Carob - A Healthy
Chocolate Substitute
That Dogs Love...
You need a chocolate substitute for your dog treats. Dogs and chocolate simply don't mix, but dogs are drawn to the smell and taste of chocolate. Try carob powder. Naturally sweet, it has a chocolate like flavor that dogs love! Carob is absolutely safe for your use in homemade dog treat recipes.
Known by many names—locust beans, kibbled beans, carob pods, carob meal, locust meal, ribbled locust beans, St John's Bread—it is grown on the tree shown below. To process it, carob powder is ground from the pods of the evergreen carob tree, which grows in Mediterranean areas. Carob has a natural sweetness and contains very little fat, no caffeine and it encourages the absorption of calcium. The beans are selected and then roasted to the darkness desired. A natural product, it does not contain sweeteners or other additives. Carob powder or caromic is often used as a cocoa or sugar replacement. It is a very cheap chocolate substitute.
Photo by James Emery
Carob is a healthy substitute for chocolate,
which is harmful to dogs.
Even though carob looks like, smells like, and has a taste that is similar to chocolate, it does not contain theobromine, the part of chocolate that is toxic to dogs.
One of my favorite ways to use carob powder in dog treats is to use this
Carob Dog Cake recipe.
I use the rose cake pan shown in the photos, or sometimes, I use a mini muffin pan--24 little muffins to the pan. The little dog cakes are a perfect size for a treat for my miniature schnauzer, Skipper.
How is Carob Used?
Farmers, particularly in Europe, use it as an additive to livestock feed. Caomic contains sugars and tannins that give it a natural ability to prevent scouring (diarrhea) in young animals, a common problem on farms. Carob powder has also proven to be effective at inactivating e-coli bacteria and promoting healthy intestinal bacteria. It is a natural solution to preventing stress related diarrhea in animals. Giving it to your dog as a chocolate substitute is almost as good as letting him have the chocolate that he craves! From our perspective, it's even better!
Where did Caromic Come From?
Locust trees or carob trees have been grown in Mediterranean areas for thousands of years. Evergreens, they bear pods (or what look like long beans). The pods are harvested every year in September and October. Still another name for carob is St Johns Bread. It is believed that John the Baptist survived in the desert by eating only carob pods. Talk about a healthy ingredient to use in your home made dog treat recipes! Use Carob powder for a change in your homemade dog treats. Dogs and people) love it! And best of all, this wonderful chocolate substitute is as good for you as it tastes!
Chocolate Substitute to Dog Nutrition
Chocolate Substitute to Homemade Dog Treats
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