FAQs

Why did my frosting crack?

There are a few things that can make Fido's Frosting crack, and none of them are the frosting that is causing the cracking when you get down to it.

In some cases, people say that the frosting worked great and then after a day or two it cracked. That tells me that they experienced a not uncommon problem. People who bake their own treats, especially if they are thick treats, remove them from the oven, let them cool and then apply the icing. It looks great and then a few days later it cracks. That is often because while the treat appeared to be dry when you took it out of the oven, it was still moist in the center.

If you don't dehydrate a treat thoroughly, it usually takes a few days to truly dry. So if you apply frosting, it dries to a hard shell overnight. It is now set. But, over the next day, the treat is still drying and thus, shrinking. So when the treat shrinks, but the frosting is now a hard shell, simple physics shows that the frosting will get a stress crack. It sounds like you are experiencing that.

The remedy is to make sure your treats are so dry that they snap when you break them before applying the frosting. If you want to test and prove that the icing does not crack, just buy a milk bone from the grocery and apply it to that. I am confident you will find no cracking. Another way the icing can crack is similar. Some people make gluten free treats.

Gluten is like a glue that holds things together in the baking process. If you eliminate gluten and sugar, you eliminate all of the ingredients that form intricate webs within the baked good that hold it together. This is why you see gluten free cookies break so easily into crumbs.

So, if you apply frosting to a gluten free treat and the frosting hardens, then the treat itself cracks (you can see the cracks if you look at the underside of the treat), the frosting will crack along the same line. This is because the treat has cracked and simply took the frosting with it. One final thing that can make the frosting crack. If you try to put a small intricate design on a treat surface, there is stypically not enough frosting to hold onto the cookie and some may fall off.

To remedy this, coat the treat with a base coat of frosting that will have a lot to stick to. Then draw your intricate lines on that base coat and it will bond to the base coat of frosting. Then you have a strong, intricate design that will last. I know that sounds like a lot but those are the reasons the frosting cracks.

As you can see, it is not the frosting that cracks, rather, its the treat the frosting is on that cracks. Again, you can always test this with the milk bone test.

How do I keep my dog treats from molding?

If you use a cream cheese or some other refrigerated item that you purchase from the grocery store, you will get mold. These products are refrigerated for a reason. When left out in the warm they can also grow bacteria and make a dog sick. Use these products only if you plan to serve immediately.

There are two things that make foods go bad, moisture, which causes mold, and fat, which goes rancid. You can use preservatives to combat these two issues. Use a mold inhibitor or citric acid to combat mold and an antioxidant, like rosemary oil or tocopherols (vitamin e), to address rancidity. But these are not for foods that are meant to be refrigertaed.

So, how do the professionals make cream cheese frosting that does not go bad? They use a cream cheese that has been pasteurized so that no refrigeration is needed. You cannot buy this in a grocery store.

Magifrost dog treat icing is dairy-free and will not melt, nor does it require refrigeration.

Do not purchase yogurt from the store and think you can put it on a treat and leave it out. It too will go bad and make a dog sick when it does.

In summary, grocery store foods are designed for a different purpose than dog specific bakery products. Watch your moistures and fats, and use products designed for dogs.

What's the best way to preserve my dog treats?

Unfortunately, there is no quick and easy answer. The topic of preservatives for dog treats can be complicated because the pH of the product has to be taken into consideration.

We doubt that you want to get that scientific! So here's an easy breakdown: mold will grow if the baked good is not completely dried. Just make sure that your dog biscuits are completely cooled after baking. Package them in an airtight system like a ziplock bag that allows you to press all the air out. The reason for this is that any moisture in the air will affect the biscuit.

Make sure you use a very good quality cooking oil if there is an issue of spoilage. Fats spoil, so the addition of an antioxidant can allay that issue.

Do not go into a vitamin shop and purchase powders or vitamins off the shelf. Those products are not designed for what you are asking about.

We dp sell a preservative and an antioxidant (both can be found in the Bakery Supplies section of our website).

Finally, try to contact a commercial bakery near you and find out what they use for preservatives.

Is baking soda OK in dog treats?

Baking soda and baking powder are common elements when making baked goods and it would be difficult (but not impossible) to bake without them. They are perfectly fine for dogs although we prefer to use aluminum free baking powder when a recipe calls for baking powder.

Here's an interesting tidbit. Did you know that baking soda is 100% sodium bicarbonate? Sodium bicarbonate is commonly used to relieve heartburn, acid indigestion, sour stomach and upset stomach.

Can I use white chocolate in dog treats?

Some say that white chocolate is not toxic like regular chocolate and other schools of thought subscribe to no chocolate for dogs period. It is best to check with your vet. Dogs are not as particular about the ingredients in their treats as humans are so perhaps you can find another ingredient that is not controversial nor raises questions. We recommend using carob chips or carob powder to replace chocolate in your dog treat recipes.

Is there a dog-friendly icing recipe that doesn't require refrigeration?

For non-refrigerated icing for dogs, we always recommend Fido's Frosting brand products made by K9Cakery.com. This dog icing was created specifically for this reason! Just keep any unused icing in an airtight bag or container, but use it within a few days.

Any dog treat icing made with perishable food items like cream cheese will require refrigeration.

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