With the weather providing relief from the summer heat, it is time to explore what safe fall treats can we share with our dogs? There are several tasty and nutritional fall flavors we can include in our pets’ diet, adding healthy fruits and veggies.

While you are peeling and cutting apples for that delicious homemade pie, know it is safe to share with your pet. The important thing is to make sure you first remove the seeds and core. Apples are a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, and dietary fiber. Vitamin A supports improve skin and coat health and vitamin C aids in the proper development of muscles and bones during the early stages of life and allows older dogs to remain healthy.

Potatoes are a comfort food, accompanying many main hearty dishes throughout the fall season. They contain a lot of iron, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6, calcium, and magnesium. Potatoes are safe to give your dog if they are washed, peeled, plain and boiled or baked. Avoid giving your dog mashed potatoes as these tend to contain butter, milk or seasoning, and avoid sharing raw potatoes as they can irritate your pet’s stomach.

Sweet potatoes are great for digestive health due to being high in dietary fiber. They are also packed with additional nutrients including magnesium, antioxidant beta-carotene, and vitamins B6 and C. As with regular potatoes, only give your dog washed, peeled, cooked and unseasoned sweet potatoes that have cooled down. Steaming or boiling sweet potatoes helps to retain more nutritional value than roasting and avoid sharing sugary sweet potato pies and casseroles.

Before whipping up a pumpkin pie, know that it is safe to share canned pumpkin with your dog. Plain canned pumpkin is the recommended type of pumpkin to give your pet and avoid raw or sugary pie filling. The nutritional benefits of pumpkin include zinc which is helpful in improving your pets skin and coat, vitamin A which is important for vision health, vitamin C to boost the immune system. Pumpkin also slows the aging process with its antioxidant beta-carotene.

Peanut Butter & Pumpkin Dog Treats

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin (100% pumpkin with no sugar or other ingredients added)
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*F (175*C).
2. Mix together the flour, eggs, pumpkin, peanut butter, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl. Add water as needed to make the dough workable.
3. Roll the dough into a 1/2-inch thick roll. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
4. Bake in preheated oven until hard, about 40 minutes.

As with humans, cranberries can improve your dog’s bladder health, and are rich in antioxidants, supporting their immune system and decreasing inflammation. Cranberries are packed with vitamins including vitamin C, fiber and potassium. They can reduce tartar and plaque buildup, fight bacteria and help prevent cancer. Some pet foods use cranberries for their history of being a nutrient-packed superfood. Cranberries can be fed to your pet raw, cooked or dried. However, feeding your pet large amounts of cranberries can cause an upset stomach. It is advised to talk to the veterinarian before adding cranberries to your pet’s diet.

Before you make green bean casserole, remember it is safe to feed your dog green beans, as long as they are plain and not seasoned. Green beans are packed with magnesium, vitamin C, dietary fiber, folate, copper, vitamin B1, chromium, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, choline, vitamin A, niacin, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins B12 and B6 and vitamin E. They are a low-fat treat and are proven to be beneficial in helping dogs lose weight.

Additional Foods Safe for Dogs: Bananas, Blueberries, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cantaloupe, Carrots, Celery, and Cucumbers.