The Holidays are here and we are all so excited. From Halloween till the New Year the fun and festivities are everywhere. Let’s talk about the Holiday does and don’ts with your dog.
When invited to someone’s home that has pets we need be mindful of their rules for their pets. Dogs and cats both can suffer from allergic reactions to food. Both species can have diabetes. When you come to my house my two can generally eat anything in moderation. But my daughters dog isn’t allowed table food and it’s her pet her rules. If you invite people your pets aren’t familiar with you may want to consider letting Sophie stay in her kennel till guests leave or in your room. Not all pets socialize the same. What one dog enjoys can stress another one out.
Turkey is toxic to dogs and cats. The fat in turkey can cause pancreatitis as well as “trash gut.” Bird bones are hollow and should be kept away from pets. We had a lab get into the trash and got a turkey rib cage hung in his mouth. He had to be sedated to get it out. Also they don’t digest so if Sophie swallows the bone it’s gonna have a hard time coming out the other end!
If your household is anything like ours your pets get gifts. Toys, treats and new beds and for our old man Tiger a new sweater. I am not a big fan of raw hide and try to stay away from raw hide treats. They get stringy and slimy. Small and large dogs have a choking hazard. It doesn’t digest and can cause blockages too. Why not bake some treats with your kids while your making Christmas cookies. Here are a couple of my favorite recipes and don’t worry they’re kid safe too:
Pumpkin dog treats
– Cookie sheet
– Rolling pin
– Measuring cup
– Stand mixer or spoon and bowl
– Small cookie cutters
– 2 1/2 cups whole wheat, or all purpose flour
– 1 cup 100% pure pumpkin, canned
– 1 teaspoon cinnamon
– 1 egg
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine pumpkin, cinnamon and egg in the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large bowl if you are mixing by hand. Mix until blended. Add flour 1/2 cup at a time into the bowl until stiff dough forms. Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface to about 1/2 inch thick. Use small cookie cutters to cut the dough into bite sized treats.
Line dog treats 1/2 inch apart on a non-greased cookie sheet. These treats won’t expand so you don’t have to worry about them being so close together.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until treats are golden brown. Turn the oven off and leave the treats in the oven for 1-2 hours to allow them to become crunchy. Then remove from the oven and let cool. Store treats at room temperature in an air tight container for up to 2 weeks, or store in the fridge for up to a month.
Peanut butter treats
– 2 cups whole wheat flour
– 1 cup oats
– 1/2 cup non-fat dry milk
– 1 tablespoon dried parsley
– 2 large eggs
– 1/2 cup water + more if dough is too dry
– 1 cup peanut butter
– Bone-shaped cookie cutter
1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Lightly spray 2 large cookie sheets. 2. In a large bowl combine the first 4 ingredients. 3. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and water together. Add eggs/water mixture and peanut butter to the dry mixture. Using a spoon or your hands, combine all ingredients. If dough seems a little dry, add more water a tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together. 4. Flour a flat surface and flour a rolling pin. Roll out the dough to about a 1/4 inch thickness. Use the cookie cutter to cut out treats and place them on the greased cookie sheet. The treats will not spread out when cooking so they can be close together on the cookie sheet. When you run out of room to cut out more treats, combine the dough remnants into a ball and roll it out again. Cut treats and then repeat until all the dough is used. 5. Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Store in an airtight container.
New Years Eve is a lot of fun and celebrating. This past 4th of July a clients dogs got out of their house because they got spooked from the fireworks. They ended up losing one. I was heart broken and can’t imagine how sad they were. Put Sophie is her kennel or if you know now that you’re having a big celebration board her for the night. But get her away from the doors that she can bolt out when opened.
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