Thanksgiving, for many people means an annual gathering of family and friends and a feast guaranteed to satisfy the soul, stretch the pants, and eventually lull you into an a peaceful night’s sleep.
On this special day, we are all reminded of the things in our lives that we have to be thankful. No surprise here, but for many, our pets rank pretty high on this list of thanks. Our pets are sometimes seen as an extension of ourselves, always giving unconditional love, and asking very little in return.
So why not treat Fido to a special Thanksgiving feast of his own? In honor of Thanksgiving, we’ve created a Fido-friendly menu of table top treats that are safe for your furry four-legged friend. Here are a few of the ideas:
1. White turkey meat (without skin)
2. Plain baked sweet potato (without skin)
3. Apple slices (remove any seeds)
4. Steamed carrots, broccoli, or green beans (without any sauces or seasonings)
5. Salt-free chicken broth
6. Plain canned pumpkin (not the pumpkin pie filling)
On the other hand, there are a few things that you should avoid feeding your dog:
1. Fatty Foods-According to the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society, feeding dogs large quantities of a new food, as well as fatty foods, such as turkey gravy, mashed potatoes with butter, and dressing, can cause pancreatitis. This potentially deadly inflammation of the pancreas produces severe symptoms of diarrhea or vomiting.
2. Turkey Skin-Turkey skin is high in fat, hard to digest, and also contains whatever marinades (oil or butter) and seasonings that you use. All of these things can cause your dog to have an upset stomach and should be avoided.
3. Cooked Bones-Cooked bird bones (turkey, duck, etc) can be very dangerous to dogs. Cooked bones splinter and break easily, so that sharp pieces of bone may possibly tear the intestines. A bone could pass by itself, but more often it becomes lodged in the dog’s throat, which could cause choking, or it could possibly cause an intestinal obstruction.
4. Chocolate- Chocolates contain theobromine, a stimulant found in the cocoa bean which is harmful to dogs. Theobromine increases urination and affects the central nervous system as well as heart muscle and can mildly increase blood pressure. While amounts of theobromine vary according to the kind of chocolate (white chocolate contains much less than baker’s chocolate), chocolate is a food that owners should steer clear of feeding their dog all together.
5. Onions-Onions are toxic to dogs. They can lead to a life threatening form of anemia that may not be detected for days.
6. Alochol-Alcohol can cause many problems in pets including behavioral changes, kidney damage, respiratory problems, heart problems, or even death.
7. Large amounts of people food-If your dog is not already accustomed to eating people food, give them little snacks sparingly. Large amounts of people food may irritate their stomach.
So enjoy this Thanksgiving with Fido – just make sure that you feed him safe treats, and everyone will be happy–and healthy.
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