Keep Your Pet Away From Your Thanksgiving Feast
This Thanksgiving many families will be spending time at home instead of traveling to family gatherings due to the Covid-19 pandemic. While that means more family time for pets, instead of boarding at the clinic, it also means they may encounter more foodborne hazards. Tempting as it is to share our holiday feast with our furry friends, Thanksgiving foods can put pets in danger, causing severe intestinal distress and sickness.
Here are some helpful tips to keep your pet safe and happy during the holidays and beyond.
Pets Should Avoid These Foods
Most people may not be aware of the dangers a typical Thanksgiving feast can cause your pet. Below are some foods your pet should avoid.
Turkey - Never give your pet raw or undercooked turkey. This can contain salmonella bacteria and cause severe intestinal distress. Even small amounts of turkey or turkey skins can lead to a condition known as pancreatitis. (Pancreatitis is a life-threatening condition causing inflammation of the pancreas, resulting in pain and swelling.)
Also, make sure you don’t give your pet a leftover turkey carcass. They contain bones that are hard to digest and become lodged in their intestinal tract.
Onions/Raisins/Grapes – While these are good foods for people to eat, they can be poisonous to pets.
Additional foods your pet should avoid include chocolate, nuts, dough, and foods with the artificial sweetener xylitol. Ingesting these foods can cause severe vomiting and diarrhea, while xylitol can be deadly to dogs and cats.
If you believe your pet has eaten something she/he shouldn’t have, call the clinic immediately.
Create A Pet-Friendly Feast
Even though there may seem like a lot of foods that are off limits for your pet, consider these healthy options you can provide for a pet-friendly Thanksgiving feast.
There are some raw vegetables and fruits that offer healthy, safe alternatives. Choice options include baby carrots, green beans, apples, chunks of sweet potato, or pumpkin puree (not the sweetened, spiced pie filling).
With so many changes to our traditional holiday gatherings this year, we hope this information helps keep furry family members safe.
Have a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving.
Julie Grimes, DVM
