Beware of Thanksgiving Food Hazards for Your Pets…
While the temptation to share your festive feast with your family pet is strong, it’s crucial to be aware that common Thanksgiving dishes often contain ingredients that can be harmful to dogs and cats, causing either toxicity or digestive issues.
Ensure your pet stays clear of these risky holiday foods…
Turkey: Refrain from offering your pet turkey meat, especially fatty dark meat and skin. While a small amount of unseasoned white meat is acceptable, never give them leftover bones due to the choking and splintering hazards.
Garlic, Onion, Leeks, and Chives: Common in many Thanksgiving dishes, these seasonings are toxic to pets, causing damage to red blood cells. Avoid sharing anything cooked with these ingredients, such as green beans, potatoes, stuffing, or gravy.
Unbaked Dough with Yeast: Unbaked yeast dough can lead to a stomach blockage, as the yeast causes it to rise and expand. The fermentation of yeast in your pet’s stomach can also result in alcohol poisoning. When baking rolls, proof the dough in a location inaccessible to your cats and dogs.
Desserts: Keep desserts like pies, fruitcakes, or cookies out of your pet’s reach. While chocolate is commonly known to be toxic, be cautious of raisins, currants, and the sugar substitute xylitol, which is especially harmful to a dog’s diet, even in small amounts.
In addition to avoiding toxic foods, prevent your cats and dogs from scavenging for scraps in the trash. Kindly request family and guests not to feed the dog, and secure the trash can to eliminate access. If you want to dig deeper into proper pet nutrition, consider hiring a certified pet nutritionist for an online consultation.
Offer Your Furry Friends Delightful, Pet-Safe Culinary Choices Instead
Although the catalog of foods to steer clear of may feel extensive, there are still fantastic alternatives for pet-friendly Thanksgiving treats. Instead, opt for raw fruits and vegetables such as baby carrots, green beans, apples, sweet potato chunks, or unsweetened pumpkin puree (avoid the spiced pie filling).
And One Final Paws For Concern…
Ensure your pets steer clear of visitors’ bags. Along with houseguests, comes everything they carry with them, and handbags, backpacks or suitcases can be possible hazards for your pets if they stick their noses where they don’t belong. Things like sugar-free xylitol gum, candy bars, and human medication can really put a damper on your holiday plans if ingested by your pet. Have guests hang their bags on hooks rather than leaving them on the floor and keep the guest room door closed to protect your pets.
Embrace a secure and joyful holiday by following these Thanksgiving pet safety guidelines with your beloved furry companions. And please have a Happy Thanksgiving 2023!
About the Author
Petworks Co-Founder Kevin Kinyon is a life-long animal lover who works tirelessly to improve the lives of pets and their parents. Human and animal qualities he values most are integrity, humor, and empathy.
