Cottage Cheese and Pumpkin Topper

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoonsPlain low-fat cottage cheeseUnflavored and unsalted or lowest-sodium available; no chives, herbs, or fruit varieties.
• 1 tablespoonPlain canned pumpkin100% pumpkin puree only - NOT pumpkin pie filling, which contains sugar and spices.

Steps

1. Check the cottage cheese label: it should list milk and cultures, nothing flavored, and no chive or onion varieties.
2. Check the pumpkin can says 100% pumpkin - pie filling is sweetened and spiced and is not suitable.
3. Stir 2 tablespoons of cottage cheese with 1 tablespoon of pumpkin until evenly mixed.
4. Spoon one to two teaspoons over your Yorkie's regular complete meal and refrigerate the rest.

Storage

Refrigerate the mixed topper in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Do not freeze - cottage cheese separates and goes grainy.

Portion guidance

For a 2-7 lb Yorkie, one to two level teaspoons stirred into the normal meal is plenty - this is a teaspoon-scale topper, not a side dish. It counts toward the ~10% daily treat budget, so trim the base meal slightly on days you add it. Cottage cheese is a dairy food and does carry sodium, so start with half a teaspoon the first time and skip it entirely if your dog gets loose stools.