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How will your dog be spending Thanksgiving this year?
Most dogs find themselves smack dab in the middle of the holiday festivities. And many will be on the prowl for Turkey treats and dropped food particles!
For the record, we don’t give our dogs table scraps or people food except when they are sick and need a special diet to combat diarrhea or vomiting.
But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t include your pet in your Thanksgiving activities.
Following are the absolute best homemade recipes to make Thanksgiving food for dogs — including a variety of special treats as well as entire meals for dogs to enjoy on Turkey Day!
Some are so doggone healthy (and tasty!) that you can actually sit down and enjoy eating them with your dog.
Important Dog Thanksgiving Food Tips
Here are some fun ideas and dog safety tips to keep in mind as far as human Thanksgiving food is concerned:
YES
- Dogs can have cooked turkey.
- Dogs can have small amounts of turkey skin.
- Dogs can have turkey broth and things soaked in turkey broth (like their own dog bones, rice, plain potatoes, or their own dog food)
NO
- Dogs cannot have turkey bones (…just like chicken bones, they are dangerous to dogs).
- Ingesting too much turkey skin can lead to gastric distress and Pancreatitis (a serious inflammatory condition of the pancreas).
- Stay away from all the trimmings, which will inevitably lead to an upset stomach and diarrhea.
Homemade Thanksgiving Food For Dogs
Hold onto your paper turkey hats people…
These aren’t “just” dog treat recipes! These recipes are the full meal deal for your dog to be enjoyed on Thanksgiving Day:
Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes For Dogs- 7 Homemade Thanksgiving Foods And Treats For Your Dog
- A Feast Fit For Fido: Thanksgiving Dog Recipes
- 8 Easy Holiday Meals To Make For Your Dog
- You Can Share This Thanksgiving Dinner With Your Dog
- Turkey Pupcakes For Dogs
- Fun Ways To Make A Thanksgiving Feast For Your Dog
- Thanksgiving Dinner For Dogs
- Ways To Share The Thanksgiving Feast With Your Dog
Did you know that you can actually buy canned Thanksgiving dog food for this special occasion?
Two popular dog food manufacturers (Merrick and Blue Buffalo) have prepared exactly what dogs enjoy feasting on during the holidays:
So, if you’re the one who’s hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year and your dogs will be present… you will surely make everyone smile when you crack open a can of Turkey Day goodies just for the pups.
And if you’ll be traveling to someone else’s house this year for Thanksgiving and they have dogs… a fun gift for the host and hostess would be a couple of cans of dog-friendly Thanksgiving food.
As it turns out, there are even some unique Thanksgiving treats for dogs these days! For one, my longtime favorite dog treat company, Biljac (see my review of their frozen dog food treats) now makes pumpkin pie shaped dog treats that are also pumpkin flavored. How cute is that?!
Merrick also makes some high-quality Thanksgiving dog treats. Theirs are grain-free and gluten-free Turducken (turkey, duck, and chicken) bites.
Cheers to a dog-friendly Thanksgiving feast, everyone!
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I like to help Dog Parents find unique ways to do things that will save time & money — so I write about "outside the box" Dog Tips and Dog Hacks that most wouldn't think of. I’m a lifelong dog owner — currently have 2 mixed breed Golden Aussies that we found abandoned on the side of the road as puppies. I've always trained my own dogs and help friends train theirs, as well. Professionally, I worked at a vet and have several friends who are veterinarians — whom I consult with regularly. (And just because I love animals so much, I also worked at a Zoo for awhile!) I've been sharing my best ideas with others by blogging full-time since 1998 (the same year that Google started… and before the days of Facebook and YouTube). My daily motivation is to help first-time dog owners be better prepared from the first day your new puppy enters your home. I like to help dog owners understand what's 'normal' and what you can expect in terms of living with and training your dog — how to get through the ups & downs of potty training, chewing, teaching commands, getting your dog to listen, and everything else that takes place during that hectic first year! When I'm not training, walking, grooming, or making homemade treats for my dogs, you will find me at the corner of Good News & Fun Times as publisher of The Fun Times Guide (32 fun & helpful websites). To date, I've written over 500 articles for dog owners on this site!
