Tag Archive for: food

Easy Dog-Friendly Strawberry Pancake Recipe

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Easy Dog-Friendly Strawberry Pancake Recipe

Looking for a recipe for dog-friendly strawberry pancakes? We have you covered! To celebrate this upcoming National Strawberry Day (February 27, 2023) and National Pancake Day (February 21, 2023) we’d like to share this dog-friendly strawberry pancake recipe.

Ingredients
For the pancakes:

  • 1 medium egg
  • ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (160 g) buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoon all-natural peanut butter (unsalted)
  • ½ cup (70 g) buckwheat flour
  • 2 tablespoons (20 g) quick-cook polenta
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 2-3 tablespoons water
  • Oil for cooking

For the peanut butter drizzle:

  • 2 x tablespoons of peanut butter
  • 1 x tablespoon of warm water

For the topping

  • 150g strawberries washed and chopped

Directions

  1. In a medium bowl, beat the egg. Mix in the buttermilk and peanut butter. Mix in the buckwheat flour, polenta and baking powder. The batter should be thick, but be able to drizzle off a spoon very slowly.
  2. If the consistency of your batter looks too thick, add small amounts of water a spoonful at a time. Let sit for 10 minutes.
  3. Heat a griddle to a medium heat. Add oil to the griddle and add the batter. If you happen to have a dog bone cookie cutter handy, pour the batter into the cookie cutter and spread to the edges using a spoon.
  4. Cook for around 2 minutes, until the underside is golden brown. Flip and cook for an additional minute, until both sides are golden brown.
  5. To make the peanut butter drizzle, mix 2 tablespoons of peanut butter with 1 tablespoon of water. Depending on your choice of peanut butter, you may need to slightly adjust the amount of water to get a runny consistency. To serve, drizzle the pancakes with peanut butter and fresh strawberries

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Dog Friendly Picnic Food

Dog Friendly Picnic Food

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Dog Friendly Picnic Food

Summer is right around the corner which means you’ll want have some dog friendly picnic food. Picnics are a great low-cost way to have fun outdoors. You don’t need a lot of ingredients to make a wonderful picnic. Many of these dog-friendly foods are also great for you and your friends to snack on as well.

What Foods To Bring

  • Unseasoned Cooked Chicken
  • Blueberries
  • Apple Slices
  • Carrots
  • Cucumber
  • Green Beans
  • Watermelon
  • Plenty of Water

This is just a short list of dog friendly picnic foods. Many of these also have the added benefit of hydration. Keeping your pets hydrated is important. Always keep a few extra bottles of water on hand for your pup. Especially if you plan to be out all day.

What Foods to Avoid

There are a lot of foods your dog should avoid. Fortunately, many of these are not common picnic fare. We’ve put together a short list of common picnic foods to avoid giving your dog.

  • Grapes
  • Chocolate
  • Nuts – Nuts are high in fat and can be a choking hazard
  • Chicken Bones – Make sure these are properly disposed of

If you are going to bring any of the foods to avoid, make sure to keep an eye on them at all times. Place any uneaten food either back in the cooler or in the trash. You’d be amazed at how quickly dogs can get into things!

Dog Friendly Picnic Foods Infographic

What are your dogs favorite picnic foods? Let us know in the comments.

Can Dogs Eat Pumpkin And Do They Like It?_Header

Can Dogs Eat Pumpkin And Do They Like It?

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Can Dogs Eat Pumpkin And Do They Like It?_Header

Can Dogs Eat Pumpkin And Do They Like It?

Yes! Dogs can eat pumpkin. Many dog treat recipes include pumpkin but you do need to keep a few things in mind.

Is pumpkin pie filling the same thing as pumpkin?

Dogs cannot eat seasoned pumpkin pie filling. If you are going to buy canned pumpkin for your pup make sure it’s either made for dogs or is plain. Many of the seasonings in pumpkin pie filling are toxic to dogs and should not be consumed.

Can my dog have pumpkin seeds?

Your dog can have pumpkin seeds but they can pose a choking hazard. Pumpkin seeds can serve as a natural dewormer as they contain cucurbitin. Cucurbitin paralyzes parasites which helps remove them from your dogs digestive track. Always consult your veterinarian before administering a natural dewormer. Pumpkin seeds can help mild cases but more severe cases may be require a stronger dewormer that only can be prescribed.

Are there any other benefits to pumpkin?

Pumpkin is high in fiber which makes it a staple in my panty for when my dog is constipated or has diarrhea. Fiber helps to push things out and firm them up. Pumpkin is loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.

  • Vitamin A
  • Vitamin C
  • Zinc
  • Magnesium

Are the highest vitamins and minerals pumpkin

Does my dog even like pumpkin?

We can’t ask our canine companions if they like pumpkin directly but if we could they would probably say yes! Dogs seem to enjoy pumpkin as they enjoy many treats made with it. They also will happily eat up pumpkin put over their foods or stuffed into a toy. Of course, your dog may not like pumpkin. That’s okay! There’s loads of other foods out there that provide many of the same benefits that pumpkin does.

When you give your dog pumpkin, start with a few teaspoons. Larger dogs may need a few tablespoons before you notice any benefits – especially true when using pumpkin for it’s soluble fiber.

What can I do with pumpkin?

We’ve mentioned treats and that is by far the most common way dogs consume pumpkin. Here are some of our favorites

You can also put pumpkin on top of your dogs food, mix it in with their wet food, or add goats milk to it. Pumpkin can also be stuffed into toys like KONG to make a tantalizing treat.

