Every year, during the festive season, vets all around the country have to deal dogs who have eaten things they shouldn’t have. From turkey bones stuck in stomachs to Christmas cakes going straight through, the end of December and beginning of January is always a busy time for vets.
As a dog owner myself, I understand why we as pet owners like to indulge our pets over the festive season – there’s nothing as persuasive as a dog with big eyes sitting beside the dinner table as you tuck into an enormous turkey roast or delicious Christmas pud. Resisting those eyes which are imploring you to drop a turkey wing or spoonful of pudding on the floor is sometimes next to impossible!
The problem is that all this well-meaning kindness causes lots of problems for our pets who are not usually used to digesting such rich food. Diarrhoea and vomiting are common problems on Boxing Day, as well as more serious conditions where bits of bone get stuck inside which can cause life-threatening complications (not to mention ruining the vet’s Christmas!)
With these kinds of issues in mind, I turned my thoughts to how some of these problems could be prevented – and the obvious answer is to help pet parents cook up something special for their canine companions over the festive period that is also safe and healthy and won’t lead to an unwelcome trip to the surgery!
So, based on one of the recipes from my new VetChef kitchen in Stroud, here is a recipe for a festive treat for your dog (and you as well if your dog is happy to share!):
Christmas dinner delights with turkey, sage, and carrot for dogs recipe
Ingredients:
• 60g oat flour or finely rolled oats
• 60g plain flour
• 50g coconut oil (you can use vegetable oil if you don’t have coconut oil)
• 20g carrot, finely grated
• 1 tsp turkey seasoning (make sure it’s free from onion)
• 1 tsp dried sage
• 1 egg
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C
2. Add the coconut oil to a pan and melt on a low heat until liquid, stirring regularly
3. Take off the heat, add the flour and oats and mix together well
4. Add the egg, sage, diced carrot and turkey stock powder and stir well to form a soft dough
5. Allow to cool, then form into 12 biscuits on a greased baking sheet – use a Christmas-themed cookie cutter for a more festive feeling!
6. Put into the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the surface of the cookie is lightly browned
7. Allow to cool completely before serving
Each cookie will contain around 75 kcal of energy so limit your dog to one a day per 10kg of bodyweight to make sure they don’t pile on some extra Christmas pounds.
