Do's and Don'ts of Thanksgiving Dinner and Your Pet

• Posted on 8 November 2012
• By Dr. Jill Tack
• Posted in cats, shouldn’t eat, thanksgiving, What dogs
• 0

We’ve all heard about the great turkey scare that many veterinarians inform us about with the holidays. I’m here to tell you NOT everything about the turkey is bad!

We’ve all heard about the great turkey scare that many veterinarians inform us about with the holidays. I’m here to tell you NOT everything about the turkey is bad! When we need to use caution is with the cooked carcass that ends up in the garbage unsupervised while you are in a food/tryptophan coma. The cooked carcass causes concern mainly because­, as most of us know, the cooked bones do not digest in our pet’s digestive system and can penetrate or puncture the intestinal wall. When poultry boneshave been cooked they have changed in chemical make­up making them no longer pliable cartilage but sharp daggers ready to do harm. If you want to give your pet part of the turkey, dig those giblets out of the carcass before cooking it and feed the heart and gizzard raw to your cat or dog. If size appropriate, you could also give your dog the raw turkey neck if it won’t be sacrificed for the gravy. You also need to understand that if you pet has never had raw before, you may only want to give them a small piece of the neck and put the rest in the fridge to use as treat nuggets over the next few days. Pets do not need the meat cooked in order to digest it. From personal experience, I found that most pets don’t do well with cooked Turkey from our Thanksgiving meals. Most families that cook a Thanksgiving dinner like to baste their turkey with butter and oils that can upset our pets stomach because they aren’t used to the added condiments. The cooked skin can be of concern to those pets that may have sensitivities and the extra fat could throw them into a pancreatitis attack.

Besides the turkey there are some other food items on the menu that should be kept away from pets. Many desserts that contain chocolate, any dish that contains onions, cooked bones, alcohol, and macadamia nuts should be avoided. Especially keep an eye on family members who may be consuming alcohol and think it’s a brilliant idea to let Fido try it. Alcohol is not good for our pets. With sensitive animals it can induce seizure activity.

Many of our healthy side dishes could be served to our pets in small portions if you wanted. Sweet potatoes are a great for cats and dogs, but not casseroles that have been loaded with brown sugar. Cranberry and orange relish would be a nice topping on your pet’s dinner if they like tart fruits. A dollop of cottage cheese could also be an acceptable food topper to make them feel included in the holiday. A handful of blanched green beans set aside before making your green bean casserole would be a crunchy little treat. Be creative and avoid the fats or sugars.

And let’s not forget about how stressful the holiday can be to us and our animals. If your cat or dog has some anxiety or diarrhea, stop and think about your routine. Could the behavior be caused from you frantically trying to pull together your first Thanksgiving meal? Could a family member cause a stressful situation for your dog? Did Grandma bring over a treat for Fido that he hasn’t had before that may have caused some diarrhea? Our animals and their behavior can reflect what is happening around them with their human caregivers. They may be in need of some intestinal support such as Animal Essential Phytomucil to help with the not­-so­-tummy friendly treat from Grandma. Animal Essential Tranquility Blend may be in order for the over stressed pet.

Overall, be smart and make sure the turkey carcass ends up in a garbage receptacle with a closed lid
preferably out of your pet’s reach. If you want your pet to be included stop in for safe food or treat options that you can feed your pet during the holidays. We have plenty of turkey, cranberry, pumpkin and sweet potato products!

Have a blessed and safe Thanksgiving holiday.