Thanksgiving is a day to remember all the things for which we are thankful. If there is anything the past year has taught us, it’s how thankful we are for pets during times of stress. While celebrating the holiday with family, friends and food, show your pets how important they are to you by keeping them happy and healthy, too.

Food Safety

Thanksgiving is here and with it comes turkey, stuffing and all sorts of desserts and side dishes. But while it’s OK for humans to indulge in those items, the same may not be true for your furry friend.

Here’s a roundup of what you can give, and what you should keep away from your four-legged friend.

Turkey

It is totally OK for your pet to eat turkey — but make sure it’s just the meat. Do not give your pet the turkey skin, turkey bones, raw or undercooked turkey.

• Turkey Skin

  High fat foods, like turkey skin, can be extremely hazardous to your pet’s health. The skin holds any marinade, spices, butter and oils and it’s difficult to digest. A few small, boneless, and well-cooked of turkey should be fine. High fat food can lead to pancreatitis. Symptoms including vomiting, abdominal pain and lethargy.

• Turkey Bones

  Don’t let your pet have turkey bones, even small turkey bones can cause very serious and sometimes fatal consequences for your pet.

Onions and Garlic

Thanksgiving dressing is often made with onions, scallions or garlic. These ingredients are extremely toxic to dogs and cats and can cause a life-threatening anemia (destruction of the red blood cells). It’s best to avoid feeding any amount of stuffing to pets.

Chocolate & Desserts

Chocolate can be harmful to both dogs and cats and can cause vomiting, diarrhea, high blood pressure, seizures, and other symptoms.
The darker the chocolate, the more toxic it is. Keep all chocolate desserts out of the reach of pets to prevent an emergency trip to the veterinarian.
While pumpkin is the most famous Thanksgiving desserts and also has many pet healthy benefits.
In addition, make sure your pooch doesn’t eat anything with raisins or grapes, as those are also bad for pets.

Mashed potatoes

While potatoes are safe for pets to eat, mashed potatoes usually contain butter and milk, which can cause diarrhea in lactose intolerant pets. Additionally, some recipes call for onion powder or garlic, which are very toxic to pets.
However, it is OK for Fluffy to have plain, cooked potatoes or sweet potatoes, just as long as they don’t have anything else on them.

Decoration Dangers

Decorating the table with holiday-themed items makes for a great photo op. However, be careful leaving pets unattended near potentially dangerous decor, like candles, that curious puppies and kitties could knock over, as well as any decorations that have small pieces that your pet could easily choke on.
Be careful with decorative plants. Don’t forget that some flowers and festive plants can be toxic to pets. The safest route is simply to keep your pets away from all plants and table decorations.

Pet Stress

The Holiday hustle can be confusing for your pet.
A full house might stress your pet out, especially if they have never met your guests before.
If your pal seems anxious, try putting them in a quiet room away from the action with a favourite toy and plenty of fresh water.

Kitchen safety

Curious pets can be dangerous in the kitchen. They can get into the garbage or jump on counter tops eating things they shouldn’t or knocking over hot or sharp things.
Be cautious about where your pets are roaming throughout the cooking process. If you allow them in the kitchen, keep them away from the hot oven door and stovetop.

Preparing for Emergencies

No matter how much you plan, holiday mishaps can still happen. It’s a good idea to contact your local veterinarian about their holiday hours ahead of time and add the telephone numbers for an emergency veterinarian clinic. Keep a pet-first-aid-kit handy, and remember that in any emergency.