A surgeon at Dover, seeing a terrier in the street which had received some injury, took it home; and having cured it in a couple of days, let it go. For many weeks the grateful animal used to pay him a daily visit of a few minutes, and after a vehement wagging of his tail, scampered off again to his own home.
This is how adorable dogs can be, they are often considered lovable for a variety of reasons. For one, they are often loyal and affectionate companions that form strong bonds with their owners and because they have so much love to give, how can you not love them?
What better way to show that you love them than baking up a batch of homemade dog treats?, Dogs love cookies because of their taste and texture, they are made with ingredients that dogs find irresistible such as peanut butter and cheese. The act of chewing on a cookie can be satisfying for many dogs.
Another reason why cookies are so popular as dog treats is that they are convenient and affordable but not all cookies are safe for dogs. Many cookies can be harmful to dogs because they contain toxic ingredients such as nutmeg, and these ingredients can cause health problems for dogs, including vomiting, diarrhoea, seizures and even death.
it’s important to choose cookies that are specifically made for dogs or sort for homemade cookie recipes that are fair to their body system, also read through the label of all ingredients carefully.
Now, can dogs eat lemon cookies? It’s best you don’t feed your dog lemon cookies because all citrus fruits include citric acid and psoralen compounds (found in the skin and pith of lemons) can be harmful to dogs in large quantities.
Can Dogs Have Lemon Cookies? – Nutritional Needs Of Dogs
Whether you buy your dog food or make it yourself, your dog needs a balanced diet to stay healthy. A dog’s nutritional requirements vary depending on its age, breed, size, and activity level. We will be examining these nutrients and the recommended daily intake including their sources.
1. Protein
Protein plays an important role in ensuring a healthy, balanced, nutritional diet for dogs. It is essential for their growth and repair of tissues.
You must have probably heard of some old rumours still floating around about how giving a dog too much protein can lead to joint problems or kidney damage but modern research has proven that wrong. As a matter of fact, protein is very important for pregnant and lactating dogs.
The recommended daily intake of protein for adult dogs is around 25% of their total calorie intake. Good sources of protein include meat, fish, eggs, and dairy products.
2. Carbohydrates
Dogs are carnivores and have a very little nutritional requirement for dietary carbohydrates (starch) to thrive. They get everything they require from protein and fat. it is not considered to be an essential nutrient, except when they are pregnant or lactating.
It is commonly believed that consuming too many carbohydrates contributes to weight gain, but that can only happen If your pet is consuming more energy than they are expanding, this energy will be stored as fat, leading to weight gain.
Carbs power the tissues in your dog’s body. They also help keep your dog’s intestines healthy and the recommended daily intake of carbohydrates for adult dogs are around 50% of their total calorie intake. Good sources of carbohydrates include grains, vegetables, and fruits.
3. Fats
Fats protect internal organs, regulate body temperature, and promote a healthy nervous system. If fat levels are too low, dogs can also develop dry, itchy skin and dull coats. Dogs require certain fatty acids that their bodies cannot produce naturally.
Fat is just fat. It doesn’t contain any protein. So if there’s too much fat in your dog’s diet, your dog will be missing other important nutrients. Fats are important for the absorption of certain vitamins and minerals.
The recommended daily intake of fat for adult dogs is around 10% of their total calorie intake. Good sources of fat include meat, fish, and vegetable oils.
4. Vitamins
Vitamins are essential for a dog’s overall health and well-being. They support many critical roles in your dog’s diet and are essential for growth and health maintenance. . Vitamin D, or the “sunshine vitamin,” allows your dog’s body to balance minerals like phosphorus and calcium for healthy bone growth.
The recommended daily intake of vitamins varies depending on the type of vitamin. Good sources of vitamins include fruits, vegetables, and supplements.
5. Minerals
Minerals are important for a dog’s bone health, muscle function, and overall health. The main difference between vitamins and minerals is that minerals have an inorganic composition. Minerals are mostly found in soil and water, but they’re also present in fruits, vegetables and animals.
The recommended daily intake of minerals varies depending on the type of mineral. Good sources of minerals include meat, fish, and supplements.
