Wednesday 14 December 2016

Christmas Kong recipe for dogs


Christmas Kong 



Adjust the recipe according to dogs size these measurements would suit a medium-large size dog. This recipe is designed to be taken from what you are having for your own Christmas dinner, but should be taken before you add things like salt, butter or gravy.



Ingredients:
  • 30g of turkey/duck/goose
  • 10g ham
  • half a chopped carrot (raw or cooked)
  • 2 table spoons of sweet potato (mashed)
  • 2 teaspoons of loose peas/corn
  • 1 tablespoon of breadcrumbs
  • drizzle of olive oil OR 2 teaspoons of coconut oil/peanut butter

Once all the ingredients are cooked/ready combine them all in a bowl and stuff the kong.
 If there are left-overs cover the bowl and leave in fridge.
For an extra long lasting kong you can put it in freezer and give to the dog a few hours later when frozen. 

Keeping pets safe at Christmas

Keeping pets safe at Christmas 

Christmas is a busy time of year and it's easy to forget how many hazards lurk for pets. Cats love to attack the tree, and dogs want nothing more than to break into the pile of presents under the tree.
Providing safe alternatives, putting precautionary measures in place and keeping pets busy can help insure that you have a blissful Christmas with your pet.



What to avoid:

Many of the foods, drinks and even plants we have around at Christmas can be a 'no no' for cats and dogs. 
Dried fruit found in Christmas pudding can be high toxic to dogs and can even induce renal/kidney failure. It also contains things like sugar, alcohol and butter, all of which should be avoided with pets. Foods with a high fat content can sometimes cause pancreatitis if ingested by pets.

Alcohol, caffeine, dairy products  and chocolate are bad for pets year round, but there is more of them around over the holidays so be sure to keep it out of pets reach. 

Kids toys often look like dog toys to dogs so make sure to supervise children and pets to avoid upset kids if the dog chews or eats a Santa present that wasn't theirs.

If you are like me then you want your pet to enjoy the holidays as much as you do, and a big part of the holidays is the food! Refrain from sharing too much of of your Christmas dinner with your pet or giving them table scraps as these are usually high in salt and fat for your pooch or kitty.

What to have on hand:

Kongs are a great way to keep pets busy and preoccupied. You can give them their own Christmas dinner in one, you can include things  turkey, raw/gently cooked carrots, sweet potato, etc which makes for a healthy and yummy snack.

Emergency vet number- chances are you local vet office will be closed over the holidays so it is a good idea to have the number on hand so things go more smoothly in the event of an emergency.


Activated charcoal is something great to keep on hand, it can bind to and absorb toxins which puts your pet in less danger.In the evident a pet does ingest something like raisins or choclate then you can administer some before arriving to the vets office. When you call the vet they can talk you though a dosage suitable for your pet.


Safe Alternatives:

You might wonder what I mean by this, basically just giving your pet something else to do rather than what you want avoid, For example if your pet is chewing something like a Nylabone they can't chew tree decoration at the same time( though some might try lol).

If you would rather you cat not explore the Christmas tree, which is kind of a cat wonderland land when you think about it then make sure they have something more interesting to do, try things like hiding food and treats on cat trees and adding some catnip, even tie ribbons and toys to the cat tree (make it as festive as you like) so that they are kept busy with this.

You are only limited by your imagination here so feel free to get creative. I will post more ideas for this so make sure to subscribe to the blog for updates :)



Stay safe and enjoy!!







Wednesday 16 November 2016

Easy homemade stew for dogs

Ingredients:

  • 250g of pearl barley 
  • 400g turkey mince 
  • bag of carrots (5-6)
  • 1 sweet potato
  • 100g of chicken liver
  • teaspoon of coconut oil
  • 2 teaspoons of salmon oil 



Method: 

  • Boil kettle of water (about a litre)
  • Add to large pot 
  • Turn up to a high heat on stove & bring to the boil 
  • Peel & roughly chop the sweet potato
  • Wash carrots & chop off the end, leave the skin on and chop.
  • Add the 250g of pearl barley to the pot of boiling water
  • Dice the livers
  • Add mince and livers to the stew 
  • Add the carrots and sweet potato 
  • Leave boiling for 10 minutes
  • Bring to a low heat for a further 30 minutes
  • Leave to cool

This recipe would last two large dogs 5-6 days if even as a treat or to complement meals, portions can be frozen.