How can it already be November? It seems like just yesterday we were playing in the warm grass and enjoying swimming in the lake with our pups. I guess it is now time to shift gears and move on to other exciting traditions and seasons. Every year, I host a Friendsgiving. It is my favorite holiday tradition. We sit around the table eating amazing food and talking about all the things we are thankful for that year. As I look back through my pictures from previous years, I notice my pup is always placed in his corner bed watching us. I am sure the look on his face is pure admiration and jealousy of the amazing food we are eating and the laughter we are partaking in. To be honest, he looks so sad! I had an instant apophony. My Friendsgiving should be a full Friendsgiving with even our 4-legged best friends. I updated my Facebook invitation and let all of my friends know that this year we would be offering some dog friendly dishes and that I wanted all of my human friends to bring their canine friends too. I hope this plan turns out as epic as I am imagining.
Since we are in the business of helping other dog owners, I want to share what will be on my dog friendly Thanksgiving menu. Like always I encourage you to consult your vet with any questions specific to your dog.
Meat Course: Shredded Turkey (no seasoning and no skin)
When my friend Shannon puts the turkey in to cook she will also make a small turkey with no added seasoning for the pups to enjoy. This is a great source of protein, delicious, and since turkey is already in a lot of common dog foods your dog will already be aware of it! Turkey is also easy to digest and gentle on the belly
Veggies: Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Pumpkin, and Green Beans
Jeff and Kori are making the veggies this year. After discussing with their vet, they opted to add sweet potatoes, steamed carrots, raw carrots, and fresh green beans to the menu. Again, they will stay away from seasoning. The vet did tell Jeff to do small portions of carrots as they are high in sugar. Much like humans, some dogs have high blood sugar and this could be dangerous. We plan to leave the skin on our baked sweet potatoes since the skin provides a lot of nourishment for dog fur. The best veggie for your dog is pumpkin. Kori is planning to roast and puree pumpkin for our friends. Pumpkin is a dog super food! We will be saving the leftover pumpkin to mix in their regular dog food through out the week.... That is assuming we have any leftovers.
I know your mouth is watering just like mine thinking of all the good food coming our way. There are some foods you should always avoid that cause harmful to your dog.
Foods to avoid:
- Onion and Garlic
- Mushrooms
- Raisins
- Cooked Beans
- Heavy fats like turkey skin and butter
- Alcohol
- Nutmeg
-Chocolate
I hope you enjoy including your best 4-legged buddy for Thanksgiving as much as we will. If you do, send me some photos or tag us on social media. We want to see all the holiday cheer!