As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, we like to include our pets in with the festivities. Some may feel that Fido or Whiskers should have a special meal as well. However, you have to be aware of the human foods that you could be feeding your pet. It is vital to understand that not all human food is safe for pet consumption. If you feed your pet the wrong food, it could have a serious and life-threatening effect. When considering whether or not to feed your dog or cat some turkey, stuffing or cranberry sauce, please check out this information first.
1) Herbs found in stuffing, put on the turkey or in other Thanksgiving side dishes can be poisonous to your pets. Sage is a popular herb that is used during the preparation of Thanksgiving meals. This herb, along with many others and even essential oils that people may infuse their foods with can have harmful effects on your pet if they ingest them. These herbs can cause an upset stomach as well as other unwanted side effects. Be sure to research any oils and herbs that are in the foods you may be thinking about giving to your pets before you do so.
2) Onions are widely known as a food to never feed your dogs. If you frequently feed onions to your dogs, it can lead to serious complications which may be irreversible. Thanksgiving dishes such as stuffing generally contain onions. You should not feed onions to your dog because it can cause a life-threatening aspect of anemia. This disease can even go on without any noticeable symptoms until your dog is no longer able to recover. You don't want to make the mistake of having it be too late for your pet, so do not feed your dog onions.
3) Everyone knows that dogs love bones. However, you should not feed your dog bones that have been cooked. Cooked bones become fragile and easily breakable. As your pet chews on the bones, small and sharp pieces of the bone can become lodged in his/her windpipe and cause your pet to choke. These bones can also lodge themselves into your pet's intestines. So just be sure to throw away all scraps from your Thanksgiving turkey.
4) Many may not even consider this to be harmful for pets, but gravy can also lead to health complications. Foods that are rich in fats, like what can be found in gravy, have been shown to lead to pancreatic. This is a condition in which the pancreas becomes inflamed. This organ is located near the stomach, which causes your pet to refuse to eat or vomit. Pay attention to the early warning signs and find out what you can do to help ease the pain and get rid of the affliction.
Typical Thanksgiving foods that are good to feed your pets consist of turkey, cranberries, pumpkin, yams and plain mashed potatoes. Make sure to only give your pet small size bites of turkey without the skin. The white meat is also better than the dark meat for your pet. Prepared cranberries that do not have a lot of sugar will make a nice treat for your dog. Only give your dog a small amount, though. Cranberries have Vitamin C and antioxidants, which are beneficial to your pet. Canned pumpkin is very healthy for your dog. Only give it to him/her prior to adding it into your pumpkin pie recipe, though. Do not feed your dog pumpkin pie, just the canned pumpkin itself. Yams that have been prepared alone, not in a dish or covered in herbs or oils are great for your dog. They contain lots of fiber, which is great for your dog.
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