Thanksgiving Safety for Your Dog

It’s that time of year again: Thanksgiving. Families will be gathering together to enjoy a filling feast over good conversation, but when Rover gives the puppy dog eyes in exchange for some table scraps, refrain from giving in. While your Thanksgiving meal may appeal to your hungry hound it is important to know that some of the foods may not be suitable for your pooch. Avoid sharing these table scraps with your begging buddy:

Turkey Skin – It’s a fact that turkey skin and gravy are high in fat and can be harmful to your dog. Turkey skin is difficult for pups to digest and can even lead to pancreatitis, which includes symptoms like vomiting, abdominal pain, depression, and an unwillingness to move. If you do decide to share some of that tasty turkey, be sure to remove the skin and only give your pooch a small portion of white meat.

Turkey Bones – Dogs love bones, yes. Although, tossing your canine a turkey bone can be hazardous. Poultry bones that have been cooked are frail and can splinter easily. Your dog may easily swallow the turkey bone and get it stuck in the esophagus or create stomach or intestinal pain. If you are going to give a dog a bone, stick with a delicious dog bone that was made specifically for your pooch.

Macademia Nuts – These tasty treats are scattered about different Thanksgiving dishes and desserts and can cause toxic results if ingested by your dog. Just twelve hours after consuming macademia nuts symptoms will begin to settle, including vomiting, weakness, depression, muscle tremors, ataxia, and hyperthermia (to name a few). While symptoms tend to lessen within 48 hours, the aftershock could be detrimental on your pooch and in extreme cases could be fatal.

Onions – We love to season our dishes with onions, but high levels of onion intake by your dog can call for life-threatening anemia. Since many stuffings and casseroles contain onions it is probably best to skip sharing with Fido.

Nutmeg – Around the holiday season nutmeg is a very prominent spice usually found in sweet potatoes, yams, pumpkin pies, and various dessert dishes. While we may love these treats, if consumed by your pooch it can cause mild hallucinogenic properties, as well as seizures, tremors, and central nervous system complications in dogs. There have even been severe cases of shock and death reported, so pass your pup a dog treat when you are enjoying dishes containing nutmeg.