Turmeric Recipes for your Dog

My dog, Scooter, is a Turmeric Dog - that is, I use turmeric every day in his diet to minimize his skin complaints. Since becoming a convert to using turmeric in my dog’s diet I have learned that my dog benefits in many other ways from this natural ingredient. I have also learned that some people have issues feeding turmeric to their dog (ease of adding turmeric, fussy eaters etc). Here are some suggestions:

To add Turmeric into a dog’s diet (so your dog successfully absorbs it) you need 3 main ingredients:

1. Turmeric
2. Cracked Black Pepper (freshly ground is best)
3. Oil – either Cold Pressed (Olive Oil) or Coconut Oil

The Simple Method

Just make up a daily mix to add fresh over the top of your dog’s dinner (takes me 2-5 minutes). Add:

• 1 teaspoon of Turmeric powder
• 1 dash of Cracked Pepper
• 1 tablespoon of Olive or Coconut Oil
• 1/2 cup boiled hot water and stir thoroughly

Let the mixture sit for a minute or two and then add to your dog’s food. Some dogs may turn up their noses at this mix being added to their diet (Scooter wolfs his down). If this is the case you can either start off with small amounts of turmeric or you can try the next alternative.

The Crunchy (Gluten-free) Treat Method (recipe from a fellow Facebook Turmeric User Group (TUG) member)

• 2 eggs
• Turmeric, coconut oil, and ground pepper (amounts that suit your dog)
• 1/2 cup cooked rice (brown is good)
• 1/2 cup cooked mashed pumpkin
• 1 cup of Gluten free self raising flour (plus some extra for the rolling board)

• Cook the rice and pumpkin then cool (don’t overcook – better to be a little firm)
• Mix eggs, pumpkin and rice, and add Turmeric, oil and pepper
• Add flour, little at a time and mix to a stiff dry dough (If you increase the wet ingredients then you just keep increasing the dry gluten flour until you have a stiff dough. Make sure it’s a dry (ish) stiff dough so when cooked the biscuits are dry and hard. But don’t stress too much as the dogs will still eat them!)
• Roll out on a floured board to an even thickness
• Cut out shapes and put on an oiled tray (you can add a bit more oil on top of each biscuit. Coconut oil gives a lovely golden finish and smells great)
• Use the left over’s on another tray and just crumble (with the rice added it’s hard to re-roll)
• Cook in a hot oven at about 450 degrees fahrenheit, the time will depend on how thick they are. For me it only takes 10 minutes and then I turn the oven off and let them sit for another 5 minutes.

DO NOT BURN THEM

If you live in a humid climate keep them in a freezer and take them out as you need them.

 Other Methods: I have seen Turmeric added as an ingredient to other dog treats. Here is a recipe for Chicken and Turmeric Slice. Are you keen to use Turmeric in your dog’s diet? Or is your dog already a turmeric dog? Do you have any other recommendations for getting a dog to eat turmeric daily?

About the Author: Kate Richards promotes an active, healthy lifestyle for dogs and dog lovers. Kate discovered biking with her dog, Scooter, 3 years ago and enjoys sharing their adventures together. Scooter inspires her to get out and about, enjoy others, and ultimately lead a happier and better life.  This article was first posted on On February 7, 2014 on FitDog101.