“Don’t be giving that to the dog!”
I hear that a lot at Thanksgiving. After all, the kitchen is a frenzied mess and food is flying so it only makes sense to toss a few things to Mac who is lying on the floor right in the middle of it all. For the bigger chunks, we of course, have a St. Bernard just outside the door. The argument is always that “it is okay” because dogs can eat anything.
Turns out, that is not true; in fact, in an article I recently read put out by the ASPCA, I found out that there is A LOT of Thanksgiving food we probably should not be feeding our pets.
The article made a pretty good point: pets won’t be so thankful if they munch on undercooked turkey or a pet-unfriendly floral arrangement, or if they stumble upon an unattended alcoholic drink.
Here are some of the tips they had in the article…
Turkey
If you decide to feed your pet a little nibble of turkey, make sure it’s boneless and well-cooked. Don't offer her raw or undercooked turkey, which may contain salmonella bacteria.
Sage
Who would have guessed this one? Sage is used in a lot of dishes at Thanksgiving but it and many other herbs contain essential oils and resins that can cause gastrointestinal upset and central nervous system depression to pets if eaten in large quantities. Cats are especially sensitive to the effects of certain essential oils.
Bread Dough
Don’t feed your pets raw bread dough and if you drop some, pick it up right away. According to ASPCA experts, when raw bread dough is ingested, an animal's body heat causes the dough to rise in his stomach. As it expands, the pet may experience vomiting, severe abdominal pain and bloating, which could become a life-threatening emergency, requiring surgery.
Cake
If you’re baking up Thanksgiving cakes, be sure your pets keep their noses out of the batter, especially if it includes raw eggs—they could contain salmonella bacteria that may lead to food poisoning.
Too Much
A few small boneless pieces of cooked turkey, a taste of mashed potato or even a lick of pumpkin pie shouldn’t pose a problem. However, don't allow your pets to overindulge, as they could wind up with a case of stomach upset, diarrhea or even worse—an inflammatory condition of the pancreas known as pancreatitis. In fact, it’s best keep pets on their regular diets during the holidays.
After the new Year, we’ll be running a series on pet safety, pets in disasters and how to make an emergency plan that includes your pets but for now, let’s just get through the holiday without killing Fluffy and Spot with Thanksgiving food.
Stay safe while you travel, make sure you have that safety/preparedness kit in your car and enjoy your holiday!
