Fall is a wonderful season for fresh fruits and veggies! Whether it’s butternut squash or Macintosh apples, what’s in season is very tasty. And with all of the delicious fall dishes you can make (pumpkin pie, butternut squash soup, apple crumble), you can’t help but feel a little sad when your pup watches you make foods that they can’t have. Despite the fact that you can’t feed them these tasty meals, you can still give them some parts of the meal! Here are a few fun fall leftovers for your dog:
Pumpkin Puree
A classic traditional dish, pumpkin pie requires few ingredients to make. I often use the canned pumpkin puree, and am always left with a little bit extra. Pumpkin is often recommended as a means of helping aid digestion for doggies, but they also quite enjoy the taste of it. If you have some leftover puree, pour it into an ice cube tray and let it freeze. Once frozen, you can take one out and give it to your pup as a treat! I also recommend adding a bit of natural peanut butter to make it irresistible.
Apple peels
If you’re not making pumpkin pie, you’re probably making apple pie! With so many wonderful apples in season, it’s hard not to indulge in a little baking during the fall. Once you have peeled and cored the apples for your pie, keep the peels aside (removing any seeds from the mix). Place the peels in the fridge, and mix them into your pups food at dinner time. You can also stuff the apple peels in a kong, as a fun and distracting treat.
Carrot peels and sweet potato ends
Planning on making a nice carrot and sweet potato soup? Here’s another great dish where you can keep discarded bits for your dog’s dinner or snack! Instead of discarding the ends and peels, throw them in a blender with some blueberries. You can then add this mixture to their dinner or mix with a bit of yogourt and freeze in an ice cube tray.
Meaty bones and organ meats
You will probably never meet a dog that doesn’t like meat! Bones and organ meats are tasty snacks that contribute to a healthy diet for dogs. Something very important to note when feeding bones is that you should never feed cooked bones. This is because cooked bones can splinter and cause choking or internal damage to your pup.
If you feel comfortable feeding them bones and organ meats, I always recommend freezing the bones first. Use a cookie sheet or small flat tray and place parchment paper on the tray. Place the uncooked bones on the tray and let them freeze. When they’re ready, you can give your dog the bone or meats to chew on or add it to their dinner! As a rule of thumb, be sure to watch your dog when they eat the bones to ensure they have eaten them safely.
You can feed your dog any part of the animal you’re cooking, so you might want to save them some parts you don’t plan to cook. Some of these parts could include: turkey necks, turkey feet, chicken backs, liver, spleen, heart etc. I suggest leaving out the fatty bits because they aren’t as good for your dog’s health.
If your dog has never been fed raw, they may have some digestive upset from raw meat. This is not unusual if they aren’t used to that kind of food. If you have any concerns, you can always feed these extra parts in small portions.
Bonus: feeding frozen food and bones is a great way to clean your dog’s teeth!
This concludes some fun fall leftovers you can feed your pups. Do you have any fun recipes you’d like to share? Comment below to let us know!