Healthy Thanksgiving

How You Can Protect Your Dog at Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving can be exciting for your dog. There is plenty of food, and your dog can make new friends with those present in your home. However, though these holiday treats may seem delicious to your canine, some Thanksgiving foods can be bad for your dog. When your dog’s eat the wrong food, they can become ill. Here’s how you can avoid rushing your dog to the hospital at Thanksgiving.

Turkey

A bite of turkey is okay for your dog provided it’s boneless and cooked. You should never feed your dog raw turkey since it might contain salmonella bacteria. You should feed your dog white meat as it is good for their stomachs. The main thing you need to watch out for when feeding your dogs is bones. Since they pose a choking hazard, you should remove them from any treat you give the dog. Bird bones can easily splinter and injure the dog’s throat, mouth, stomach, or esophagus when swallowed.

Cake dough

If you want to bake some fresh bread, ensure you keep the uncooked dough away from your dog. Baking dough can easily upset the dog’s stomach contents, leading to bloating, vomiting, and abdominal pain. It can also cause complications that may require surgery.

Keep mashed potatoes away

While potatoes aren’t bad for dogs, they are dangerous when you mix them with other foods. When combined with dairy products that have cream, cheese, butter, and lactose, they can easily upset the dog’s intestines and stomach. On the other hand, onions are deadly for dogs, and that means you should never give the dog gravy that contains onion.

Xylitol

If you add artificial sweeteners in your food, never allow your dog to taste the food. Most sweeteners contain Xylitol – a highly toxic substance that is poisonous to dogs. In dogs, Xylitol helps increase insulin production and can lower blood sugar, leading to complications such as seizures and even death.

Alcohol

While alcoholic beverages are common during a holiday gathering, you need to keep alcoholic beverages away from the dog’s reach. As alcohol is proven to be poisonous for dogs, you should store alcoholic beverages in a safe place away from your dog. Also, ensure they don’t consume cakes that might have alcoholic content in them.

Conclusion

If you aren’t sure what treats are safe to give your dog, you should consult your vet immediately. And if you suspect your pet has swallowed something poisonous, you should visit your local vet.

References: Cesarsway, Insurance hub, Pet poison helpline