HOW TO MAKE AN UNFORGETTABLE THANKSGIVING DINNER FOR YOUR DOG

The fact of the matter is, our world revolves around our precious pets. If your sweet pup’s are anything like what we know and love them to be, once the delicious turkey and sweet potato aromas begin to waft into their nose and they hear the pitter patter of family and friends gathering, they will know the time has come for their own fancy thanksgiving feast. What they don’t know, however, is how spoiled they are about to get.

Making an unforgettable thanksgiving dinner for your four-legged friend can be a real treat for both you and your pet, so we’ve laid out a guide to help make the experience one-of-a-kind. Set aside some extra time aside to prepare a four-course meal that includes some ingredients your dog already knows and loves.

Before you begin whipping up a meal to be barked about for ages, start by looking ahead into items you cannot include in your dog's meal.

FOODS TO AVOID

While it is easy to over-indulge and show them how thankful you really are, a memorable feast should not consist of all of the human offerings on the table. In short, don’t make your pup’s meal unforgettable for the wrong reasons. While you don’t want to take all the fun away, be sure to set some guidelines for your guests on what foods are harmful to your pets so when he or she “works the room”, your thanksgiving meal doesn’t end with a trip to the vet. 

Avoid the following foods:

• Onions- Onions contain a chemical called N-propyl disulfide that attaches to the oxygen molecules of your dogs red blood cells causing them damage.
• Raisins- Although research does not state exactly what it is about grapes that are toxic to dogs, it is not advised to give them this ingredient as it may cause kidney failure.
• Cooked Bones- Even though it seems natural to give a dog a bone, it is possible for the bone to splinter and block your dog's digestive system or even cause them to choke.
• Nutmeg- If consumed in large amounts this ingredient can unfortunately be toxic to your pet.
• Chocolate- The ingestion of chocolate can result in severe illness in your dog due to the chemicals theobromine and caffeine which are not metabolized as well by animals as they are in humans.
• Alcohol- Consuming even a small amount of alcohol can be harmful as dogs livers are not intended to filter or process it. 

For further information about foods to avoid giving your dog visit the ASPCA website.

BEGINNING THEIR THANKSGIVING EXPERIENCE

Once you’ve done the research and noted the foods to avoid, you can begin to have fun and be creative with your dog’s thanksgiving day meal. As a simple rule it is safe to go with foods such as sweet potato, turkey, apple, pumpkin and green beans for example.

At the start of the menu, we suggest turning your happy hour into their “yappy hour” by serving your dog a chicken broth cocktail before beginning to plate each course. Either pour it into a bowl, or place it into a pet-friendly and unbreakable glass to class it up. Not only will this slowly prepare their bellies for what is to come, it is sure to be a favorite with your furry friend having them beg for more.

FOUR-LEGGED FARES

HORS D'OEUVRES 

A great and healthy Hors D’oeuvre idea to kick off the food portion of your unforgettable pet-friendly meal is a gluten-free cranberry spinach dog treat. While fresh cranberries can be too tart for most humans to enjoy, your dogs don’t taste the same way that we do and therefore are able to indulge in this sweet and savory treat. This treat is easy to make with few ingredients including chopped spinach, frozen cranberries, Romano cheese and eggs. All you need to do is pulse the ingredients together until doughy and bake. Et Voilà!

For more handmade fall treat recipes, check out one of our previous blog posts about the best way to spend fall with your dog which includes some doggone great handmade dog treat recipes. 

APPETIZERS

You’ll have your pup chomping at the bit for your next course as you move into the appetizer part of the meal. We suggest pulling out all the stops with an array of sweet potato cookies. While it may sound unhealthy, its few and simple ingredients of sweet potato, applesauce, eggs and flour make it a sweet, neat and delectable appetizer treat. Start by cooking and mashing the sweet potato. Once mashed, mix the other ingredients in to create a dough-like consistency. Get creative and create whatever shape or size you want and place them in the oven. Your dog will not forget this one!

Other paw-dropping Thanksgiving appetizers can be found over on Peak City Puppy!                  

• Thanksgiving Turkey Dog Bowl
• Doggy Meatloaf With Vegetables
• Mighty “Mutt”balls

 

DESSERT

No four course meal would be complete without one of our delectable all natural Bonne et Filou Macarons. Not only do they come in a variety of flavors to choose from, they are 100% natural, corn free, wheat free, non- GMO ingredients and have no artificial coloring or preservatives. We pride ourselves on providing delicious and healthy sweet treats that your dog will adore. 

With a lick on the cheek as a thank you from your pets belly to you, you can find your dog(s) curled up in their favorite bed, belly full, dreaming about each course over and over until they’re served their next fabulous four course fare. Love truly is a four-legged word.