

I stored the treats in quart or sandwich size storage bags.  Closed they absorbed some moisture and got pliant again.  The treats came out well.  A little chewy seemed to be the preferred texture. A second batch was stored in a mason jar in a cool, dark area.  This was the best way to store.

I made a second batch with the fries, for smaller dog friends, and slicing thinner cross the potato so they would be chips.  The cross cuts were the best.  They were easy to cut the and produced good treats for medium to large dogs.