Thanksgiving Pet Safety

Gobble. Gobble. Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday in many homes across America. The smell of a roasting turkey! Football! Family! Friends! And yes, pets. With all of the celebration (and food) follow these easy tips to make sure your turkey day is also a safe day for your pets.

Limit the Goodies: Yes it’s a festive time of year, but remember too much of a good thing, can be a bad thing.  (Think about that as you go back for your third helping of mashed potatoes!)  Just like us, dogs can each too much rich food and end up with and upset stomach, diarrhea or even pancreatitis.  Let’s face it, pets are going to get more treats during the holidays, but like everything – moderation is the key!

No Raw Dough:  Planning on baking bread or dinner rolls?  Do not give your pet any of the raw dough.  The yeast in the dough, combined with your pet’s body heat, will cause it to expand in your pet’s stomach.  According to the APSCA, raw dough can be responsible for vomiting, severe abdominal pain and bloat.  Bloat can be deadly and requires surgery.

Watch for Door Dashers: While your guests come and go, be careful that your pets don’t go out the front door with them!  Not all guests will be used to watching out for door dashing cats or dogs.  With all of the excitement, your pets might do things out of character.  To be safe, it might be best to place dogs and cats in a safe room while guests come and go.  (See below)  ID Tags are especially important during festivities and holidays as many pets go missing during the commotion.

Create a Safe Room: Not all pets enjoy having a ton of people invade their space.  If you have a particularly anxious pet, or one that might dart out the front door, make a safe room for him/her.  Provide all of the goods they need for a relaxing afternoon away from the mania that is Thanksgiving.  Stock the room with toys, water, treats, and a comfy place to lounge.  You can even play the radio softly for some ambient noise.  Remember, what we think is festive might not be compatible with your pet’s idea of a nice afternoon!

No Need to Beg When Fido has his own Feast: Worried about your pooch begging from guests?  Make him a special treat of his own!  Take a Kong and stuff it with a dog-safe feast that will keep him occupied while dinner guests gobble down their meals.  You can fill the Kong with treats, kibble, peanut butter, gravy, mashed potatoes and turkey to keep your dog happily distracted.  Tip:  Freezing the Kong with its stuffing inside makes it last longer!  (Remember – moderation.)

Educate your Guests About What is Off-Limits: Not everyone knows that dogs should not have cooked turkey bones or chocolate.  There is nothing wrong with saying to your guests, “No people food for the dog please.”   You can control what ends up in your dog’s stomach.  (Unless he jumps on the counter when you are not looking! We all know what happened to the turkey in The Christmas Story.)

Watch for Hazards: Keep an eye out for any hazards that could spell disaster.  Examples:  Doors left ajar, lit candles, simmering gravy on the stove-top, food left on coffee tables, broken wine glasses after too much jolly-good-cheer.  All of these parts of a festive holiday could be hazardous to your best friend.  Remember your pet in all that you do, and have a safe Thanksgiving!

Do you have any tips to share for a safe Thanksgiving?  Share them with us below!