This Thanksgiving, don’t let your pets gobble, gobble, for it may cause some trouble, trouble.
The Humane Society of Missouri is out with its “easy-as-pie” Thanksgiving pet safety tips in advance of the holiday, saying it’s important to keep your furry, four-legged family members on a tight leash and away from potentially harmful table scraps.
Safety tips from the Humane Society include:
- Avoiding New/Abnormal Foods
Avoid feeding your pet anything they are not used to eating, even if it falls in the same food group as something they are used to. For example, even if your pet is accustomed to eating chicken, turkey could still make them sick. Other popular Thanksgiving foods you should avoid feeding pets are:
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- Poultry and ham bones. Chicken and turkey bones are hollow and shatter easily, which can cause little shards to get caught in your pet’s throat or stomach. Ham bones usually have a lot of salt, which could give your pet an upset stomach.
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- Fat drippings from your turkey pan. These are too much for your pet to handle and they should not be poured over their usual pet food as an added treat.
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- Pumpkin. It is a natural stool softener for dogs and cats and can cause diarrhea.
- Making Sure Everyone is on the Same Page
Inform your guests of the rules when they arrive so they aren’t trying to get on your pet’s good side through food. Instead, have them hand your pet one of their usual treats to help them get acquainted.
- Securing Your Leftovers
Make sure to secure your garbage when the meal is finished so your pet doesn’t gobble up all of those leftovers while you are taking your post-turkey nap!
Being safe doesn’t mean your pet can’t partake in the holiday fun: Serve their usual food in a special dish, let them wear a festive sweater or treat them to a new toy.
For more information about Thanksgiving pet safety tips visit the Humane Society of Missouri online.
