German Salad

Ingredients:

• Cucumber
• Apple
• Green Beans
• Some cubes of tofu

Preparation:

• Clean the green beans and put them to boil.
• Wash apple and cucumber. Cut them into thin slices.
• When the green beans are cooked, drain and cut them into small pieces.
• Put all together, add some cubes of tofu and a drizzle of olive oil.

Tip: Some dogs prefer the cucumber into cubes because they can eat it better. Try it and discover the taste of your furry friends! As it used in Germany, apple in the salad goes well with cucumber!

Dehydrated soybeans with Lentils

Ingredients:

• Dehydrated soybeans
• Lentils
• Carrots
• Oats

Preparation:

• Cook the lentils in a pot with a chopped carrot.
• When the lentils are cooked and soft, add the dehydrated soybeans and stir so that the sauce of the lentils rehydrates it.
• As soon as everything is ready, let it cool.
• Sprinkle with oats and serve!

EASY!

Tips: If you use fresh lentils, as we do, you will put them to soak the night before. If you use a more practical tin, wash them very well in order to eliminate preservatives and additives as much as possible.

Forbidden Food: Garlic

Garlic, raw, cooked, or powder is harmful more than onion.

It is dangerous and if dogs ingest it in large doses, it impairs the ability to transport oxygen in the red blood cells. The process can lead to anemia and even death.

The key to use garlic safely in dog diet is the dosage and frequency of use. Garlic in small amounts, just a little flake and very occasionally, helps to eliminate intestinal parasites .

However,  garlic should not be administered in any way to dogs if they are anemic or in case they are going through a surgery. Even for puppies, up to two months, it is very harmful because they begin to reproduce red blood cells only after  two months.

Keep it out of their reach, and if you notice that they have ingested some garlic, consult your vet immediately.

Photo credits Francesco Baiocchi. Visit his page facebook/frbaiocchi and add your LIKE!

Pumpinks

This cute fruit is rich in substances that are very important for the immune system of our furry friends, such as vitamin A, C, E, iron, magnesium.

Especially in winter season, therefore, we recommend you to cook for all the family some good dishes made with pumpkin!

It is also a food that helps their digestion and intestinal transit thanks to the fiber present in the fruit. Pumpkins is a natural remedy in case of constipation or diarrhoea.

Pumpkin gets also antioxidant properties and naturally helps to keep the urinary tract clean.
You will notice, therefore, that after eating pumpkin your friends have to pee one more time.

Do not exceed, as a general rule, dosis have to be always be balanced.

You can prepare it steamed, boiled, mashed, baked, in risotto, be creative!

Important: Always remove the seeds

Forbidden Food: Chocolate

Chocolate contains a substance called theobromine that neither dogs or cats can metabolise.

This toxic component accumulates in the blood causing serious systemic effects. The symptoms of intoxication occur rapidly, in a few hours, and include vomiting, diarrhoea, hyperactivity, tachycardia, tremors, seizures, loss of consciousness, coma and death in severe cases.

So, no exception! No chocolate or any cocoa based product for our pets! We have to resist to their eyes, they do not know that it is toxic and we have a duty to protect them.

Actually, for us it is great news, so that we can keep all the chocolate for ourselves! But we tend to eat it hidden from them to avoid their begging eyes!

Vegetables Soup

Ingredients:

• Carrot
• Courgette
• Corn
• Beetroot
• Radishes
• Potatoes
• Beans
• Small pasta for soup

Preparation:

• Clean and cut the veggies. No onions!
• Put them in a pan and cover with water. Light the fire and let them cook.
• When vegetables are almost ready, add the pasta. No salt!
• When everything is cooked, let it cool down and serve!

Tips:
We use to prepare this soup for all of us, humans and dogs. What is important is not to use onion, salt, pepper and none of the harmful ingredients for dogs. You can salt to your dish once served.

If you prefer, you can use noodles, rice, cereals instead of pasta. Be creative!

A Natural Remedy for Dogs suffering from Motion Sickness: Gingerbread Cookies

Gingerbread cookies and ginger are a great natural remedy for four-legged friends who suffer from motion sickness. Moreover they are a great Christmas treat idea 😉

Gingerbread Biscuits

Ingredients:

• 250 gr of flour or organic flour
• 45 gr Olive Oil
• A teaspoon of minced fresh ginger
• Half a glass of soy milk or other vegetable milk

Preparation:

• Sift the flour and add the ginger. Add the oil and milk little by little.
• Knead until mixture is smooth and compact.
• If necessary, add more milk or flour.
• Once ready, wrap in cling film and let rest in the fridge for half an hour.
• After this time, roll out the dough with a rolling pin about half a centimeter thick, helping with a sprinkling of flour to prevent the dough from sticking.
• Let’s shape the cookies.
• Place them on a baking sheet and cook for about 20 min (oven heated to 180°) until they have taken a nice golden color.

Facts: ginger is a natural remedy for nausea.

Porridge

Ingredients:

• Oats
• Dehydrated soybean
• Corn
• Banana

Preparation:

• Put in a saucepan oats and soybean. Add some water and let it re-hydrate, if necessary, add some more until the soybean is re-hydrated and the mixture soft and not watery.
• Add chopped banana and a little bit of pre-washed and pre-cooked corn ad well.
• Stir, let it cool and serve!

Tips:
If the final mixture is too thick, add some water.
Corn and oat are great, because they are gluten free.
Such as legumes, corn has an external fibber skin, and therefore, is not digested by our furry friends. That is why it will be present in the fices.
Do not worry, everything’s fine!
If your dog suffers from digestive colitis problems, we suggest you to over boil the corn in order to make it more digestible.

Forbidden Food: Onions and Cabbages

Onions, including powder onion, and all varieties of cabbage are extremely harmful to dogs. They contain the n-propyl disulfide , a substance that destroys the red blood cells circulating , thus causing anemia, which can result in some cases to be fatal. The symptoms are vomit, diarrhea, and dark colored urine. They normally appear from 1 to 4 days after the ingestion of even small amounts of onion or any cabbage. As cabbages we refer to all varieties: cauliflower, broccoli, spring greens,  collard greens, kohlrabi, black cabbage, broccoli or turnip greens, savoy cabbage, brussels sprouts and chinese kale.

Ethnic: Noodles with Veggies

Ingredients:

• Flour
• Water
• Pepper
• Potato
• Courgette
• Olive Oil

Preparation:

• Make a dough with flour and water. Cover in flour the work surface, take a small piece of dough and place it between the palms of your hands. Roll it and turn it into a long noodle. Place it on the work surface, roll it in the flour and cut into shorter pieces.
• When you have finished cutting the noodle, move aside, and boil some water.
• Take the veggies and cut them into discs and cook with a little of olive oil in a pan.
• When the water boils, throw in the noodles and let them cook for 2-3 minutes. Drain and add them to the vegetables in the pan.
• Stir, serve and let cool.

We confess that we were about to eat them istead of feeding our little furry friends!