Homemade Dog Treat Toppings

Decorating your dog's special homemade cakes and cookies is fun and easy and adds a special touch to your festivities. There are many common household ingredients that you can use to make uncommon toppings that are both pretty to look at and sometimes even nutritional.

Crumble some colorful dog biscuits to make a granola-type topping. Take a handful of small, multi-colored biscuits and place them in a zippered plastic bag. Hit the bag with a hammer or heavy rock several times until the biscuits crumble. Some will be powdered, some will be larger bits. Sprinkle on top of your dog's cake, or place the mixture in a deep bowl to dip still-moist, yogurt-covered cookies or biscuits.

Place some shredded unsweetened coconut in a zippered plastic bag with just a drop of food coloring. For multiple colors, put a small amount of coconut in several bags with different colors. Shake well to ensure all the coconut shreds are covered. Sprinkle liberally on your cake or treats.

Shred or mince carrots, raw sweet potatoes or hard cheddar cheese for a pretty orange topping. For cakes, use shredded lettuce of any kind for a green topping. Sprinkle some dried berries for blue or red toppings, or broken banana chips, shredded yellow squash or sesame seeds for a yellow topping. You can also color sesame seeds with food coloring. Toast them in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes for best results before coloring.

Imagine all the colorful toppings you can use if you turn to the cereal aisle of your grocery store, especially the kiddie cereal section. Little bits of a flaky, fruity cereal, or that certain little cereal with a leprechaun spokesman make for a colorful topping or coating for treats. Keep in mind that dogs cannot eat chocolate or raisins, found in some kid's cereals. Also, use only a handful of colorful cereal sprinkled on a cake, or half a teaspoon to coat a biscuit. These items are sugary so use them in moderation and only on special occasions.