Thanksgiving Is a Special Time of Year to Gather with Friends and Family and share a Feast of Foods. This can include family pets with some precautionary tips. What you need to know to keep your pets safe!
Sadly, Thanksgiving can also mean an increase in emergency vet visits due to unsafe human food that dogs, or cats might inadvertently consume.
Dogs are natural hunters, and some are quite adept at rooting through the kitchen garbage. After carving the turkey, take the carcass to an outside dumpster…before you sit down to enjoy the feast! Clear the kitchen counters of food left in pots and pans from counter-surfing dogs and prowling cats!
Turkey bones, the skin and meat and any food that has been seasoned shouldn’t be shared with your dogs or cats.
Other No-No foods include:
- Stuffing
- Casseroles
- Mashed potatoes
- Creamed peas
- Chocolate and Sweets
- Alcoholic beverages
- Raisins and Grapes
- Onions, Scallions, and Garlic
- Gravy
- Ham
- Yeast dough
- Fatty foods
Safe & Healthy Foods you can share:
- Sweet Potatoes
- Boiled or Baked Potatoes (unbuttered/unseasoned)
- Seedless apples
- Unseasoned, skinless Turkey meat
- Unseasoned Green beans
- Plain peas
- Pure Pumpkin (not Pumpkin Pie mix)
Make sure guests don’t succumb to soulful eyes begging at the table and share the wrong “treat” from their plate. House rules should also include keeping purses and luggage zipped tight in guest rooms, especially if medications, children’s diapers or toys with small parts were packed and left open for investigation by curious canine noses.
Preparing a safe, quiet room for your pets may be necessary if they are prone to fear or anxiousness around large crowds, loud noises or new people. Consider a bully stick or interactive toy for quiet and lasting enjoyment. Calming products may be necessary for super anxious pets. We recommend EcoKind All-Beef Chew Sticks and Dr. Becker’s Stress Calming Bites which can be purchased in our Pet Store @ doolittlesdoghouse.com/shop. We also feature Chewy products for fun interactive toys, along with 3,000+ Chewy products geared for dogs and cats for all seasons and their daily needs.
Despite a designated safe room, be sure to guard all entrance and exit doors. Open doors during guest arrival and departure risks unintentional escape for a dog or cat. Despite your dog’s recall training, many won’t come when called during a moment of unleashed freedom and exploration of the great outdoors.
As always, be safe, healthy and happy. Enjoy this season of thanks and joy.
photo attribution: seasonal-love-tumbler.com
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