Posts tagged "holiday tips for pet owners"

Thanksgiving is a time for gratitude and giving, but when it comes to including your pets in the festivities, you should share with caution. Turkey Day celebrations can lead to animal dangers or discomforts, especially when owners attempt to treat their pets too much like "one of the family."

Keep Human Food on the Table
According to the ASPCA, feeding your pet table-scraps is the biggest Thanksgiving Day hazard. They recommend avoiding problems altogether by leaving your pet in the kitchen, yard or elsewhere with a chew toy or snack while the humans eat the good stuff. If you feel an uncontrollable urge to let Fido sample your meal, scale it back to a small amount and avoid food with lots of seasoning, onions, raisins, garlic or chocolate (all of which can cause abdominal pain, complications or even death).

Meats and Doughs
Be sure to not feed your pets any uncooked dough or meat. Salmonella is present in raw eggs and meat, and the ASPCA notes that "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." Even cooked meat can be harmful if it is coated in gravy or grease. If you are going to allow your dog to scarf down turkey, make sure there are no bones that could splinter and be harmful to the pet.