# Lauri, what's with the oatmeal? Can I sub it for flour?



## Contrary (Jun 12, 2013)

Noticed Lauri said something about feeding oatmeal sometimes (might have been a really old post and out of date, I can't seem to find it right now!).

I used to make liver "brownies" for my GSD, he went bonkers for them. I'm not too keen on dehydrating liver for training treats, but those brownies I made were perfect, because I cut them into tiny pieces. The recipe was similar to the one below.

What I'm wondering, can I sub oatmeal for the flour? 1. Will it work, or should I grind the oatmeal into a flour? 2. Are there any health benefits to oats? 3. (If you don't RF, please keep your opinion to yourself about this question, I'm not interested in a debate.) If the oats won't work, is the amount of flour in this recipe going to "harm" my puppy?

The recipe (http://riversedgedogtraining.com/2011/11/27/liver-treats-recipe/):

20 ounce container of chicken liver
2 large eggs
flour – about 1 1/2 to 2 cups
Bake at 300° for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the edges pull away from the pan a bit and the center is no longer red. Cooking time is also not exact, and will vary depending on the size of your pan, your oven and other technical bits.


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## Mrs.P (Nov 19, 2012)

Enzo is raw fed and I've made treats using oats, hot water, canned pumpkin, honey, cinnamon, applesauce and a couple of eggs.(I don't measure) I used them as crate treats and shoved them in his kong. I haven't made them in a while but they always come out well -no complaints


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

I would try the oat flour though you might have to do some research to see if anything else needs to be added (like baking powder so things rise).


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

I don't feed raw, but I've used oatmeal to replace part of the flour when making cookies (yum!), and I just toss it in the food processor with the other dry ingredients and mix them together for a few seconds. It doesn't actually grind the oatmeal, but it will be more of a flour-like consistency. If you're not sure your recipe will work with whole oats, you might try whirling it in a food processor or blender before using it.


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## Contrary (Jun 12, 2013)

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. I did some Googl'ing to see if I needed to add anything else, and most sites mentioned that the oat "flour" will soak up more moisture and produce a drier finished product, so I whirled one cup of old fashioned oats in my food processor until they were mostly "flour", and I'm pretty pleased with the outcome. (I have not peeled the foil off yet, but I'm pretty sure I will need to use a lot more oil on the next batch LOL)

So my recipe was:
1c oats (whirled in the processor)
20oz liver
2 eggs

Bake at 300 for XX minutes.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

i thought dogs don't need grains (oat meal)?


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## Mrs.P (Nov 19, 2012)

doggiedad said:


> i thought dogs don't need grains (oat meal)?


They don't these are treats


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## Contrary (Jun 12, 2013)

doggiedad said:


> i thought dogs don't need grains (oat meal)?


They don't. I already said I am being lazy and not dehydrating liver (actually it's more that I don't want my house to smell like liver, and the fact that I do not like dehydrating in an oven...and I haven't found the box my dehydrator is packed in yet). Since I need treats for training, I have been looking at lots of different kinds/brands to try to find something. I haven't found anything I am happy with, so I wanted to make my own. My previous GSD loved these treats, so they came to mind.

White flour is crap for everyone, human and dog. Few would dispute this. Therefore I wanted a substitute, preferably something I have in the house already, so oats came to mind from something I'd read on here.

I did remember the post, it's the first post in this thread: http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/b-r-f-raw-feeding/85902-our-dogs-menus.html

It's from 2007, so I have no idea if Lauri feeds oatmeal to her dogs now or not.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

you're feeding grain to a dog. what difference does it make if it's a treat,
food, snack, etc?



doggiedad said:


> i thought dogs don't need grains (oat meal)?





Mrs.P said:


> They don't these are treats


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

I have used instant oatmeal before when I had nothing else to feed the dogs and no way to get to the store to buy something. I don't like to fast my dogs as it gives them yellow bile urps.

I wouldn't recommend oatmeal as a mainstay of a diet but a little every now and then isn't going to cause problems (unless the dogs has allergies to it).


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## Mrs.P (Nov 19, 2012)

doggiedad said:


> you're feeding grain to a dog. what difference does it make if it's a treat,
> food, snack, etc?


What difference does it make to your dog if I feed my dog baked treats utilizing oats that make up less than .0353% of his total diet? His nutritional needs are met this is a treat (-something extra he likes)

some dogs eat cheese, cat poop, or rocks doesn't mean they need it


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## Contrary (Jun 12, 2013)

doggiedad said:


> you're feeding grain to a dog. what difference does it make if it's a treat,
> food, snack, etc?


Humans don't NEED sugar...but we eat it by the ton. I seriously doubt a cup of oatmeal over 20 days is something I should spend a ton of time worrying about.


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## Mrs.P (Nov 19, 2012)

Contrary said:


> Humans don't NEED sugar...but we eat it by the ton. I seriously doubt a cup of oatmeal over 20 days is something I should spend a ton of time worrying about.


:thumbup:


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## Galathiel (Nov 30, 2012)

Umm I think "I" need sugar!!  At least in chocolate! That's one of the food groups, you know.


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

Galathiel said:


> Umm I think "I" need sugar!!  At least in chocolate! That's one of the food groups, you know.


This is 1000% correct!!!


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