Free Pet-Friendly Recipes for Thanksgiving Leftovers
Make small treats from plain turkey, pumpkin and green beans while skipping bones, onions and rich sides.
Yes, you can make free pet-friendly recipes from Thanksgiving leftovers with plain turkey, plain pumpkin and plain vegetables. These recipes use small portions of unseasoned foods and skip seasoned sides, bones and sweets. Plain means cooked without butter, salt, onion, garlic, gravy or marshmallows.
Holiday pet meals work as occasional treats, not daily food.
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Which plain leftovers are safer to use?
AVMA president Michael Bailey says pets can have small amounts of plain green beans or carrots, plain canned pumpkin not pie filling, and plain mashed potatoes before butter or marshmallows, as reported in this Montana Public Radio report. Use only the plain portion set aside before seasoning. Keep servings small and infrequent.
AKC Pet Insurance posts similar holiday swaps, such as raw green beans instead of casserole and plain canned pumpkin instead of pumpkin pie. Those swaps keep the treat simple. They also help you avoid rich sauces and added sugar.
What free recipes can you make?
Sunrise Boulevard Animal Hospital publishes four free Thanksgiving pet recipes, including 3-ingredient pumpkin-peanut-butter treats and unseasoned turkey-vegetable meatballs safe for dogs and cats, in these free holiday pet recipes. The meatballs use plain cooked turkey with pet-safe vegetables. The pumpkin treats use plain canned pumpkin and dog-safe peanut butter.
Use treats made for the pet's size. Cut meatballs into small bites for small dogs and cats. Save a spoonful of plain mashed potato or plain green beans as a topper instead of a full meal.
Which leftovers should stay out of the bowl?
The FDA warns dogs often grab turkey carcasses or steak bones that can lodge in the esophagus, stomach or trachea, while sharp fragments can injure mouth, esophagus and stomach, in this holiday hazard guide. Keep carcasses, bones and fatty skin out of reach. Clear plates quickly and secure trash.
The FDA also lists bones, corn cobs and avocado pits as obstruction hazards. ASPCApro reports onions and garlic in stuffing, gravy and casseroles can cause red-blood-cell damage and anemia. Do not use stuffing, gravy, creamed casseroles, pie or seasoned sides in pet recipes.
How do you serve leftovers safely?
PetPlace advises holiday pet meals are occasional treats, not daily diet replacements, and owners of pets with pancreatitis or special diets should consult a veterinarian first. Treats should stay a small part of daily intake. Pets with health conditions need extra care.
Follow these steps for each serving: Ask your veterinarian first if your pet has pancreatitis or follows a special diet.
- Set aside plain turkey, plain pumpkin, plain green beans or plain carrots before you season the family dish.
- Check for onion, garlic, bones, corn cobs, butter and sweets, then remove them.
- Serve one small treat portion at room temperature and watch for stomach upset.