Many pet owners and visitors want to bring their dogs along to the Thanksgiving dinner table. There may be an issue since some of the foods on the table may include hazardous elements. One of the most effective ways to guarantee that your dog remains safe while participating in the Thanksgiving celebrations is to provide them with their own delicious Thanksgiving meal.
Here is a list of Thanksgiving meals that are safe for your pet to eat this year
1. Turkey
While dogs may eat turkey, it should be served in tiny doses and should not be served uncooked or undercooked or with spices on top. Additionally, avoid offering your furry buddy turkey skin since it is likely to have been cooked with butter and spices, which might cause an upset stomach in your pet. Another no-no is chewing on turkey bones, which may be fragile and shatter into jagged bits when eaten.
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2. Carrots and pumpkins
Plain canned pumpkin is a nutritious food for your dog since it is high in essential minerals and fiber, and it also assists in the digestion of your dog. Ensure that the pie filling and spices are left out of the recipe before baking it.
3. Green beans
This leafy green vegetable is low in fat and calories and high in fiber, making it a healthy choice. As long as they do not include any additional ingredients such as butter or spices, they are OK.
4. Apples
Due to its high concentration of vitamins A and C, as well as its high fiber content, this fruit is an excellent snack for your dog. Just be sure to remove the core and seeds from the fruit before serving it to your pet.
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5. Potatoes
When it comes to Thanksgiving dinner, who doesn’t want a big dish of mashed potatoes? However, for your animal buddy, it’s essential to make sure that their mashed potatoes just taste like mashed potatoes and that they don’t include any other ingredients such as spices, butter, cream, milk, or other dairy products.
The following are suggestions to make Thanksgiving safer for your pets this holiday season
Avoid offering your pet foods that are harmful to them on Thanksgiving Day
Unfortunately, many pet owners like feeding their furry animals human food instead of their own. Fifty-six percent of pet owners acknowledged feeding their pets leftovers from their Thanksgiving dinner. Food that is not a regular part of your pet’s diet, particularly fatty foods such as ham, gravy, dark turkey flesh, and turkey skin, may cause a variety of health problems, ranging from diarrhea to pancreatitis, and inevitable human foods can even be toxic to your cat.
Side dishes like stuffing and mashed potatoes may include ingredients such as garlic, onion, leeks, or chives, which are harmful to dogs and cats in large quantities. Desserts may contain toxic elements to dogs, such as chocolate, raisins, currants, and Xylitol. Keep the sweet stuff reserved for people exclusively. Apart from that, chewing and swallowing bones may result in a life-threatening blockage requiring immediate surgical intervention.
Alcohol poisoning may occur even if your pet does not consume any of the spiked punch. Eating unbaked yeast bread can cause your pet to get ill. When yeast is activated, it releases ethanol and carbon dioxide, which causes the dough to rise. This identical activity may result in significant bloating due to the production of gas, as well as probable poisoning due to the incapacity of a pet’s digestive system to metabolize the ethanol.
As a result, store rubbish in a firmly tied garbage bag and place it outside in a closed trash receptacle or inside the house behind a closed door. Also, make sure that the garbage can lid is always well fast!
Request that your Thanksgiving Dinner guests refrain from feeding your pet their leftovers
It is not healthy to feed your pet many bites of fried turkey, green bean casserole, and pumpkin pie. In comparison, a tiny dog eating a few bites of turkey is the equivalent of a person eating half the bird! As a result, inform your visitors in advance that they are not permitted to feed your dogs, no matter how adorable they seem, while eagerly watching you eat.
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At all times, keep a watch on your pets
It’s wise to keep a watch on your dog or cat during the Thanksgiving celebrations to make sure they don’t get themselves into anything potentially hazardous. As long as your pet is crate trained, keeping them in there while you drive and eat the meal is an excellent approach to keep them safe and away from the food.
Provide your pet with a secure area away from visitors
Pets might get distressed by the continual influx of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins in their lives. “Dogs are creatures of habit.” “Some dogs get uneasy when their daily routines are disrupted.”
So take a moment to consider what your dog or cat is going through. Keep in mind that it is also their home. For dogs that are not comfortable with a lot of commotion, seclude them in their crates or offer them their place in the house to rest in, such as a den, bedroom, or basement where they can have some privacy and quiet.
Make it easier for your stressed-out pet to relax
Install a pheromone diffuser (Adaptil for dogs, Feliway for cats) a few days before the event to help decrease tension and enable your pet to relax and enjoy themselves. Put on some classical music or easy-listening tracks for Thanksgiving to drown out the noises of people laughing (or bickering) in the next room. Provide your pet with some puzzle toys that will keep them interested while the rest of the family eats, drinks, and has a good time.
If you’re spending Thanksgiving away from home, make sure your pet is safe
To celebrate the holiday with friends and family, you may be traveling to another city for Thanksgiving with your cat or small dog, either by vehicle or by air. With those of you who are in this situation,
- Before you go, spend a few weeks accustoming your pet to their box or carrier before you leave. Place their favorite blankets, food, and treats, and toys in the crate to help make it a more pleasant experience for both of you.
- Make a few brief journeys in the vehicle with your pet in the weeks leading up to your major holiday vacation to get them used to the sense of traveling in general.
- Try some over-the-counter anti-anxiety and soothing aids, like Feliway or Adaptil pheromone sprays, or wrap your pet in a ThunderShirt to help calm him down if he’s acting up. If your dog or cat is apprehensive about traveling and you cannot leave your pet at home with a pet sitter, Wooten advises speaking with your veterinarian about prescription-strength anxiety medication.
- If you decide to leave your pet with a sitter, set aside some time before your vacation to allow your pet and the sitter to get to know each other a few times so that your pet develops a favorable relationship with both that person and you.
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Once you’ve collected the Thanksgiving delicacies that you’ll be sharing with your animal companion, you may arrange them on a plate in a manner that matches the way the rest of the family serves theirs. Just remember to keep the serving sizes minimal if you are utilizing a variety of meals to avoid stuffing your pup’s stomach with items it is not used to eating.
