Enjoy T-day while keeping pet healthy

QLast year at Thanksgiving, we tried to be careful about what to give our dog to eat. We knew that we could safely give a little turkey and a small amount of stuffing. There were no problems, so we figure we can do the same thing this year. We are wondering if he could have some pumpkin pie for dessert. One of our guests bakes awesome pies, and we want to include our four-legged family member in as much as possible.

AI’m glad to hear that everything worked out last year for you at the holiday given what you fed your dog. So many veterinarians see sick dogs on the days following Thanksgiving due to problems caused by the ingestion of inappropriate items.

Turkey breast is fine, but give small amounts at a time and be sure to take the skin off and remove any bones. Turkey skin is fatty, and if consumed, can lead to a condition known as pancreatitis; bones can lead to oral and gastrointestinal injuries due to trauma.

If you give your dog stuffing, make sure that the stuffing has no onions, raisins, currants, grapes or other potentially toxic ingredients. Avoid giving your dog sweets. Pumpkin pie has sugar in it. Plain pumpkin, such as that from a can, or fresh, would be fine. You also could give your dog vegetables or some cheese, but safest of all would be a few dog treats.

Since you mention guests coming over, make sure the door stays closed so your dog can’t run outside. Most of all, keep a lid on any trash receptacles since pets often love to get into good smelling trash that contains things you don’t want them to eat. Happy Thanksgiving!