6. Water
Water makes up 70 to 80 percent of a mature dog’s body mass. Without water, your dog will not be able to function correctly. The purpose of water is to help the body dissolve and transport nutrients to cells, regulate body temperature, digest foods, flush away waste and much more.
The recommended daily intake of water varies depending on the dog’s size, activity level, and environment. Dogs should have access to clean and fresh water at all times.
In addition to these essential nutrients, dogs also require a balanced diet that includes a variety of different foods. Feeding a dog a single type of food can lead to nutritional deficiencies and health problems. It is important to choose a high-quality dog food that is appropriate for the dog’s age, breed, size, and activity level.
Ingredients In Lemon Cookies
Lemon cookies are delicious and perfect for occasions, the flavour makes it even perfect and sweet. Here are the ingredients you will need to make lemon cookies, along with an explanation of each ingredient’s role in the recipe.
1. All-purpose Flour
This is the ultimate ingredient and the base of any cookie recipe. It provides structure to the dough and defines the cookie’s texture. so they don’t fall apart when you pick them up.
To ensure that they turn out right, make sure to use the spoon and level method when measuring your flour. Too much flour can make the cookies dry and crumbly
2. Baking powder
Baking powder is a mixture of baking soda and an additional acidic powder. It is used in baking as a leavening agent, and unlike baking soda, baking powder is a balanced formula with limited abilities.
Most common baking powders sold in our local markets are marked as double-acting. That means that the powder dissolves when mixed with liquid and when exposed to heat, releases carbon dioxide — a gas that makes its way into the air bubbles in our dough and wherever there is a free space and leavens in our cookies.
Baking powder reacts with the other ingredients in the recipe to create carbon dioxide gas, which causes the cookies to puff up in the oven.
3. Salt
Salt is super important in any cookie recipe. It is a flavour enhancer that helps to balance the sweetness of the cookies. It also helps to strengthen the gluten in the flour, which improves the texture of the cookies.
Salt assists in oven browning by controlling the fermentation and therefore lessening the destruction of sugar.
It also checks the development of any undesirable or excessive acidity in the dough. It thus protects against undesirable action in the dough and affects the necessary healthy fermentation required to secure a finished product of high quality.
4. Unsalted butter
Butter is typically made from cow’s milk and consists of mostly butterfats. Low-fat buttes are suspicious, at best. Butter is generally about 80% fat, with the remaining 20% consisting of water and milk solids.
When a recipe calls for unsalted butter, that means that the salt levels in the recipe account for no other salt source. If all you have is salted butter, try cutting the instructed salt amount in half.
Cookies are moist and tender. Be sure to use room-temperature butter, as cold butter will not cream properly with the sugar.
5. Granulated sugar
When it comes to lemon cookies, granulated sugar is preferable to brown sugar because it is the sugar that gives the cookies their sweetness.
The granulated sugar allows the lemon flavour to really shine through, sweetens the cookies, and helps them spread as they bake in the oven.
Be sure to cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, as this helps to incorporate air into the dough, which creates a lighter texture in the cookies.
6. Lemon zest
Lemon zest is a recipe ingredient that consists of the colourful, yellow outer layer of the fruit and is obtained by scraping or cutting with a knife. It adds a bright and zesty flavour to the cookies, and it pairs perfectly with the sweetness of the cookie dough.
7. Lemon Juice
It adds a bright, citrusy flavour to savoury and sweet dishes alike. With a low pH level, it’s one of the most acidic natural ingredients available. It also helps to activate the baking powder, which helps the cookies to rise in the oven. Be sure to use fresh lemon juice
8. Egg
Eggs play an important role in everything from cakes and cookies to meringues and pastry cream — they create structure and stability. The protein in eggs provides structure in baking, helping to create shape and support.
The fat content in eggs emulsifies the other ingredients and binds them together and also adds richness, taste, and a velvety smooth texture.
It is advisable to use room-temperature eggs, as cold eggs can cause the butter to solidify and create lumps in the dough.