Does your dog like pumpkin? What is your dogs favorite way to eat pumpkin? Let us know in the comments or @WetNosesPetSitting.

Kitty Casserole – Homemade Cat Treat Recipe

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Kitty Casserole - Homemade Cat Treat Recipe Header

Kitty Casserole – Homemade Cat Treat Recipe

If your cat is a picky eater, or you just want to try something fun, give this fish kitty casserole a try! It is a lot of fun and easy to make, and is sure to peak the interests of your kitty!

Ingredients:

  • 1 can of tuna or salmon
  • 1 teaspoon of honey
  • 1/2 can of your cat’s favorite food
  • 1 teaspoon of dry cat food or treats

Directions:

  1. Combine all of the wet ingredients in a bowl.
  2. Pour into a Tupperware or small casserole dish.
  3. Top with dry food or treats.
  4. Serve a small amount to your kitty.

Feed this casserole in moderation, 1-2 tablespoons per day. Store in a closed container, in the refrigerator, for up to a week.

 

Kitty Casserole - Homemade Cat Treat Recipe Card

Did you try out our fish kitty casserole? Let us know @WetNosesPetSitting or #WetNosesPetSitting. Want another cat treat recipe? Try our Tuna Yum Yums.

The Pros & Cons Of A Raw Food Diet For Your Dog

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The Pros & Cons Of A Raw Food Diet For Your Dog

You might have heard your friends talking about feeding a raw diet, but what exactly is a raw diet? Is it giving your dog a raw steak from the local butcher? Not quite! Raw food for pets is still relatively new on store shelves but this raw food isn’t the same as ours. Raw food for pets is made to be a complete meal that provides everything your pet needs to live a happy, healthy life. But what are the pros and cons of feeding a raw diet?

Pros:

  1. Increased excitement for meal time: Some pet parents think their pets are picky eaters but in reality they’re just bored of what they’ve been getting. A raw diet can increase meal time excitement.
  2. Maintain weight or lose weight: Raw diets are deal for maintaining or loosing weight as they mimic what they would eat in the wild.
  3. Improved health: Raw diets can provide many health benefits such as: improved digestion, better skin and coat health, and increased energy.
  4. Less poop or less frequent: On an all raw diet ideally feces will turn grey and flake away after a few days. That means less pooper scooping. Some owners report their dog is still wanting going out as much but often times bowel movements are smaller.
  5. Better odor and breath: Raw diets can help with pet odor including eliminating that corn chip smell some dogs paws have from a diet too high in carbohydrates. It can also help make breath fresher as raw diets can naturally clean teeth.

Cons:

  1. Cost: Raw diets can be more expensive than kibble (dry food) depending on the size of your dog and what you currently are feeding.
  2. Bacteria in raw meat: While raw diets are tested to be safe, you are handling raw meat which means if handled improperly could lead to pathogens such as salmonella and E. coli infecting humans.
  3. Unbalanced diet: It’s important to do research before feeding your dog an all raw diet to ensure they are getting all the proper nutrients they need. Many owners are tempted to give their dogs only raw meat. This not only could lead to pathogens but it could also lead to a sick pet.
  4. Time consuming: For those owners preparing their dogs food, time can be a huge factor. Is your pet food frozen? You will still have to remember to let the food thaw in the fridge before serving (unless your pet likes it frozen solid).
  5. Less convenient: Raw diets do not travel well. Many hotels do not have a freezer large enough to accommodate the amount of raw you may need to bring. Certain brands of raw may not be available to purchase at your destination either.

Raw diets aren’t for everybody and that’s ok. Some pet parents feed all raw, others only do a meal or two each week, and some don’t do any raw. Perhaps you can make it one of your New Years resolutions to incorporate more raw into your pets diet. If you’re thinking about raw there are many different brands on the market to suit every need. Here are a few of the top raw commercial dog food brands on the market:

Benefits of Raw Feeding InfographicWhat do you feed your pet? Let us know in the comments or @WetNosesPetSitting. Curious about cats? This information applies to cats too.

What Can Your Pets Eat on Christmas? Header

What Can Your Pets Eat on Christmas?

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What Can Your Pets Eat on Christmas? Header

What Can Your Pets Eat on Christmas?

What can your pets eat on Christmas and what should you avoid? Christmas is a wonderful time of the year and the last thing you need is a late night trip to the emergency vet. We’ve compiled a list of things you should avoid feeding your pets this Christmas.

Avoid These Foods

  • Turkey skin
  • Cooked bones
  • Stuffing
  • Raisins or Grapes
  • Onion or Garlic
  • Fat Trimmings
  • Chocolate
  • Candied Yams
  • Bread Dough
  • Alcohol

Enjoy These Foods

  • Turkey – no skin
  • Green Beans – unseasoned
  • Baked Squash – unseasoned
  • Pet Treats

Bocce’s Bakery makes fun, festive treats that make great stocking stuffers that a thematic for the holiday.

What if my pet gets into something they shouldn’t?

It happens! Depending on what they have gotten into and the amount they may only have a belly ache. Things like alcohol, chocolate (especially dark chocolate), and large amounts of any of the things listed under avoid can be dangerous. If you notice your pet acting strangely, seek veterinary care.

What Can Your Pets Eat on Christmas? Inforgraphic

Looking for ideas of how to involve your pets in Christmas? We have you covered. Involving your pets in Christmas can be great fun as long as it is done safely.