Take our advice

Cooking for your pet is great fun for you and your family. Of course it can be quite rewarding for your furry taste tester as well. However, there are a few tips to keep in mind when whipping up those special “paw”liday treats. 
    Judy Goodman of KC Goodies advises that just like humans, pets can get salmonella poisoning, so make sure you wash your hands, cutting utensils, and surfaces after handling raw meat. And don’t feed your pet raw eggs. Additionally, remember that some ingredients may not be good for your dog or cat. “[Pets] do not digest lactose, nor do they handle spices, butter, sugar, and foods prepared with heavy fats and sauces,” Goodman says. “As much as we’d like to include them in all the holiday fun, it’s important to remember that their digestive systems are comparable to a 2-year-old human. With that in mind, be cautious when preparing food for them during the holidays and throughout the year.”
    Goodman adds that any new foods should be introduced in small amounts and to make sure your pet is getting a balanced diet, with protein, vegetables, and some type of complex carbohydrate such as potatoes or yams. When cooking vegetables, Goodman suggests parboiling (to partially boil) them, even if you’re serving a raw diet. Dogs and cats digest food faster than we do and parboiling will ensure that food vitamins will have a better chance of being absorbed into their systems. Lastly, make sure the ingredients you are using are fresh. We do want the best for our little ones, right?
    The folks at Three Dog Bakery maintain that you should avoid feeding your pets any food and treats that contain artificial preservatives, chemicals, and coloring agents. In their book Cooking the Three Dog Bakery Way, Three Dog Bakery owners Mark Beckloff and Dan Dye advise that if you can’t pronounce it, your pet shouldn’t eat it.

According to the ASPCA’s Animal Control Poison Center
(www.ASPCA.org), never feed the following foods to your pet:

•    Alcoholic beverages
•    Avocado
•    Chocolate (all forms)
•    Coffee (all forms)
•    Fatty foods
•    Macadamia nuts
•    Moldy or spoiled foods
•    Onions, onion powder
•    Raisins and grapes
•    Salt
•    Yeast dough
•    Garlic
•    Products sweetened with xylitol