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Canine Thanksgiving Feast

With the wide variety of food at Thanksgiving dinner, chances are you'll want to give your dog something special, too. If you're contemplating what to feed your dog for the holiday, here is a guide to a great Canine Thanksgiving Feast.

Start with the turkey

The only problem with turkey is the bones

Turkey is a great source of protein for your dog, and it doesn't contain a lot of fat that might upset your dog's delicate tummy (yes, we're talking about the same animal that has been known to eat poop).

The only problem with turkey is the bones. Poultry bones are notorious for splitting in the dog's gut, where they can tear a hole. When the dog's esophagus or intestines spring a leak, it causes a massive infection throughout the poor pup's abdominal cavity. Surgery will be required to plug the hole and clean out the infection. The animal will be, well, sick as a dog for at least a week or two while he or she heals.

Skip the stuffing and maybe the gravy

Most stuffing includes garlic and onions, both of which can be toxic to your dog, so it's best to skip the dressing. Your dog really doesn't need the carbs anyways.

Depending on how you make your gravy, it may be better for the dog not to have any, or at least to only have a little. If you're just using pan scrapings, flour, salt, pepper, and milk, you can go ahead and give it to the dog, but if you put very much seasoning in the gravy, it's better not to serve it to a canine. As with most things, moderation is key. A little fat is good for your dog. A lot can cause diarrhea.

Load up on veggies and fruit

Vegetables play an important role in nutrition for your dog

Just as with humans, vegetables play an important role in nutrition for your dog. Green beans, corn, carrots, peas, and even broccoli will make a great addition to your dog's food bowl. Some even say that yams will help solve that poop-eating problem we talked about earlier. Just make sure, once again, that you're not giving the dog onions or garlic.

One way to make sure you're not loading up on spices that can upset your dog's tummy is to pull out a portion for the dog before you mix up the casserole. There's nothing wrong with serving raw vegetables, and in fact, it preserves the maximum nutrient value of the food.

To add a sweet treat, consider adding an apple. No grapes or raisins, though; they are toxic to dogs.

Your dog really doesn't need any of the pumpkin pie or spice cake

Desserts

Your dog really doesn't need any of the pumpkin pie or spice cake, although it won't hurt a dog to snitch a little bit of either one. However, remember that chocolate is strictly off-limits.

Portions and proportions

For every 10 pounds of your dog's weight, you should be feeding about ¼ cup of food per day. This amount will keep your dog at his or her optimal weight, assuming there's no problem with obesity already.

Feeding Chart

For every 10 pounds of your dog's weight, you should be feeding about ¼ cup of food per day

Thanksgiving is a special day, so you might want to splurge a little. There's nothing wrong with overfeeding for one day, as long as you get back on track the next. Your dog wants to celebrate a little just like you do. And what better condition to watch football than in a food-induced coma?

If you want to dump some leftovers, you can make your dog's food ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for up to a week.

As far as the proportions, your dog's food should be about 50% protein, 35 - 40% carbs, and the rest fats. Don't forget that the carbohydrate portion should be mostly made up of fruits and veggies, not necessarily breads. You can even throw everything into the blender and mix it up. If it looks too soupy, you can add a little bit of dry oatmeal to thicken it. Since you'll probably have some on-hand anyways, you could also use mashed potatoes for this purpose.

From all of us at doggies.com and breeders.net, we give thanks for our readers and breeders, and wish all of you and your dogs a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Read more about Thanksgiving below:

• Treating Your Dog on Thanksgiving