Holiday Dog Treats & Meals Your Pup Will Love
Holiday season is officially here, along with all the hustle and bustle that accompanies them; the shopping, decorating and of course the gatherings with friends and extended family. We spend a lot of time planning meals to share with our families during this time of year, but have you ever thought about planning a special holiday treats for your four-legged friends? When you stop and think about it, they’re members of the family so why not include them in the meal planning during this special time of year?
To help make it a little easier for you, we’ve got some great recipes to share that are healthy, holiday dog treats that your furry friends will LOVE. These treats will keep them happy from Thanksgiving all the way through Christmas, plus you can make some extra dog treats to give as gifts to friends and family who also have pets.
Thanksgiving Dinner for Dogs
- 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.)
Source: The BARk
Doggie Green Bean Crunchies
- 16 ounces of frozen, cut green beans thawed and drained
- 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Preheat oven to 170 degrees, add green beans and oil to a mixing bowl and toss to coat beans. Spread green beans on a large non-stick baking sheet. Dry beans in the oven for 8 hours or until crunchy. Turn off oven and allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Source: SkinnyMs
Seasonal Pup Pies
Pie Crust
- 3/4 cup flour (preferably whole wheat or a mixture of all purpose and whole wheat)
- 1/2 cup oatmeal (minced if you do not have a food processor)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (I just used one snack sized container)
- 3 – 4 Tbsp. water
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Spray muffin pan with a dog friendly cooking spray. Mince oatmeal with Slap Chop or similar. Combine oatmeal and flour in a bowl. Slowly add applesauce, while mixing. Slowly add water until a ball is formed (adding too much will cause the dough to become sticky). Roll out the dough. Cut out circles ideally about 4″ in diameter. I did not have a circle cookie cutter, so I used the end of my mincer. I also used all the dough (rolling it out several times), so I was able to get 16 slightly smaller circles. Press the circles into the muffin pan. Bake for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and let crusts cool in the pan. Remove crusts from pan when cool.
Blueberry Chicken Pup Pie Filling
- 1/2 cup blueberries
- 1/2 chicken breast (about a cup of shredded chicken)
- 1/4 cup plain low fat yogurt
Cook and shred chicken breast (poaching, etc) Puree blueberries in blender or with immersion blender Mix together yogurt and blueberries Add shredded chicken to mixture Fill Pup Pie crusts (or eat as is!)
Pumpkin Pup Pie Filling
- 8 oz (half a can) plain pumpkin – NOT pumpkin pie mix
- 4 oz plain low fat yogurt
Mix pumpkin and yogurt and fill Pup Pies
Source: Beagles and Bargains
Homemade Jerky
- Fowl – chicken, turkey or duck
OR - Red meat – beef, lamb, bison, rabbit, venison or beef liver
Once you’ve chosen your meat, fillet it. Meat fillets cut much easier when the meat is still somewhat frozen. Meat should be pliable enough to bend but not fully thawed. You are working with raw meat. Please use common sense and proper food handling safety rules. Use non porous cutting services when cutting and preparing the meat. And to avoid cross contamination of pathogens, when you are done, thoroughly wash and disinfect all surfaces, tools used, as well as your hands. Trim and remove any visible fat off of meat as this inhibits the dehydration process. With a sharp knife, slice partially frozen meat into very even, long, thin slices, about an 1/8th to ¼ inch thick slices. Slice the meat with the grain to make it chewier for the dog. To ensure even baking times, make all slices the same size and thickness. Arrange the meat slices on the cooling rack surface making sure the meat slices do not touch each other during the baking process. Position the lined cookie sheets underneath the cooking meat to catch the moisture as it cooks out of the meat. Bake for approximately 2 hours at 200 degrees but baking time will vary depending on the kind of meat being used and how thick you cut the fillets. Turn your racks every 30 minutes to ensure even baking. Your jerky is done when the meat is completely dried out. There can be no moisture in the strips whatsoever, especially in the centers. If the meat bends and seems spongy then it is not dried enough. Always opt for longer cooking times rather than under cooking the jerky strips. When the strips are cooked and dry remove from oven and allow them to completely cool on the r
Source: Husky Training, Wellbeing & Advice
The Day-After Turkey Omelet
- 1 egg
- 1-2 tbsp. mashed potatoes
- 1/2 cup diced cooked turkey meat
- 1/2 cup cooked vegetables, chopped
- 1/4 cup desired cheese, grated
Heat a medium-sized pan with a small amount of olive oil. Whisk together the egg and potatoes. Spread in pan. Place turkey and veggies on top in even layers. Cover; simmer until egg cooks and the mixture is warm. Sprinkle cheese on top, then cook a few more minutes until cheese is melted and egg is golden brown. Let cool. Cut into wedges. Store in refrigerator.
Source: Popsugar
Christmas Dinner for Dogs
- Roasted skinless turkey from prepared turkey
- 1 2 oz. can of canned Salmon drained
- 1-2 russet potatoes boiled or mashed
- 1-2 brussel sprouts boiled
- 1-2 Raw or boiled carrots
- 1 tablespoon of cranberry sauce
- 6 tablespoons of giblet stock
Prepare the above ingredients and serve to your dog. For an added treat, core an apple and mix in as well.
Source: UK Express
Peas-on-Earth Cakes
- ½ Cup cooked brown rice
- ¼ ounce peas, thawed
- Cup rotisserie chicken, (discard skin & bones)
- 1 egg
- 2 Tablespoons plain breadcrumbs
- 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt & Pepper1 chicken bullion
In a medium bowl, stir together the rice, peas, chicken, egg, breadcrumbs and parsley. Form into four 2½ inch patties. Heat Olive oil in medium skillet and add the patties, cool 6-7 minutes turning until golden-brown. Season with salt and pepper.
Source: Rachael Ray every day
Dog Candy Canes
- 3 Cups all purpose flour
- ½ Cup nonfat powdered milk
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 Cup warm water
- 1 chicken bullion cube
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp red food coloring or natural food coloring like beet powder
- ½ tsp peppermint oil (optional)
- 1 large egg for an egg wash
Whisk together the flour, powdered milk and baking powder. In a small bowl, pour the warm water over the chicken bouillon, stir until dissolved. Whisk the eggs into the chicken water. Form a well in the dry ingredients, pour in the wet ingredients. Stir until thorougly combined. Knead the dough for about two minutes. Add more flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Separate the dough in half. Form a well in one of the balls of dough. Add the food coloring and peppermint flavoring. Wearing food safe gloves, knead the coloring and flavoring throughout the dough. Cool the dough in the refrigerator for 2 hours or in the freezer for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350° F Divide each ball of dough into tablespoon sized balls. Gently roll each ball into a “worm” shape, letting the dough rest when needed. Each strip should be about 5 inches long. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Twist one plain strip with a red strip, and curl the end to shape a candy cane.
Place on the baking sheet. Whisk the extra egg in a small bowl. Using a pastry brush, thoroughly coat each candy cane with the egg wash. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Source: Dog Treat Kitchen.com
Whatever you do this holiday season, don’t forget to include your furry friends in your plans. Happy Holidays from all of us at Hillrose Pet Resort.