Everyone’s favorite time of the year is finally here, which applies to your pets as well. They’re so excited to join in the family’s festivities and receive extra attention from outside friends and family visiting.
A widespread way to spoil our furry friends and give them a break from their usual diet is to let them join in on the exceptional holiday food that we all know and love. We understand that you want your pet to have an enjoyable experience but be careful when introducing new foods, as you don’t want your party to become a nightmare.
To give you some peace of mind and help you navigate the Thanksgiving buffet, the Pets a Go Go team put together a list of foods that should be avoided:
- Chocolate: this seems obvious, as I’m sure we have all heard it before, but it can be so detrimental to your pet’s health that it needs a reminder. This food is highly toxic for your dog (especially the darker versions) and should be avoided.
- Potatoes: this might be surprising, but recent studies by the S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have shown how the introduction of potatoes in a dog’s diet might not have instant downsides. Still, over time, it can be the cause of canine cardiomyopathy. While studies are still ongoing, it’s best to avoid them.
- Alcohol: while most of you might be surprised at this, take it as a reminder not to leave anything unsupervised in your dog’s reach. In addition, beware of foods like raw yeast dough: the uncooked dough can cause alcohol poisoning in your furry friend.
- Turkey Bones: contrary to popular belief, feeding your dog bones leftover from your thanksgiving dinner is never a good idea: not only can they cause indigestion, but they can also break and puncture your dog’s stomach. If you want to treat your dog, let them join in on some turkey meat instead.
- Stuffing (and anything with garlic and onions): these ingredients are highly toxic to dogs and can cause anemia; if unsure of the preparation of specific stuffing, it’s better to avoid them altogether.
- Raisins and Grapes: the famous thanksgiving salad wouldn’t be completed without raisins but let’s keep the treat just for the two-legged guests as for the four-legged ones, they can be potentially deadly and cause severe kidney failure.
It is also important to keep your primary vet and the animal poison control hotline numbers easily accessible in case of accidental ingestion. But, we don’t want to spoil all the fun this upcoming thanksgiving so let’s not forget about all the treats that can be given to your dogs, such as pumpkin, rice, turkey (not the bones!), apples, carrots, and celery. Also, this is just the beginning of the holiday season, and there will be so many chances and opportunities to treat your dog in the upcoming months, so don’t feel pressured to overfeed them on Thanksgiving.
If you want to spoil your dog without having to worry about the food options, an extra walk or time outside will make them very happy, and they will be excited to have more time to explore the surroundings and, of course, spend more time with their favorite human. If you are looking for a safe place for your furbaby to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal or have fun exercising with other dogs the day after Thanksgiving, learn more about Pets a Go Go’s doggie daycare options HERE.
