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Homemade Thanksgiving Treats for Your Dog

We all want to include our dogs in our holiday celebrations, but hopefully, you're aware that sharing table scraps with your dog isn't always the best idea. Turkey bones can splinter, poking holes in your dog's digestive tract. And the spices and seasonings we love can be a source of gastric distress to your dog.

So what's a dog lover to do? Check out our recipes below to make special holiday treats that are safe and nutritious for your dog. All of these can be made a day or two ahead of time so they don't conflict with your pie-baking and turkey basting duties.

Appetizer: Peanut Butter and Pumpkin Treats

• 2 ½ cups whole wheat flour
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup canned pumpkin
• 2 Tablespoons peanut butter
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk together all ingredients. Add water as needed to make the dough workable, but keep the dough relatively dry and stiff. Roll out to ½-inch thickness and cut into ½-inch pieces or use a cookie cutter to make fun seasonal shapes. Bake until hard, about 40 minutes.

Main Dish: Turkey Yam Stew

• 1 pound raw ground turkey
• 1-cup canned yams, including juice
• 2 whole eggs
• 1-cup oatmeal (uncooked)
• 1 apple, sliced with seeds removed (Apple seeds are toxic to dogs.)

Crack open the eggs, reserving the shells. Shells are a great source of calcium! Mix in turkey, yams, and oatmeal, broken egg shells, and apple slices. Serve cold or at room temperature. Refrigerate leftovers. Your dog can eat leftovers all weekend, just like you do.

Dessert: Cinnamon Bun Bites

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup water or milk
• ¼ cup canola oil
• 1 large egg
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans
  
  
• Cream Cheese Drizzle: ¼ cup light cream cheese + 1-2 Tablespoons milk or water

Combine flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, stir together water/milk, oil, and egg. Add mixture to the dry ingredients and stir to make a soft dough.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough an 8 x 14-inch rectangle. Drizzle with honey, then sprinkle with cinnamon and nuts. Starting from the long edge, rollup like a jelly-roll and pinch the free end to seal.

Slice ½-inch sections using a serrated knife or dental floss.

Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray, then place sliced cookies cut side down on the sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes, until springy to the touch.

Cool completely, then drizzle with frosting.

Makes about 2 dozen. Store in refrigerator in tightly covered container.

Don't forget to take your dog for an after-dinner walk! You don't want him or her to have the same stomach ache you're going to have from eating too much.