natural pet

HOLIDAY TREATS FOR PETS Homemade Recipes They Will Love

by Tonya Wilhelm

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Cooking for our pets is a great way to ensure they are eating wholesome, nutritional foods. It’s also a fun way to customize a pet treat recipe to meet specific dietary needs. These three festive holiday treats will have a dog woofing for more and a cat purring for seconds. Choose organic, locally sourced ingredients whenever possible.

Pumpkins and apples are always at the top of the culinary list for holiday treats. Not only are these two foods safe for pets, they offer health benefits. Both are packed with fiber, which helps dogs feel fuller. It’s also good for digestive and colon health and can yield firmer stool. For the kitty friends, that fiber also helps move hairballs along. In addition, apples contain phytonutrients and flavonoids like quercetin, which are helpful in treating allergies.

The chia seeds in this pet pie not only help firm up the pie, but are packed with nutrients that naturally boost energy. Chia seeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids and are a great source of antioxidants. They also contain minerals, fiber, calcium, protein and vitamins A, B, D and E.

Cinnamon and ginger are wonderful spices to use in pet holiday treats. Both of these warming spices improve digestion and soothe the stomach lining. Select Ceylon cinnamon, not cassia cinnamon, because the latter contains higher amounts of coumarin, which can harm the liver and increase the risk of cancer. Ginger may act as a blood thinner, so don’t use it if a dog is going to have surgery or is pregnant. It may also lower blood pressure and blood sugar, so if a dog has heart issues or diabetes, talk to a vet. When in doubt, leave it out.

Beware of These Troublemakers

n Caffeinated products. Gary Richter, a holistic veterinarian in Oakland, California, and author of The Ultimate Pet Health Guide, suggests keeping caffeinated drinks and food away from pets. Caffeine contains stimulants called methylxanthines, and pets are much more sensitive to the effects of these substances than humans are. Ingesting even a small amount can make dogs vulnerable to caffeine poisoning, which can cause hyperactivity, panting, elevated heart rate, tremors, seizures and collapse. Seek immediate veterinary care for treatment if these symptoms develop in a dog. n Artificial sweeteners. San Diego veterinarian Madison Rose says artificial sweeteners such as xylitol can cause a massive insulin release, leading to acute and profound hypoglycemia, or low-blood sugar, and hypokalemia, or low potassium levels. Marked by lethargy, ataxia, collapse, twitching or seizures, ingestion requires immediate veterinary care. n Raw, yeasty bread dough. This will expand when ingested, potentially causing a deadly twisting of the stomach. n Raisins and grapes. Common in holiday recipes, in large quantities, these can cause kidney failure in dogs. n Nutmeg. A toxin for pets. n Cooked bones. Not only are these choking hazards, they can pose a serious threat to the digestive tract.

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