CIRCLEVILLE – Now that you’ve recovered from Halloween, how long are you going to leave those pumpkins on the porch? Do you immediately throw them away or just leave them adding in your Thanksgiving decorations? We all know that the first few hard overnight freezes are going to leave your pumpkins a little soft. Why not put them to good use before they’re rotten?
My good friends down at the Commissioner’s Office suggested a recipe for keeping our pups healthy. And, pumpkins are the perfect addition to a dog’s diet. According to the AKC, pumpkin is loaded with nutrients and added to a dog’s regular food can provide relief from both diarrhea and constipation.
Step One – Pumpkin Puree
It is important to note that puree is different than pie filling. Do not feed your dog pie filling with spices added.
With a spoon, scoop or scrape seeds and pulp from center of pumpkin
Cut pumpkin into pieces and place on a baking sheet pan
Roast pumpkin pieces at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until the pumpkin is fork tender
Cool and remove skin
Place chunks of pumpkin pieces into a blender or food processor adding water as needed until the mixture is smooth and consistent like yogurt
There you have it, you just made pumpkin puree! Now its time to make a dog treat with it!
Step Two – Pumpkin Dog Treats
Combine pumpkin puree with two eggs and enough natural peanut butter for flavor (about ¼ cup peanut butter to 1 cup pumpkin puree)
The tricky part – add enough gluten free flour until the mixture has the consistency of cookie dough. You can buy gluten free flour at any grocery store these days.
Transfer dough to a floured surface (gluten free), roll out to ½ thickness and cut with your favorite cookie cutter.
Place onto baking sheet pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until they turn golden.
Cool, serve and enjoy!
On a more serious note, we have been working on improvements to our online dog licensing service. Soon, you will be able to purchase 2022 regular dog licenses online using the web link provided on the Auditor’s internet page. If you purchased a dog license in 2020 or 2021, you may also receive a renewal notice in the mail providing instructions on how to use the new internet service or you can bring the notice into our offices to buy in person.
In the Dog House is a newsletter sent out by Gary Cameron Chief Dog Warden Pickaway County, Ohio
