Tag: pumpkin

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Thanksgiving dinner, dog style!

Our dogs are like our children, we spoil them like crazy because they are our lives. It only makes sense that they should celebrate holidays too, right?

As you saw from our last post, we made puppy pumpkin pies, and they loved them but we wanted to do more. We had some leftovers from our dinner that we decided to split them up on 7 little plates and give our dogs a special dinner too.

We believe that “human food” in moderation is just fine for your pups, but be sure not to feed them food that can be toxic for them, such as onions, grapes, raisins, chocolate, etc.

They were eager to try their meal, as you can see! Their plates were made up of turkey, a small bun, a mixture of carrots, stuffing, and sweet potato and of course their puppy pumpkin pie! It was just as much fun for us to watch them all choose their favourite from the plate as it was for them to actually eat it.

We put a lot of training into our dogs, we make sure they don’t act like complete spoiled brats, we make sure they get healthy food and tons of exercise, but sometimes it’s not about training or anything else; it’s just about enjoying their company and giving them more than they could ever want. There’s a reason people call them their “fur babies”, because they are like our children!

Enjoy the photos and let us know what your pups got for thanksgiving!

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Puppy Pumpkin Pies

It’s almost thanksgiving! Last year we made our dogs some puppy pumpkin pies, they were a huge hit for the most part. However some dogs thought the crust was a little plain and didn’t want to finish their pie, so naturally we came up with a new and improved recipe for this year. Let me tell you, they LOVED these pies, every last crumb was devoured; then they begged for more! These are healthy, natural, human grade, good for dogs with belly issues and allergies , not to mention absolutely delicious. Ready to make your pup a delicious treat?

What you’ll need:

  • 1 cup of oatmeal
  • 2 cups of flour (you can use any type)
  • 1/4 cup of apple sauce
  • 1 tbsp of cinnamon
  • 2 cups of pumpkin puree
  • 1 large sweet potato (cooked)
  • 1 banana
  • 1/4 cup of coconut oil melted
  • 1/4 cup of yogurt (we used a coconut yogurt alternative)

Pie Crust:

Preheat the oven to to 425 degrees.

Combine 1 cup of oatmeal, 2 cups of flour, 1/4 cup of apple sauce, and 1 tbsp of cinnamon , 1/2 cup of water and mix together, then add more water 1 tbsp at a time until it makes a pie crust texture.

Roll out on a floured surface, and use a round cookie cutter to make circles. We used a mini muffin tin to shape, it makes about 24 mini pies, or 12 regular size (cupcake size) pies.

Grease the muffin tin with a bit of coconut oil, then form a mini pie in each section.

Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Pie filling:

While the crust is baking, you can get started on the filling. You can either use a blender for this or mix by hand.

If you haven’t done so already, cook your sweet potato and mash it up, and put 1/4 cup of coconut oil in the microwave to melt.

Mix together your mashed sweet potato, 2 cups of pumpkin puree, 1 mashed banana, 1/4 cup of coconut yogurt and 1/4 cup of melted coconut oil.

Finally, fill your pie crusts, top with a small dollop of yogurt and sprinkle with cinnamon and they are ready to feed!

You can store them in the freezer to thaw before feeding, or store in the refrigerator if you’re planning to use all within a couple days.

We purposely make too much filling, because it makes a perfect Kong filling, and a great meal topper! Enjoy! Comment and let us know how your pup liked them!

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Benefits of pumpkin for dogs

Panda is one of our professional taste testers!

Most dogs are obsessed with the taste of pumpkin so you don’t need to try to convince your furry friend to eat it, in fact they’ll be begging you for more! You can freeze pumpkin in ice cube trays for a frozen snack, put some pumpkin in a Kong toy, add it to their food or simply give them some by the spoonful! Most grocery stores sell pure canned pumpkin. Just make sure you get the “pure pumpkin” as the pumpkin pie filling has too much added sugar. We always have a can or two in our pantry in case one of our dogs has an upset tummy or in case we want to spontaneously make some treats!

Digestive health

Whether your dog is having constipation or diarrhea, a tbsp of pumpkin added to their food will help solve their problems.

Weight management

Is your dog a little on the hefty side? Pumpkin is full of fiber to help keep your dog full without adding too many calories. Simply replace a portion of your dog’s food with pumpkin, there’s a good chance it’ll help them lose some weight!

Immune boosting

Pumpkin is full of antioxidants and vitamins needed to boost your dogs immune system. Kennel cough season is just around the corner, so why not give your dog’s immune system a little extra boost!

Healthy skin and coat

The moisture, vitamins and minerals in pumpkin is perfect for their skin and coat. They’re skin will be softer and less likely to have dandruff, and their coat will shine more than ever.

Pumpkin is delicious

Last but not least, pumpkin is delicious; even the pickiest dogs tend to love pumpkin. Using the delicious taste of pumpkin you can help picky dogs eat their kibble, or even to help hide a pill if your dog requires medication.