Decorated Dog Treats With Colored Sesame Seeds

Make decorated dog treats using colored sesame seeds for an all natural dog treat which cuts down on the amount of sugar in the finished product. 

My blog post Decorated Dog Treats With Colored Sesame Seeds was dedicated to the concerns that abound regarding red food coloring. Read the post for an in depth discussion. In summary, there is no conclusive scientific evidence that it is harmful for dogs. 

Red is the perfect color for the winter holidays. And red colored treats are attractive as these "pupcakes" from Lazybones Pet Treats show:

Decorated dog treats with red sesame seeds and Fido's Frosting
from Lazybones Pet Treats

Sesame seeds were soaked in red food coloring, which they take very well, and then sprinkled on top of the dog treat frosting. These dog cupcakes were made from the All Natural Cupcake Kit for Dogs manufactured by K9Cakery which includes both cake mix and yogurt frosting mix. It yields 12 mini dog cupcakes.

Your eye can't help but be drawn to these cupcakes. The sesame seed decorations will set into the sugar free frosting which dries hard and smooth and needs no refrigeration. What a lovely treat to bring when visiting friends with dogs over the holidays.

Many bakers of dog cakes prefer to use sesame seeds as decoration because they are all natural. 

Color your own or purchase sesame seeds already colored in various colors and other bakery supplies for dog treats through K9Cakery.

Is Red Dog Treat Icing Safe?

Q: Is red dog treat icing safe for dogs?

A: As we come up to the holiday season, where the color red is featured quite a bit when it comes to icings and frostings, this question surfaces. The reader wonders if there is a problem with this particular color being difficult for dogs to digest.

Let's clear up the issues about RED coloring. 

Backhund dog bakery in Austria made these decorated dog treats using Fido's Frosting brand Royal Icing. These "gingerbread men" are really liver and carrot!

Liver carrot dog cake from Backhund dog bakery decorated with Fido's Royal Icing

Food coloring is regulated - in the USA, by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), and in Europe by the European Union. In the USA, a coloring is given a FD&C number which indicates it is approved by the FDA for food, drugs and cosmetics. The synthetic red colors FD&C # 3 and FD&C # 40 are allowed to be used in foods. There are other colors made from natural sources, but the artificial color commonly called "red dye # 2" was the one that has received most attention was banned in 1976.

Red dye # 2 was linked to cancer after laboratory rats (that were fed very large amounts of it) developed cancers. A panic regarding red food coloring was started due to this. Even red M&M's were discontinued at the time, even though it is reported that the candy never contained this coloring. 

Later, red dye # 40, which was substituted, was blamed for ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) but there has been no conclusive evidence that there is a link.

The red coloring is used as a decoration, not as a full entree, so your dog is not going to be consuming large amounts. It just may be that the color red, which in nature does signal danger (e.g. poisonous snakes, insects and plants often have red coloring) has a psychological effect on some people in the same way.  

If it truly was dangerous, it would be pulled off the shelves, due to so much public scrutiny. In conclusion, there is no need to worry, and you should enjoy making beautiful holiday dog treats using red dog treat icing and royal icing 
for dogs if you wish!