Want to keep your pup’s breath fresh and clean? These DIY breath-freshening natural dog treats are an easy way to make your four-pawed friend feel special while sneaking in some health benefits. They’re similar to the famous Greenies® brand dental chews but with a homemade, natural spin.

This DIY dog treat recipe includes liquid chlorophyll, detoxifying activated charcoal, organic brown rice flour, organic coconut oil, plus natural ingredients you may already have in your pantry. You'll find  brown rice flour  in a lot of pet treat and pet food recipes. Many dogs are sensitive to wheat/wheat gluten and brown rice flour is easier for them to digest. 

The star ingredients in this recipe are the activated charcoal and chlorophyll. Here’s why:

Activated Charcoal

Activated charcoal  is carbon that has been treated with oxygen and is able to absorb a wide range of impurities. It has many uses and you can learn more about the benefits of activated charcoal (plus an activated charcoal face mask recipe) in the post What is Activated Charcoal?

It takes about 15 capsules of Swanson’s Activated Charcoal to get a tablespoon. Be prepared while opening them—it can get a little messy.

Liquid Chlorophyll

Chlorophyll is a green pigment plants use to harness energy from the sun. For us humans, it’s typically used to support the body’s ability to eliminate toxins. It makes a great addition to smoothies for that reason.

As for our fur-babies, chlorophyll helps freshen doggy breath both by eliminating odors in the mouth and by promoting a healthy digestive tract—poor digestion being a primary reason for bad breath.

Ready to get started? Check out the recipe and video below!

DIY Dog Treats Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Makes: 30-60 treats, depending on the size of your cookie cutter

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups organic brown rice flour
• 1 tablespoon of  Swanson Premium Activated Charcoal (15 opened capsules)
• 4 tablespoons organic coconut oil (melted) or vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup packed fresh mint
• 1/2 cup packed fresh parsley
• 1 cup low sodium chicken broth or water
• 2 teaspoons Swanson GreenFoods Liquid Chlorophyll

How to Make It:

1. Preheat oven to 400º F
2. Line baking sheet with parchment or use a baking mat.
3. Combine activated charcoal with flour and set aside.
4. Put the parsley, mint, oil and ¼ cup of the chicken broth or water into a blender or food processor until well blended. If you use chicken broth, make sure it’s low sodium.
5. Add the herb blend to the flour/charcoal and mix well.
6. Beat an egg lightly and mix in.
7. Mix and knead, adding remainder of water or chicken broth until you have a very sticky (yet grainy) dough ball. It feels a little bit like making mud-pies as a kid! Knead dough until an even in color and well combined. The dough will have a green tint but will be dark in color.
8. Dust a flat surface or board with more rice flour—makes your life easier and gives the treats extra crunch.
9. Roll out to between ¼ to ½ inch thick, depending on your preference, adding flour as needed. Cut out with your favorite shapes.
10. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Which is an  eternity  when you're a dog!

Cool completely before treating, and store in an air-tight container in the fridge. Limit dental treats to 1-2 treats per day, just 1 if your treats are larger. My cutter is about 2 inches long and ½ inch wide.

Healthy Recipe Hacks

At Swanson, we’re big fans of making our favorite treats healthier—human treats too! So, when you’re finished treating your pup, treat yourself to these Healthy Baked Donut Recipe Hacks or Healthy Taco Recipe Hacks. Also, check out these 18 Food Replacement Hacks that Make Healthy Eating Easy.

For more pet-loving goodness, read Pet Health Tips: 7 Tips to Help Keep Your Pet Healthy. And be sure to sign up for Swanson Health emails to get exclusive discounts and more great content from our nutritional experts delivered to your inbox.