Don't forget your pooch when baking for the holidays

This time of the year, especially this year, we're all thinking about giving thanks, family, tradition and food.

Cooking dinner on Thanksgiving for family and friends becomes a focus for many people. We can also include making a special Thanksgiving treat for our dogs.

We're all becoming more concerned about what our dogs are eating. Since a lot of people are cooking for their dogs, whether it is feeding them a complete homemade diet or occasionally baking a batch of homemade treats, we want them to eat healthy. There are a lot of healthy treat recipes for our dogs available.

Many recipes include pumpkin, which is good for your dog's digestion and appropriate for this Thanksgiving season.

The following recipe is from the "Healthy Dog Cookbook" by Jonna Anne with Mary Straus, canine nutritionist, and Shawn Messonnier, DVM veterinary consultant.

As always, consult your veterinarian with any questions regarding diet and nutrition for your dog.

Fall Bites

½ cup pumpkin puree (made from 1 lb/450 g fresh pumpkin, cooked and mashed) or canned pumpkin - not pumpkin mix

4 tbsp. blackstrap molasses

2 cups (9 oz/250 g) wheat flour

4 tbsp. water

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

¼ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Blend together the pumpkin puree, molasses, water, and vegetable oil.

Stir in the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda to form a soft dough.

Roll the dough into balls, put on a baking sheet, flatten them, and prick with a fork.

Bake for 25 minutes or until hard and crisp.

Fall Bites will keep up to two weeks in an airtight container.

In addition to healthy foods for our dogs, remember there are foods that can be dangerous to our pets, including alcoholic beverages, chocolate, any candy containing the sweetener Xylitol, grapes and raisins. Also avoid giving your dog table scraps, especially bones. Bones can splinter easily, causing serious health problems or even death.

Thanksgiving festivities and guests may be stressful on our dogs, so provide them with a calm, safe place with their food, water, toys and soft music.

After the Thanksgiving festivities, take your dog for a nice, slow walk around the block. Dogs are great company when you want to reflect and give thanks.

Happy Thanksgiving!

• The Buddy Foundation, 65 W. Seegers Road, Arlington Heights, is an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization. Call (847) 290-5806 or visit www.thebuddyfoundation.org.