Recipe of the Month:Thanksgiving Edition

Are homemade meals a staple in your dog’s diet? Have you been thinking of phasing traditional dog food out of their meal routine? Thanksgiving is the perfect time of year to test out new recipes for your dog! Before you create the perfect meal for your family this Thanksgiving, make the perfect meal for your canine companion.

Suggested: DGP’s Apple Crunch Pupcakes

Start with simple recipes when you’re first learning to create homemade meals for your dog. Your dog’s nutritional needs may differ from your own; make sure to know the proper ingredients necessary to keep your barking buddy well fed and healthy.

The most important part of your dog’s meal is the animal protein, and in this recipe we will use ground turkey. With the holidays coming up, you can also use turkey meat. If you are a raw feeder, grab that raw turkey neck. Remember that vegetables are best served raw as they contain necessary enzymes for digestion. When we cook vegetables, we deplete those enzymes. Putting vegetables through a food processor and breaking down their cellulose walls is what makes digesting vegetables easier.

Christine Filardi, certified holistic animal chef of Bow Meow Raw, is a big fan of “extras” in her canine companion’s meals. For this meal, the extra she recommends is Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar. Raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar provides tremendous health benefits to dogs such as alleviating itchy ears and itchy feet, improved digestion, arthritis relief, and prevention of kidney and bladder stones. A 50lb.dog should get 1 TBS. of Bragg’s daily. It’s one extra her dogs get every day!

DGP’s Recipe of the Month: Ground Turkey, Couscous, and Broccoli

Makes 1 serving for a 50-pound dog

1 1/3 cups cooked ground turkey

1/2 cup cooked couscous

1 tablespoon pureed broccoli

1 TBS. Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar

In a large sauté pan over medium-low, heat the oil. Add the ground turkey and cook until it is medium-well. Drain any excess fat and set the turkey aside. If you are a raw feeder, you can use a raw turkey neck in place of ground turkey. With a meat cleaver, cut up the raw turkey neck into bite size pieces.

Prepare the couscous as directed on the package and set it aside to cool. You should have about 2 cups.

Puree the broccoli in a food processor and set it aside. You should have about ¼ cup of broccoli puree.

In your dog’s bowl, combine the turkey, couscous, and broccoli puree and mix well to combine. Top it off with Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar. Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Be sure to adjust serving size accordingly for your dog’s weight.

You can find more recipes like this and a serving size chart in Christine’s book, Home Cooking for Your Dog. For information on how to transition your pet to homemade meals, visit www.BowMeowRaw.com