It's time to pull out the shopping list again! Christmas is here and that means one thing: a receipt as long as your arm from your local supermarket.
And if there's one thing we all love more than the mad dash of cooking for a family, it's adding in the dog too! It's only fair: love all year round deserves a tasty meal with the rest of the pack.
So, can you do it? Absolutely. There are a few dietary and safety considerations you'll need to be aware of when working with food for a dog, but it's far from impossible and very much worthwhile.
Instead of suggesting an entirely new menu just to cater for your pet, we're listing here today a series of tips on what's fine and what should be avoided. You can use this to plan out your festive menu in advance to make sure that everyone in the house is included.
Meat: Yes, but no cooked bones
Generally speaking, meat comes down to the fat content. Christmas is surprisingly fine in this respect; most meats are lean and white such as turkey.
It's the accompanying fatty content that you'll want to be aware of: things like rich gravy and buttery sides can be too much for your dog's digestion and we all know what that means: an upset dinner and a dash to find paper towels.
Scrape off anything too rich (including the fatty skin on meats like turkey and chicken) and your dog will be over the moon with its protein-rich meal. Remember not to give your dog any cooked meat bones as they can splinter in their tummy and cause all sorts of problems.
Bulb vegetables: No
Be very careful with these Key offenders are garlic and onions, but you'll also need to be aware of common festive choices like shallots, leeks and chives. These are all from the onion family and all are poisonous to dogs as a result.
Garlic is worth categorising in here but is the least critical of all. Many owners find that their dogs can handle ingesting it without issues, but it can easily cause an upset stomach or general gastric issues.
Eggs: Yes
Eggs are a staple of many a Christmas menu. Whether they're accompanying the main courses or wolfed down with salmon, you can rest easy knowing that they're fine for your dog.
Once more, be careful about mixing it up. Eggs, if boiled or otherwise cooked and served alone, are fine. It's the fatty extras such as oil and butter that tend to sit alongside them that can overload your dog's digestion.
By themselves, they're a high-protein choice that is nothing but good for the average dog.
Fruit and nuts: No
Another one for the watch-list where dogs are concerned. Fruits and nuts are unfortunately toxic or poisonous to dogs in the majority and you'll want to keep a watchful eye on the ingredients lying around in case they get snarfed up.
Grapes, currants, sultanas and raisins are common offenders and walnuts are usually seen in the December month. Be sure to remove these from food or avoid cooking with them entirely for your pet's sake.
simple roast dinner for your dog
Cut out all the extras and stick to the basics. A nice bowl full of boneless meat, veg and potatoes will go down a treat!