Thanksgiving and Your Pet

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and what a wonderful time it is! Family, amazing food, laughter, and love; what more could anyone want?

Unfortunately, this joyous occasion for us pet parents could be one of the hardest times for your furbaby. In this edition, we will give you some tips to ensure that everyone, including your precious companion, enjoys this Thanksgiving.

Food for All

We all have that one dish that we look forward to the most. For me, it's my grandmother's sweet potatoes with cinnamon and marshmallows.

Your pet may want to take part in the chowing down of all of the delicious food, but keep in mind that most human foods can be harmful to pets. You may think "One little piece of turkey couldn't hurt." Turkey and turkey skins, even in small amounts, can cause a life-threatening disease called pancreatitis in pets. Even some of the foods proven healthy for humans can potentially be poisonous to pets.

Bones from the Thanksgiving turkey can also be harmful to your pet. Grease and fatty foods can cause harmful gas and digestive issues. It would be best to avoid giving these to your pet.

If you want to give your pet a Thanksgiving treat, make or buy something that is made just for them.

Clean-up

Make sure that any and all food and waste is kept out of the range of your pet. Keep in mind, pets can be very sneaky, especially when you are distracted by keeping all of your guests entertained. Best practice would be to throw or put away all food and trash when the eating is done. Pick up any scraps that may have dropped from the table.

Thanksgiving Parties

Some pets may be shy or skittish around big crowds of people or anyone that they are not familiar with. If you are hosting a Thanksgiving party and expect a full house, it may be best to give your pet a calming aid a few hours before people start to show up. Also, make sure that they have a safe place that they can retreat to if they start to stress.

Be sure to keep an eye on all exits. With so many people coming in and out, your pet may try to sneak out away from all of the chaos and become lost.

It is wise to make sure that your pet is microchipped and your information in the microchip database is up to date, just in case your pet does happen to make a break for it. There are countless stories of microchips reuniting families. While we hope that we never have to live that story ourselves, we can never be too cautious. You can't put a price on peace of mind.

Conclusion

Thanksgiving is one of the most enjoyable but hectic times of the year. Knowing the do's and don'ts of taking care of your pet could save his life!

We hope everyone has a very safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday!