Thanksgiving Day is right around the corner! While you’re planning your dinner menu, coordinating travel, and getting in the holiday spirit, you should also be thinking about what accommodations you may need to make for your pets on the big day. Pancreatitis, GI obstructions, food toxicities, and other injuries are all real emergencies that can happen on Thanksgiving when you don’t consider your dog or cat in your plans.
To help make sure your feast goes off without a hitch — and an emergency trip to the vet — we’ve put together a list of our top five Thanksgiving safety tips for pet owners.
1. Always Supervise Kitchen Counters and Don’t Share Your Food
For many families, Thanksgiving is all about the food; after all, what’s better than gathering around the table and sharing a delicious meal with our loved ones? Unfortunately, letting your pet participate in a traditional Thanksgiving dinner can do a lot more harm than good, often leaving them feeling sick and uncomfortable. Two of Thanksgiving’s biggest health risks for pets are pancreatitis and GI obstructions; both can be caused by feeding your pet from the table or letting them dig through the trash after dinner. These conditions are more than just a regular stomach ache and will require emergency veterinary care, putting a pause on your Thanksgiving plans.
- Pancreatitis: During Thanksgiving, pets are at heightened risk of pancreatitis due to ingestion of fatty foods such as turkey skin, gravy, and rich desserts, which can lead to vomiting, abdominal pain, lethargy, and potentially require urgent veterinary care.
- Gastrointestinal obstructions: Pets may develop gastrointestinal obstructions over the holidays by swallowing bones, wrappers, decorations, or other foreign objects, causing symptoms like vomiting, loss of appetite, constipation, and in severe cases, necessitating emergency surgery.
This doesn’t mean your pet has to be left out of the festivities completely, however. The key is to keep it simple and safe. Remember, dogs and cats cannot handle rich, fatty foods like butter, cream, and other seasonings the way humans can. It’s best to stick to small portions of plain turkey, mashed potatoes, and pet-safe vegetables like carrots or green beans. Make sure the turkey is well-cooked, and don’t forget to remove the bones and skin before sharing with your furry friends.
Keep in mind that while a little pet-safe Thanksgiving meal will not harm your pet, there are a few foods that must be avoided completely. These include onions, grapes, raisins, and chocolate, all of which are toxic to animals and can result in major health complications and even death.
2. Take Care When Putting Up Decorations
Part of the fun of the holidays is putting up decorations and making your home really feel like fall with table settings, florals, candles, and more. While home decor may not seem dangerous, some of the items commonly used for Thanksgiving decorating can present a number of safety problems for our four-legged friends.
A few of these common decor hazards include:
- Florals and plants: Seasonal flowers such as lilies, chrysanthemums, and poinsettias can be toxic to cats and dogs if ingested, potentially causing vomiting, drooling, or more serious organ damage.
- Table settings and small decor items: Items like utensils, napkin rings, or small decorative objects can be swallowed by pets, leading to choking or gastrointestinal obstructions.
- Candles: Lit candles pose a burn risk if knocked over, and ingesting wax or licking scented oils can cause gastrointestinal upset or toxicity.
- Garlands and ribbons: Pets may chew or swallow garlands, ribbons, or string lights, which can result in choking, intestinal blockages, or damage to the digestive tract.
- Pumpkins and gourds (decorative): While not all are toxic, decorative pumpkins or gourds treated with paint or chemicals can cause gastrointestinal upset if ingested.
- Holiday potpourri and scented oils: Some potpourri ingredients, essential oils, or artificial scents are toxic to pets, potentially causing vomiting, drooling, or respiratory issues.
3. Secure Garbage Cans and Put Away Leftovers ASAP
Don’t think your pet is safe just because the food isn’t on the table anymore. One risk that is often overlooked is the disposal of food and wrappings when the big meal is over.
Once you’re done eating, take a few minutes to clear the table and clean up the kitchen. Pack up and store leftovers, throw out any trash or scraps, and clean any plates, decor, or other items from the table or counters if your pet is known to swipe things.
When cleaning up, don’t forget about that turkey carcass! Following the meal, it should be securely tied up and out of reach – plan to either dispose of it or store it in your fridge or freezer as soon as possible to avoid any temptation for your dog or cat. Remember, bones can break easily, and sharp pieces can be swallowed, causing a blockage or tearing the intestines. It’s a good idea to get any bones, trimmings, and scraps completely out of reach of all pets to avoid any accidents or emergencies.
If you don’t have access to a larger trash can or receptacle outside – or if your pet is notorious for rooting through the trash – move your trash can to a secure location where your pets can’t get to it. Once the festivities have wrapped up and your pet is the center of your attention again, you can work on taking care of the trash as needed. Stopping the celebration and socializing for just a few minutes can make a huge difference in keeping your pets safe!
Food wrappings such as aluminum foil, wax paper, and turkey strings should also be kept out of reach and promptly discarded after use. When used to cook with, these items can become just as irresistible to your pet as the food itself!
4. Keep an Eye on Your Pet at All Times
While reuniting with friends and spending time with family and other guests is a big part of Thanksgiving, be sure to keep tabs on where your pet is and what they’re up to throughout the day. With all of the hustle and bustle of people coming in and out of the house and moving from room to room, it can be easy for a pet to slip outside or into the kitchen unnoticed.
Pro Tip: Holidays can be very stressful for our pets, so it’s always a good idea to make sure their ID tags and microchips are up-to-date with your contact information in the event that they get nervous or frightened and try to make an escape.
5. Give Your Pet a Safe Space Away from the Festivities
If you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner at your house, don’t forget that visitors can sometimes upset even the friendliest and most well-behaved pets. Make sure you give your pet a comfortable, quiet space to retreat to should the holiday activity be too much for them.
If your pet is nervous around people or you have a large crowd, be sure to check in on your pet regularly and watch them for any signs of stress, such as vocalizing, panting, pacing, or trembling. If they seem to be getting a little overwhelmed, take them somewhere quiet to help them calm down and relax a little.
If you have questions and you'd like to reach out to us, you can call us directly at (941) 253-5218, or you can email us at staff@uacvet.com. Don't forget to follow us on social media Facebook, Instagram.