What You May Not Know about Greenie Treats

I was chatting with several dog owners recently about what they feed their dogs after the pet food scare from a year ago, and someone mentioned Greenies. These popular treats are still on the store shelves, but veternarians have raised some alarming concerns about feeding these treats to dogs. Though they are labeled as "fully digestible", that may not be the case, and a number of pet owners believe the treats were responsible for their pet's death. If you feed your dogs Greenies, you may want to check out this story on CNN, "Dog Treats Killed Our Pets".

Simple Simon's Birthday Bones

These easy-to-make pet treats are a favorite of my crew and make a great present for the pet birthday party or a unique hostess gift for the animal lover.

To make these tasty treats, you will need:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 cup natural peanut butter*
• 1 cup skim milk

*Note: Most brands of natural peanut butter do not contain sugar, which is an ingredient that is not recommended for canine diets.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, combine flour and baking powder. in another bowl, mix peanut butter and milk. Add wet mixture to dry and mix well.

Turn out dough on a lightly floured surface and knead. Roll out to a 1/4-inch thick and cut in shapes.

Place on a greased baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until lightly brown. Cool on a rack and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Makes 24-30 treats.

From: Three Dog Bakery Cookbook, 2001.