It's important to be thankful all year, but we love that we also have a day dedicated to it. Sitting down with family and friends to show gratitude and share what we are thankful for is something special. We would hate for this holiday to turn disastrous, so we are here to share some of the Thanksgiving foods that could be harmful to your pet.
Here's what they can and can't have:
Turkey is safe if you follow these guidelines! If you decide to feed your pet a small bite of turkey, make sure it's boneless (and skinless) light meat that's well-cooked—raw or undercooked turkey, which may contain salmonella bacteria. Keep the leftover carcass (and all bones) away from your pet, too. Dogs and cats have a hard time processing fatty foods like turkey skin, and even small pieces of bone can lead to gastrointestinal injury.
Garlic, onion, leeks, and chives are common in many Thanksgiving dishes and are toxic to dogs and cats – they can destroy their red blood cells. Avoid giving your pet a bite of anything cooked with these ingredients, like green beans, potatoes, stuffing, or gravy.
Don't spoil your pet's holiday by giving them access to raw yeast bread dough. When a dog or cat ingests raw bread dough, the yeast will continue to convert the sugars in the dough to carbon dioxide gas and alcohol. This can result in bloated, drunken pets, which could become a life-threatening emergency, requiring hospitalization for your pal.
If you plan to bake Thanksgiving desserts, be sure your pets keep their noses out of the mixing bowl, especially if it includes raw eggs—they could contain salmonella bacteria that may lead to food poisoning.
Also, if you're using the artificial sweetener xylitol (found in some peanut butter) in any desserts, be aware that this can be fatal if consumed by pets.
A nice box of chocolates looks great on your table. However, chocolate can be harmful to dogs and cats and can cause vomiting, diarrhea, high blood pressure, seizures, and other symptoms.
While your family enjoys a special meal, give your cat and dog a small feast of their own! Offer them made-for-pets chew bones. Or stuff their usual dinner—perhaps with a few added tidbits of turkey, vegetables (try sweet potato, plain pumpkin, or green beans) —inside a Chelsy's Toys Snuffle Bag... Don't worry, they're machine washable. They'll be happily occupied for a while, working hard to extract their dinner from the toy. 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.