Thanksgiving Traditions Your Dog Will Love! 

So many of our favorite Thanksgiving dinner traditions are also nutritious options for our four-legged family members.  Our dogs and (some cats!) love pumpkin and sweet potatoes, cranberries, broccoli and green beans – all foods we often find our Thanksgiving table!    

Pumpkin    

It’s pumpkin season! Most of us love all things pumpkin and so will your dog and cat. In addition to being incredibly delicious it’s full of health benefits too.  Sweet potatoes are a good choice too as they have very similar benefits to pumpkin and are often a great choice for dogs with some food intolerance’s and can be served cooked or dehydrated too.    

Digestive Health – pumpkin is full of fiber and anti-oxidants. Just a ¼ teaspoon to one tablespoon a day (according to your pet’s size) can be beneficial in helping dogs with diarrhea or constipation. It helps out in balancing the moisture in the colon for better digestion. The fiber helps keep them more regular. It’s also bland enough to help if they have an upset stomach. Just remember a little goes a long way so don’t feed too much pumpkin to avoid any digestive upset.    

Weight Loss – Try replacing a portion of your pet’s meal with a little pumpkin. It will taste good and help keep them full longer in addition to the wonderful taste.    

Cranberries – While we love our cranberries in so many different ways our pets benefit from cranberries being in their diet to help them with your urinary health and are rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.  Cranberry helps to lower our pet’s urine ph and has the ability to prevent bacteria from adhering to the urinary bladder walls resulting in better urinary tract health and reducing the chance of creating certain crystals in the urine. Cranberry powder is the best option for your pet.     

Broccoli – Served either fresh or blanched most dogs and some cats love the taste of broccoli making a great special treat.  Rich in antioxidants it aids in fighting infections has anti-cancer properties plus it can treat skin and heart problems.  This is a great low-cost treat your dog will love everyday!    

Green Beans – A great source of plant fiber and more anti-oxidants green beans also make a great treat for our dogs who might need to lose a pound or two.  Delicious fresh or frozen – the perfect easy-to-feed treats.    

While these are great options for your pet every day, be careful on Thanksgiving Day as the often very rich dishes we prepare for ourselves will be too much for your pet’s digestive system. (See our Stuff The Turkey Not The Dog post on stuffing the turkey and not the dog this holiday season!) Helping your pet enjoy our traditions in a more healthy way will let our pets benefit every day in so many ways.  Go slow and experiment with your pet to find their new favorites.