Pet lovers love their pets more than themselves. We feed them holiday fare. We buy them holiday gifts. We even feed them food that is bad for them, but it's done out of love. All of that love can kill your pet or make it very sick. Make pet safety for the holidays a priority this year. Your pet will love you for it.
Pet Safety for the Holidays
Avoid feeding your cat or dog scraps that consist of rich turkey, duck or goose parts. These fatty, rich foods can be extremely harmful to your pet's health. The change in diet can lead to very upsetting and dangerous digestive problems. You don't want to spend your Thanksgiving on an emergency trip to the veterinarian's office and neither does your veterinarian. To avoid feeling guilty, feed your pet its normal pet food before you sit down to feast. Put it outside or lock it in another room so you and your guests won't feel the need to toss it a turkey treat under the table.
Tips for Food Safety
If you insist on having your dog stay for the festivities, keep food covered and away from table edges. Assign someone to supervise the table until everyone sits down to eat.
I reiterate: Keep your food safe. One Thanksgiving I left the turkey unsupervised on the table, fresh out of the oven and unsupervised: Our basset hound, Irv, burst through the doggy door, galloped through the kitchen into the dining room and in one fell swoop, grabbed our bird, made a U-turn and sped out the doggy door with a 25 lb. turkey in his mouth.
Trash Pick-up
Don't let your pet handle trash pick-up. Keep the indoor trash can out of your animal's reach. Assign trash pick-up to one of the kids. They must take it out as soon as possible. This insures that your pet doesn't jump inside the trash can and help himself to the turkey bones.
Can Dogs Have Turkey Bones?
No! Don’t give your pets animal bones! Cooked turkey, duck, geese and other bird bones are dangerous to your pet. They are hollow and break and splinter easily. Also, because they are so easily breakable, dogs usually won’t chew them thoroughly. The results are sharp pieces that can choke the dog or block, puncture or tear the intestines.
Remember, what's good for the dog is also good for the cat.
Toxic Food
- Onions and onion powder
- Grapes and raisins
- Chocolate
Onions and onion powder, often used in stuffing, will destroy your dog or cat's red blood cells, which can lead to anemia. Grapes and raisins contain a toxin that can cause kidney damage to both dogs and cats. Chocolate can actually be fatal to your dog or cat; so all those sweets must be kept well out of reach.
Pet Stress
Keep your animal calm and unstressed while people are over. Running children, the happy chatter of relatives and a football game in the background can overwhelm pets, and they may become snappy or stressed. To insure that your pets have a great time too, consider giving them their own space away from people, feed them away from children, strangers or loud noises, and take them for a nice long walk before guests arrive to help expend that energy and get them calm.
Kitchen Safety
Watch those four legged friends while cooking. Sometimes animals under foot can create a disaster when carrying that large bowl of gravy. Keep all your pets out of the kitchen and away from the hustle and bustle. Also, watch cats around open oven doors. That warm hiding place can call to a cat and end your Thanksgiving celebration at the Animal Hospital.
Holiday Parade
Leave your pets safe at home when attending holiday parades and festivities. Though floats, large balloons and crowds can be a blast for your family, they can send your dog into an anxious or even aggressive state. Leave your dog at home where it is safe and comfortable.
One fourth of July, a friend took her seven year old sheltie to the community fireworks. When the fireworks began, the dog became frightened, pulled out of its collar and ran off never to be seen again.
Fire Safety
Fire hazards large or small can cause problems. From candles to the fireplace, fire can be a serious hazard to your pet. Keep a screen up in front of your fireplace to protect your pet from the flames and embers. Keep the candles where the pet can't get to them. The dancing flame of a candle can be very tempting to your pet and wax spills burn.
Pet Tags
As always, make sure your pets are wearing their collars with tags. In case someone forgets to shut the door, you want to make sure your pets are easily identifiable.
