Thanksgiving Tips

While we all look forward to the holiday season with family, friends, and feasts, a few precautions can help ensure our pets are thankful too. Check out the following tips to ensure a Happy Thanksgiving for all.

• If you decide to feed your pet a little bit of turkey, make sure it is cooked thoroughly and boneless.  No turkey bones or undercooked meat should be fed to pets. Bones can splinter and cause a perforation of the intestinal tract or cause intestinal blockage. Undercooked meat may contain salmonella bacteria. Dispose of turkey carcasses and bones, and anything used to wrap or tie the meat, such as strings, bags, and packaging in a covered, tightly secured trash bag placed in a closed trash container outdoors

• Do not feed your pet rich or high-fat foods such as ham, gravy, turkey skin or desserts, just to name a few.  They could cause stomach upset, diarrhea or even pancreatitis which is a very serious and sometimes fatal condition caused by the inflammation of the pancreas. Onions, raisins, and grapes are also poisonous to pets.

• No bread dough. When raw bread dough is ingested it can rise in your pet’s stomach which could become a life-threatening emergency.

• Know your pet’s temperament. Some pets can be shy around company. If your pet is food aggressive, or fearful with lots of noise and commotion, you may consider placing your pet in a quiet part of the house until the festivities are over.