# Dehydrating dog treats in microwave?



## IncaThePup (May 30, 2011)

I've been reading about dehydrating things like liver and sweet potato to make into healthy dog treats.

The only thing putting me off is having oven on for 8 hours. I've seen dehydraters mentioned they also need to be on a long time. 

Is it possible to use the microwave? I'm just thinking how fast things like potato shrivel up when you leave them too long when cooking your baked potato's? 

surely a microwave would do it quicker if just left the potato in another 5-10 mins or something? 

I tried Inca on sweet potato treats before but the commercial ones tend to be rock hard and crunchy. if I made my own I can take some out earlier for Inca so still soft and leave them in a bit longer for JJ if he preferred them more chewy/crunchy.

Anyone got any ideas about how long I'd need to put stuff in to dehydrate such as liver, sweet potato? ..any others quick and easy? 

Can i do it with fish with skin on..would i need to cook the fish first like in a pan before dehydrating or would the process cook it? would I remove the skin before starting the process to make fish skins like those sold in pet shops? 

Thanks


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## SLB (Apr 25, 2011)

Microwaves cook food. They use micro - waves of heat to cook food from the middle out. Whereas if you have an oven that can heat as little as possible you can use that. 

Dehydrating uses the flow of warm air to dry out food.


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## SueBoo (Apr 24, 2012)

Also dehydrating with the machines you can by for home costs very little. some thing like 2/3p an hour to run. So I wouldn't worry about costs runningone, just the initial cost of buying one.


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## IncaThePup (May 30, 2011)

I'm sure someone told me you can put liver in microwave to dry it out and make sweet potato crisps in there.


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## SueBoo (Apr 24, 2012)

Yeah you might get that effect but the whole point of dehydration is that the warm air used don't usually exceed 60-70 C, so it preserves the nutritional content of the food far better than you could from cooking with harsh temperatures.


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## Wiz201 (Jun 13, 2012)

I'd rather use the oven for that effect. Microwaves actually do the opposite as I've warmed up slightly dried out rice before and it actually brought it back to life so to speak with a bit of sauce.


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## SueBoo (Apr 24, 2012)

Wiz201 said:


> I'd rather use the oven for that effect. Microwaves actually do the opposite as I've warmed up slightly dried out rice before and it actually brought it back to life so to speak with a bit of sauce.


I have done this before with decent results. It is much more effort than a dehydration machine but can be done.

I find it works best if you have the oven door open slightly, if you have one, put a fan next to it to keep the warm air moving. With the oven on a reasonably low temperature the food does dry out but a lot quicker than with a dehydrator so keep an eye on it! 

It's worth doing before buying a machine to make sure your dog will eat dehydrated treats although there is little chance any dog wouldn't love them.


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## essex spaniels (Jul 14, 2011)

I bought a dehydrator about 4 yrs ago & use it an awful lot 

I make my own dog treats/biscuits usually baking the biscuits in the oven them putting them in the dehydrator overnight on low, it really dries them out so they are very crispy, it also means that they store for a long time, I make a batch up every couple of months,

I also dry herbs, chillis etc from the garden when we have the summer glut

Sliced meat for jerky for the dogs & us!

They aren't that expensive & must of saved me a fortune!


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## paddyjulie (May 9, 2009)

I have chopped up hotdogs and zapped them in the microwave until they go all hard...they are great for training


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## IncaThePup (May 30, 2011)

essex spaniels said:


> I bought a dehydrator about 4 yrs ago & use it an awful lot
> 
> I make my own dog treats/biscuits usually baking the biscuits in the oven them putting them in the dehydrator overnight on low, it really dries them out so they are very crispy, it also means that they store for a long time, I make a batch up every couple of months,
> 
> ...


Doesn't it make the house stink if you're drying things out overnight in this or in oven? especially if oven door open? my puppy sleeps in the kitchen.


