Creating a Safe Thanksgiving Dinner for Your Dog

  For all the love and loyalty they give us throughout the year, we show gratitude to our pets by...excluding them from the Thanksgiving feast?
  As we gather our family members for a happy, full meal, we often forget that pets can benefit from this day of giving thanks. What better way to reward them for their unconditional love and companionship than by cooking up some homemade edibles? These goodies are for pet-friendly stomachs with some recipes good for humans too! Preparing a Thanksgiving dinner for dogs, it turns out, isn’t an outrageous idea.

Recipe 1: Winning ways with leftovers
  Dogs love turkey and sweet potatoes, too. Cook this meal from scratch or use up the leftovers—either way, your chow hounds will chow down with gusto!

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Ingredients: 3 lb/1.3 kg skinless turkey pieces (light and dark meat); 1 cup (about 6 oz/175 g) oatmeal (cooked); 1 lb/450 g sweet potatoes, cubed; 2 tbsp cranberry sauce; 4 tbsp turkey gravy (optional; to reduce the fat content, omit the gravy or substitute olive oil)

  • Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Lightly oil a roasting pan.
  • For boneless breast or thigh, cook 30–45 minutes; boned breast or thigh, 45–60 minutes; whole turkey, 1 1/2–2 hours or until the meat juices run clear when pierced with a skewer. Let cool.
  • Remove all the bones and dice the meat into large pieces.
  • If using fresh sweet potatoes, roast with the turkey for about 25–30 minutes or until tender. Let cool, then peel and dice.
  • Meanwhile, cook the oatmeal according to package instructions.
  • Mix together the turkey meat, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, and cranberry sauce. If using gravy or oil, add it now and mix thoroughly. (If your dog is at all prone to pancreatitis or other fat-related upsets, omit the gravy.)
Recipe 2: Woof-Worthy Souffle’ 
Ingredients: 

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  • 2/3 cup deboned, skinned, unseasoned cooked chicken, shredded
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten (no milk)
  • 1/4 cup diced cooked carrots
  • 1/4 cup cooked mashed pumpkin
  • 1/4 cup cooked diced green beans

  Combine all ingredients in an oven-safe casserole dish that has been greased with a bit of olive oil. Microwave for 3 minutes or until eggs are set, or bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. Cool thoroughly, invert casserole dish onto a plate, and present with pride to your pup.

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Recipe 3:Pumpkin smoothies
  While your guests sip cocktails, dogs and cats can wet their whistles with this creamy pumpkin drink that’s packed with fiber and digestion-friendly probiotics.

Ingredients: ½ c. canned pumpkin puree; ½ c. plain non-fat yogurt.
  • Place pumpkin and yogurt in a blender and blend on high until smooth.
  • Evenly pour mixture into 8 small paper cups. Either refrigerate or freeze overnight, or serve right away.
  Remembering Thanksgiving food safety is just as important as making sure everything is delicious — and this goes double for dogs! From stuffed bellies to splintering bones, furry friends should be kept safe from a whole host of hazards. To help you make sure the holiday is happy and healthy fur all, here are our top tips for tackling Thanksgiving dinner for dogs.

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