Happy Thanksgiving-You and Your Dog!

Thanksgiving is almost upon us, so let's talk turkey! With all the festivities around the corner and the wonderful smells of the kitchen are at their peak, its a sure bet that your pup will be begging for scraps and pieces. We all want to indulge our dog in our wonderful cooking and include them in the holiday, so how do we do it safely? We are going to share our ways, give you some recipes and show you how to celebrate and include your pup safely so that both of you wake up feeling wonderful the next morning.

There are many ways to include your pup without overdoing yourself or spending too much extra time. We know that Thanksgiving is a very busy time and we want to show you a few tricks to make it fast and easy to prepare a Thanksgiving plate for your dog with the items you will have on hand. 

Safety First:

-Stick to only feeding your dog white meat of the turkey. Dark meat and skin are very difficult to digest and can cause vomiting and diarrhea. Make sure that the turkey is fully cooked, as uncooked turkey may harvest harmful salmonella. Stay away from cooked bones as they may splinter and cause internal bleeding or can get stuck in your dogs throat.

Preparation: 

Makes 9 cups.

 -White meat from the turkey. (1 pound total)

 Remember, no bones, skin or dark meat.

- 1/2  cup Sweet Potato, 1/2 cup Pumpkin, 1/2 cup Carrots, and 1/2 cup Green Beans.

Cut the sweet potato and pumpkin into medium sized cubes. Dice the carrots into small pieces and cut the green beans into bite size pieces for the dog. 

2 cloves of Garlic (minced) , 1/8 cup of Cranberries (diced into tiny pieces) , and dash of Rosemary.

Barley, Oats, Quinoa, Millet or Brown Rice. (1/2 cup total).

Ready to prepare this hearty and healthy Thanksgiving meal for your dog? 

Combine all in a pot, add about 3 to 4 cups of water and bring to boil. Simmer for about 1/2 hour, let cool, mash ingredients together but make sure there are still small chunks.  Mix with about 1 pound of white turkey meat (cut or torn into little pieces) . Recipe makes about 9 cups total. 

Sweet Potato, a root vegetable that is a rich source of flavonoid anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber that are essential for optimal health. It is also an excellent source of flavonoids like beta-carotene and vitamin A.

Bright pumpkin and carrots are abundant with  antioxidant beta-carotene, which has proven to help protect against certain types of cancer and hearth disease.

Green Beans add a splash of color as well as dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals.

Garlic? Is that safe for my dog? Garlic has caused a lot of controversy over the years, but the key is moderation. Garlic has been used for thousands of years in Chinese medicine to treat humans and dogs. It contains compounds that have been found useful for a variety of conditions from skin disorders to cancer. Garlic has also served its purpose in boosting the immune system, fighting bacterial and viral infections, enhancing liver functions as well as tick/flea repellent.

Dessert! 

  Sliced apple adds a yummy and healthy dessert to end Thanksgiving dinner with and its easy and fast to prepare for your dog! You can even add a little spoonful of peanut butter (unsalted) and mix the apples with! Make sure to keep the skin and eliminate all the seeds as they are poisonous for the dog.

Apples are a great source of soluble and insoluble fiber, vitamin C, phosporus, Potassium  and Vitamin A, as well as beta carotene. 

They are also a rich source of B-complex vitamins such as riboflavin, thiamin and vitamin B-6.

Enjoy! :)

Who are Charlie and Lisa?

Charlie loves chicken snacks, roast beef, and well, not too much more. I guess you can call him a picky eater, although he will never turn down an organic chicken snack. He doesn't like trying new things and so we have resorted to a baby airplane method, "Charlie, airplane is coming. Vrroooommm", as we swirl a spoonful of new delights right into his mouth. It definitely works! He is reserved, quite and hates loud music! Charlie doesn't like to play with any toys, as he is obviously too sophisticated and grown up for them anyways. If he was ever to turn into a human little boy, he would be an A+ student, always raising his hand in class, obsessively trying to answer. His rolly backpack would be full of books and he would always be trying to school his baby sister, Lisa. He definitely keeps it proper and peaceful in the house, watching both our cat and his sister to make sure they act good. Charlie is very protective of Lisa, and although she is more then twice his size, if there is any dangerous objects like strange cats, moving bags or even unknown humans, watch out! Charlie to the rescue! Charlie is not very affectionate and doesn't like a lot of kisses. But in that very special moment, if he ever gives you one, it is so sweet and wonderful. Special kisses rock!

Lisa loves roast beef, apples, cheese, chicken soup, carrots, strawberries and pretty much everything else! She loves to steal underwear and run around, throwing it all over the house or if there is ever a tissue to cross her way, it will surely be beaten in battle and destroyed by this princess warrior. Lisa loves to sleep on the bed even though her own bed is big and comfortable. She sleeps like a little human, head on the pillow and with a blanket on top of her. Sometimes she snores really loud and sometimes she has bad dreams and me and Charlie have to wake her up and comfort her. She loves to nibble on your finger and gently give it kisses right after, just to let you know, "Hey mommy, Im just playing!". If she could speak, Lisa would never stop talking, laughing and telling funny stories. She is always in charge of the house and me and Charlie would not have it any other way! This furry princess will rule the world one day!

Los Gatos Creek Trail: Charlie & Lisa go hiking!

As a proud mom, I am always brainstorming fun ideas of what to do with Charlie & Lisa. Our everyday walks seem boring and we always strive to find a festival or a fun activity to do together. After stumbling upon some articles on hiking, we all did our research and found some dog friendly trails to check out. Armed with chicken snacks, water bowl, plenty of cold water and some fruit and nuts for myself, we headed to the Los Gatos Creek Trail. This 10 mile trail extends from Lexington Reservoir above Los Gatos all the way to Meridian Avenue in San Jose. With plenty of water, chicken snack, and rest breaks we pretty much conquered most of the trail!

 

Charlie relaxing in Vasona Country Park.

Lisa enjoying the view!

Resting and people watching on a trail bench.

With that being said, we are all fans of hiking and cannot wait to check out new trails! Look for hiking areas in your towns, but make sure you do your research! Bring lots of water, snacks and make sure to take plenty of  breaks! Enjoy!