Read Also: Can Dogs Eat Cinnamon? The Ultimate Guide 2023: Exploring Health Impacts, Safety Measures, And Serving Suggestions For Dogs
Lemons And Dogs – Risks
It is best to avoid giving your dog any type of human food with added sweeteners or flavourings. If you want to give your pup something special, there are canine-specific treats available that are formulated specifically for their nutritional needs and many recipes online for homemade dog treats.
Lemons (Citrus limon) are among the world’s most popular citrus fruits. They grow on lemon trees and are a hybrid of the original citron and lime. They contain large amounts of citric acid. Most people can handle citric acid content in lemons and other citrus fruits, but dogs can’t. Large amounts of citric acid can cause severe gastrointestinal discomfort and lead to other digestive problems.
Risks of feeding your dog a lemon cookie include
- – Diarrhoea
- – Vomiting
- – Nausea
- – Irritation
- – Severe bloating and gas
- – Central nervous system depression
- – Problems with skin such as itching or flakiness
- Weight gain due to the sugary content of the cookie
- Dental issues due to sticky substances in the cookie
- Toxicity from zest or essential oils found in the lemon flavourings
- Allergy reactions if certain ingredients are present such as nuts or dairy
The other items you should keep far away from your dog are lemon essential oils and lemon-scented household cleaners. While they might be made with natural ingredients, these products can still make your dog sick. Essential oils are highly concentrated – and therefore lemon essential oil can make your dog sicker than just some lemon juice.
Not only are lemons not a suitable snack for your pup, but you should also avoid sharing any other citrus fruit with your dog including grapefruits and limes as well.
Alternative Treat Options
Can dogs eat lemon?, by now you should know the answer. Since Dogs can’t eat lemon, there are other alternative treats for your dogs, they are listed below with the recipes:
1. Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup crunchy peanut butter
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Directions
- Beat butter, peanut butter, white sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth; beat in eggs.
- Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a separate bowl; stir into butter mixture until dough is just combined. Chill cookie dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Flatten each ball with a fork, making a crisscross pattern.
- Bake in the preheated oven until edges are golden, about 10 minutes. Cool on the baking sheets briefly before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
2. Dog cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups (188g) all-purpose flour (scoop and level to measure)
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (105g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (110g) packed light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup (185g) creamy peanut butter
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 18 by 13-inch baking sheets with silicone baking liners or parchment paper.
- In a medium mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until combined.
- Mix in peanut butter then blend in egg and vanilla. With mixer set on low speed slowly add in flour mixture and mix just until combined.
- Scoop dough out and shape into balls (30 grams each or nearly 2 Tbsp) then place on baking sheets spacing them 2 inches apart.
- Using a long-pronged fork flatten cookies slightly then turn the fork going the opposite direction and flatten just slightly again (it should create that crisscross pattern).
- Bake cookies in a preheated oven, one sheet at a time, for about 9 minutes (cookies will appear pale and slightly under-baked, they’ll continue to cook slightly as they cool).
- Let cool on a baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store cookies and an airtight container.
3. Oatmeal Dog Treats
These healthy homemade dog treats are almost as easy as grabbing a bag of dog treats at the store.
Step 1: In a mixing bowl, combine the rolled oats, canned pumpkin, applesauce, and mashed banana. Mix well until everything is well-combined. It should form something similar to a dough.
If the dough is too wet, add more oats. Alternatively, if it’s too dry, add more applesauce or pumpkin. The ratios here matter much less than they would in human treatment. Your dog will love them no matter what!
Step 2: Layer a light dusting of flour on a clean work surface, then roll the dough out until it’s about ¼ inch thick. Use your cookie cutter of choice to cut shapes out of the dough. This can be dog bone cookie cutters, hearts, stars, or anything you have on hand.
Once the dough is all cut out, place the treats onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. If you are using an insulated cookie sheet like I did you don’t need to line the pan.
If the dough is too wet to roll out you can add more starch or form the treats by hand and just press them out. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake the treats at 350ºF for about 30 minutes. I recommend checking them at 25, then adding time as needed. Take them out as soon as the edges are lightly golden-brown and the treats are firm to the touch.
Remove them from the oven and let the treats cool completely. I let them set up for a few minutes on a baking sheet, then I transfer them to a cooling rack to let them cool fully.
