29/08/2026
Sunday snacks for dogs! Homemade!
These are particularly handy for training, enrichment toys or hiding medications.
🐾 Chicken & Pumpkin Protein Balls
Ingredients
* 500 g lean chicken mince
* 1 egg
* ½ cup cooked, mashed pumpkin
* ½ cup rolled oats, finely ground
* 2 tbsp natural xylitol-free peanut butter
* 1 tbsp chia seeds — optional
Method
1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
3. Roll into small balls — around 1–2 cm is plenty for most dogs.
4. Place on a lined baking tray.
5. Bake for approximately 15–20 minutes, or until completely cooked through.
6. Allow to cool before serving.
🥩 Beef version
Swap the chicken mince for lean beef or turkey mince. You can also replace the pumpkin with cooked sweet potato.
❄️ No-bake option
For something even easier, combine:
* 1 cup cooked, shredded chicken
* ½ cup mashed pumpkin
* ½ cup finely ground oats
* 2 tbsp xylitol-free peanut butter
Roll into small balls and refrigerate. Because these contain cooked meat and no preservatives, keep refrigerated and use within 2–3 days, or freeze individual portions.
Tip: Make them quite small. They’re calorie-dense treats, so a marble-sized ball is usually enough, particularly for training.
Avoid xylitol/birch sugar, chocolate, raisins/grapes, macadamias, onion, garlic and excessive salt.
