Thanksgiving Pet Safety Tips

Thanksgiving Pet Safety Tips

            The Holidays are upon us and its such a fun and festive time of year. Its a time that brings friends and family together to celebrate and of course feast! But the holidays pose many dangers for your pets as well. Here are a few things every pet owner needs to be aware of this Thanksgiving.

*Kitchen Safety - The kitchen is going to be the busiest room of your house on Thanksgiving. Everyone is scrambling around cooking and preparing the big meal. This is an easy place for accidents to happen. A curious and hungry pet can get into trouble fast. Your pet can get into many things such as the garbage and eat things that it shouldn't. (This is also a hazard after the big day when the tasty left overs have been discarded. So watch your garbage carefully, even after Thanksgiving day. It may be best to just take the garbage right outside away from the pets reach!) They can jump up on counter tops and not only help themselves to the tempting food, but they can also knock over sharp objects or hot pots and pans causing burns and injury. If this happens your pet will need to see a Veterinarian immediately. Since there are so many potential dangers, it is best to just keep your pets out of the kitchen on Thanksgiving Day.

*Food Dangers - When the whole family is indulging, its hard to leave our pets out of the feast. But be careful, there are many foods that pose potential dangers, such as toxicity. Our pets metabolism works differently then ours, so foods that may be safe for us to eat are not safe for them. Even things that you may not suspect such as onions or large amounts of Nutmeg, which are holiday cooking staples, can be very toxic. Some foods can also cause conditions such as pancreatitis. Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas caused by rich and fatty foods that our pets can't properly digest. Here is a short list of items to avoid this Thanksgiving. If your pet eats any of these items, they need to see a veterinarian immediately.

-Turkey Skin, Bones, Brine, Fat, or Gravy
-Herbs/Spices such as Nutmeg
-Onions
-Garlic
-Mushrooms
-Grapes
-Raisins/Currents
-Nuts
-Chocolate
-Desserts - Some desserts contain xylitol which is a sweetener that is very toxic to your pet
-Alcohol
-Corn Cobs
-Bread Dough
-Tea/Coffee

In addition to these items you must be aware of things such as aluminum foil and plastic wrap. When cooking you use many different items and things such as aluminum foil, plastic wrap, parchment paper, even bags, wrappers and other packaging that smells like food is very tempting to your pet. But swallowing items like these can cause intestinal blockages. Which is a veterinary emergency. For a more extensive list please visit https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control

*Pet Stress - Its wonderful to see family and friends for the holidays. However all the chaos from the additional house guest can cause your pet stress. Explain boundaries to your house guest and always monitor children around your pets. If your pet is too stressed, it may be a good idea to seclude them in a quiet room away from the holiday crazy so they can relax and feel secure.

Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday that everyone can enjoy. Just be sure to follow these Thanksgiving Pet Safety Tips so your and your pet can have a fun and safe Thanksgiving Holiday!