Who doesn’t love getting together with the family, and celebrating a wonderful and memorable Thanksgiving together? With that in mind, why not bake a few extra goodies for the family dog, along with the family feast? You’ll find that making your own Thanksgiving pet-friendly treats isn’t only cheaper than going to the store, they are often healthier and you control the ingredients.

Cranberries

Though raisins and grapes are toxic to dogs, the American Kennel Club agrees that cranberries are a wonderful treat! Cranberries, when used in moderation, can be a very unique Thanksgiving ingredient, adding a special flavor to your dog treats the little furry one rarely gets to experience.

Pumpkin

Both canned organic pumpkin and pumpkin seeds offer a great source of fiber and Beta-carotene (body converts to vitamin A), especially good for digestive health. Since it is already a traditional Thanksgiving staple, why not treat your pup with a bit of tasty Pumpkin?

Peanut Butter

Not only will they absolutely love the taste, but peanut butter also offers additional protein to supplement your pup’s diet!

• Make sure your peanut butter ingredients do not contain Xylitol!

Sweet Potato

Another Thanksgiving staple, sweet potatoes provide dogs with a range of health benefits in addition to a taste they’ll love.  Like pumpkin, sweet potatoes are also high in fiber. In addition, they offer B6, vitamin C, and manganese.

Foods to Avoid

Though there are many tasty human foods that offer surprising health benefits for our dogs, there are also some that they shouldn’t eat. In case your pup does happen to devour one of the ‘no-nos’ listed below, it may be recommended to induce vomiting (normally a tbsp of hydrogen peroxide will do it), but you should always contact a veterinarian before making any medical decisions.

Chocolate

Chocolate is by far the most common on this list since most dogs enjoy the taste and it is often a baking component. White chocolate, found in most store-bought candies, contains a very minuscule amount of theobromine (toxic ingredient). It would take a very large amount of white chocolate to cause any real harm to most dogs, of course varying with size and weight.

Baker’s chocolate, dark chocolate, and even worse- cocoa powder, contain dangerously, often deadly, high levels. If your dog happens to get into any one of these, contact your veterinarian immediately.

Grapes

Wine/Beer/Alcohol

Raisins

Excessive amounts of salt (many Thanksgiving foods are high in sodium)

• For a more complete list, click here.

Cranberry, Pumpkin, Peanut butter & Oatmeal Thanksgiving Delights

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups whole wheat flour

11/2 oatmeal flour

1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup pure packed pumpkin

2 large eggs

½ cup peanut butter

Cooking Directions:

1. Beat eggs for 1 minute using a standard mixer
2. Add peanut butter, continue to beat/mix until creamy
3. Slowly add flowers and dried cranberries until dough is thick and perfect for rolling
4. Flour work area, placing dough on the floured surface after.
5. Cut dough in half, roll to approx. ¼” thickness.
6. Cut away with your favorite cookie cutter!
7. Line cooking trays with parchment paper, load with treats.
8. Bake in an oven at 350*F for 30 minutes
9. Allow time to cool before you offer them up!