Pet-safe festive foods

Many of us want to involve our furry family member in Christmas celebrations – and festive meals are no exception! But do you know which foods are pet-safe and which can be dangerous? In the Christmas spirit, we’ve coded some common yuletide foods as green or red.

Green foods = safe
Unless your pet has food sensitivities/allergies, these foods are generally safe if given freshly cooked, in small quantities:

Turkey meat, particularly the white meat – and remember to remove the fatty skin.
Fish e.g. salmon.
Prawns (ensure the shell and gut are removed).
Vegetables, such as potato, pumpkin, sweet potato, carrots, peas.
Red foods = dangerous
These foods can be toxic or dangerous to pets!

Turkey stuffing – can contain onion and garlic (which are toxic to pets).
Ham – high-fat content (can trigger pancreatitis).
Smoked salmon – high salt content (can be harmful for pets with high blood pressure, heart disease, or kidney disease).
Christmas pudding or mince pies – contain sultanas/raisins (toxic).
Chocolate or cacao – contains theobromine (toxic).
Coffee beans – contain caffeine (toxic).
Foods sweetened with xylitol (toxic).
Grapes (toxic).
Cooked bones – often break into sharp splinters, which can cause mouth injuries, broken teeth or gut obstructions.

Dog-friendly Christmas cookies

Provided no one in the household is allergic to peanuts, consider summoning your inner Masterchef to whip up these delicious dog-friendly cookies by “The Cookie Rookie”, using your favourite Christmas-themed cookie cutters!

Method

Preheat oven to 175°C.
Combine flour, baking powder, and egg in a large bowl.
Add peanut butter, water and honey, and mix until dough becomes firm and sticky.
On a lightly-floured surface, roll the dough to ½ inch thick.
Cut out your cookies.
Bake for 20 minutes until golden.
When cooled, bestow your delicious gifts upon your dog (one or two per day!).

Ingredients
2.5 cups wholewheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup natural peanut butter
1 cup water
2 tbsp honey
1 egg