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## pogo (Jul 25, 2011)

IncaThePup said:


> Doesn't it make the house stink if you're drying things out overnight in this or in oven? especially if oven door open? my puppy sleeps in the kitchen.


i have a dehydrator and most things dry with no smell what so ever, or a few things have a slight smell but certainly not over powering


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## IncaThePup (May 30, 2011)

not keen on oven been on all night and door open to circulate air better when I have puppy in there all night with it. He'll try and get to the food in the oven. 

How much are the dehydrators and can you get smaller/cheap ones for small quantities. I'm assuming its electric and look something similar to a steamer? (so could be plugged in a room that's not used like office/spare room)


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## essex spaniels (Jul 14, 2011)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/KITCHENST...=UK_HGKitchen_SmallApp_RL&hash=item27cd3827a2

this is similar to mine

I put mine on top of my sewing cabinet in the spare room when using


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## IncaThePup (May 30, 2011)

Thanks.. is there a fast model or do they all take all night to work no matter how much they cost?


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## pogo (Jul 25, 2011)

essex spaniels said:


> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/KITCHENST...=UK_HGKitchen_SmallApp_RL&hash=item27cd3827a2
> 
> this is similar to mine
> 
> I put mine on top of my sewing cabinet in the spare room when using


mine is the same design just different make, i seem to be using it constantly at the minute! it's really low power usage aswell


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## pogo (Jul 25, 2011)

IncaThePup said:


> Thanks.. is there a fast model or do they all take all night to work no matter how much they cost?


no the idea is to dry them at low temps over a long time, you aren't cooking them so no they will all take about the same time


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## IncaThePup (May 30, 2011)

ok I was just thinking if only had few things to go in it might work quicker if few in and they were near bottom or top or middle? 

or would you do it in bulk? example if I did it night my food shop arrived so put both packs of liver in, some sweet potato, carrots, apple, banana .. once done they would keep without having to fit them in freezer? and would they all take same amount of time? 

I was reading someone's blog they mentioned rehydrating some veg to go in a stew after they had been dehydrated to save space and stop them going off...would the same machine do this?


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## pogo (Jul 25, 2011)

IncaThePup said:


> ok I was just thinking if only had few things to go in it might work quicker if few in and they were near bottom or top or middle?
> 
> or would you do it in bulk? example if I did it night my food shop arrived so put both packs of liver in, some sweet potato, carrots, apple, banana .. once done they would keep without having to fit them in freezer? and would they all take same amount of time?
> 
> I was reading someone's blog they mentioned rehydrating some veg to go in a stew after they had been dehydrated to save space and stop them going off...would the same machine do this?


these dehyrators are meant to dry everything in it evenly, but those at the bottom do dry a little quicker but it's still not quick it will still take many hours, which is why it's best just to leave it over night

no this machine will not rehydrate things

no things take all different amount of times to be properly dried.

I do things in bulk, but some thing keep alot longer then others, i dry the liver and heart until completely crispy and so they keep for ages but if you did veg and left them a bit chewy and so not dried all the way through then no they won't keep very long


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## IncaThePup (May 30, 2011)

so if I was doing liver and some vegs and fruits. If put the ones that take the longest at the bottom and ones that take least time at top would they be finished at roughly the same time by next morning? I'm guessing meat and sweet potato would take longer than fruit & veg?

Or would i have to keep getting up in early hours to take some things out? 

Thanks


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## pogo (Jul 25, 2011)

IncaThePup said:


> so if I was doing liver and some vegs and fruits. If put the ones that take the longest at the bottom and ones that take least time at top would they be finished at roughly the same time by next morning? I'm guessing meat and sweet potato would take longer than fruit & veg?
> 
> Or would i have to keep getting up in early hours to take some things out?
> 
> Thanks


no they wouldn't be done at the same time necessarily there is not that much differnce in the top and bottom trays, barley anything TBH

yes meat and SP would take longer, TBH i just leave them in there and check on them every now and again, but it doesn't matter if you over do them, they aren't going to burn they just go extra crispy and if there for the dogs it doesn't matter


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## essex spaniels (Jul 14, 2011)

lots of info on youtube

How to dehydrate and store food PART 1 - YouTube


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