Wednesday, September 19, 2012

A taste of fall



Unfortunately all of our pups today were extremely busy playing and enjoying the cool weather.  So instead of having one of our canine friends sit down and tell us about their day we decided to blog about a seasonal delight for your pups!
 
Fall is here!  Well… technically it will officially be autumn this weekend.  It was certainly in the air today at Preferred Pet Care, low 70’s, high 60’s.  Soon it will be brisk air, leaves falling, apple and pumpkin picking and before you know it Thanksgiving.  I decided to take my pup’s apple picking this past weekend.  And of course I ended up with a surplus of apples.  What can I do with all these apples?  Apple bread?  Apple Pie?  Apple strudel?  Apple Cake?  Apple Turnovers?  Hmm… what about Apple dog treats?  My pups love Apples!  

Apples are nutritional powerhouses for humans, they have tons of fiber, Vitamin A and C, Omega-3 and -6, antioxidants, flavonoids, and polyphenols.  They also are great for dogs too (not the seeds though).  The seeds of apples contain a form of cyanide, which our systems can filter out, however our pups can’t.  Though just like with anything you should speak with your veterinarian before changing your pet’s diet, and remember everything in moderation.  Too many apples can lead to diarrhea and because of their high sugar content weight gain.  

What about homemade apple dog treats?  Doesn’t your pup deserve a treat?  Well, I decided why not treat Dallas & Natalya to a little treat while my husband enjoys his baked apple treats.  I decided to try my hand at making homemade apple dog treats.  

Don’t worry the recipe is a simple enough to make with your kids (or husband).

Ingredients: 2 ½ cups whole wheat flour, ½ cup cornmeal, 1 finely chopped or grated apple (depending on the size you can increase it to 2 if they are small apples), 1 egg beaten, ½ cup vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon brown sugar,  and  ½ cup cold water.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease cookie sheets.  Blend together the flour and cornmeal in a large mixing bowl, then incorporate the apples, egg, oil, brown sugar, and water until it’s is blended.  (Just until all the ingredients are wet.)  Sprinkle some flour and roll out the dough to your desired thickness.  (I’d suggest about an inch so it’s easy and thick enough to move onto the cookie sheets).  Cut cookies into desired shapes and sizes.  Why not use a doggie bone cookie cutter?  Or maybe a gingerbread person cookie cutter?  Place cut out treats on a baking sheet and bake for ~35 minutes then turn off the oven and leave the cookies in there for another 30-45 minutes until they’re crisp.  Voila!  Look at you!  You just made homemade dog treats!  And of course the last part to this, give it to your pup (after it cools of course) and let them enjoy!

My pups absolutely loved this recipe & I’m sure it put them in the mood for fall.  I hope you, your family, and of course your pup(s) enjoyed our little taste of fall this week!



*Blog written by Crystal at Preferred Pet Care.  She has a background in Pre-Veterinary Medicine and has taken animal nutrition courses.  Crystal is currently attending culinary school.*
 

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