Once your dog treats are done cooling, they are ready for your pup to enjoy!
Step 3: Optionally, you can decorate the finished treats with a simple peanut butter drizzle. To make the drizzle, heat peanut butter in the microwave until melted, then stir in cornstarch and water. Drizzle the glaze over the treats, then let it cool completely.
4. Best Of Breed Dog Biscuits
Prep:15 mins
Bwke 45 mins to 1 hr
Total 5imr: hr
Yield about 42 larger (about 3 1/2″) biscuits, 60 smaller (round) biscuits
Ingredients:
- 2 cups (227g) King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour
- 1 cup (89g) rolled oats, old-fashioned or quick-cooking
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup (56g) King Arthur Baker’s Special Dry Milk or nonfat dry milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup (270g) peanut butter, crunchy or plain
- 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon (128g) cold water, enough to make a cohesive dough
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. Lightly grease a couple of baking sheets, or line them with parchment.
- Mix together the flour, oats, parsley, dried milk, and salt.
- Add the eggs and peanut butter, stirring to combine; the mixture will be crumbly.
- Add enough water to bring the dough together; depending on the season, you may need to add a bit more (winter), or a bit less (summer).
- To make biscuits using a dog-bone cutter, roll the dough about 1/4″ thick, and cut with a 3 1/2″ cutter (or the size of your choice). Gather and re-roll the scraps, and continue to cut biscuits until you’ve used all the dough.
- To make dog “cookies,” drop the dough in walnut-sized balls onto the prepared baking sheets. Flatten them to about 1/4″.
- Bake the biscuits for about 40 to 60 minutes, baking the smaller cookies for a shorter amount of time. When finished, the biscuits will be dark golden brown, and will be dry and crisp all the way through.
- Remove the biscuits from the oven, and cool right on the pans.
5. Homemade Dog Treats (Peanut Butter and Pumpkin)
Prep Time:15 mins
Cook Time:40 mins
Total Time:55 mins
Servings:25
Yield:25 treats
Ingredients
2 ½ cups whole wheat flour
2 large eggs
½ cup canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons peanut butter
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon water, or more if necessary (Optional)
Directions
1.Gather all ingredients.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3.Combine flour, eggs, pumpkin, peanut butter, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl; stir with a spatula until combined.
4. Transfer mixture to a work surface and work it with your hands until mixture starts to come together. Add 1 teaspoon of water at a time (only if needed) to help make the dough workable, but don’t add too much as it should be dry and stiff.
5. Roll the dough to a thickness of 1/2 inch.
6.Cut into 1/2-inch pieces and transfer to a baking sheet.
7. Bake in the preheated oven until dog treats are golden brown and crunchy, about 40 minutes. Let cool before serving to your dog.
6. Homemade Cinnamon Bun Dog Biscuits
Ingredients:
- 2 cups (500 mL) whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp. (5 mL) baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. (2 mL) salt
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) water or milk
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) canola oil
- 1 large egg
- 2 Tbsp. (30 mL) Honey
- 1 tsp. (5 mL) cinnamon
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) finely chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl stir together water, oil, and egg. Add to the dry ingredients and stir just until you have a soft dough.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll or pat the dough into a rectangle that measures roughly 8×14-inch. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with cinnamon and nuts, if using. Starting from a long edge, roll up jelly-roll style and pinch the edge to seal. Using a sharp serrated knife or (even better) dental floss, slice half an inch thick and place slices cut side down on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, until springy to the touch. Wait until they have cooled completely before you spread them with cream cheese.
- Makes about 2 dozen biscuits. Store extra in a tightly covered container and freeze. If they are frosted, store the container in the fridge.
Conclusion
In conclusion, some dog parents may still want lemon for their dogs but it’s important to know that it might cause a long term damage to it’s fine, bear in mind that dogs have different digestive systems from humans which make it impossible for them to process certain foods like humans.
It’s best to focus on safe foods for dogs, Especially the homemade recipe. Consult your Veterinarians or better still, study your dog’s diet and nutrition yourself. It can help them live longer.
We hope at this point you can now answer questions like “Can dogs eat Lemon “?
More Like This:
