Thanksgiving dinner is one of the most popular feasts of the year for both people and pets. But ingesting rich, fatty foods from thanksgiving dinner could give your pet more than just a few extra pounds to walk off. Feeding your dog or cat turkey and other tasty treats from your table could lead to a trip to the vet.

Dr. Kirsten Aarbo, veterinarian at the Big Rock Animal Clinic, says many popular thanksgiving foods should be avoided by your pets.

"The main issue with pets and Thanksgiving foods is a lot of them can be fatty and that can lead to pancreatitis," Dr. Aarbo said.

Even if eating thanksgiving food doesn't lead to pancreatitis, they can cause an upset stomach. 

Among the foods to avoid listed by Dr. Aarbo, are turkey, gravy, stuffing, and food made with lots of butter. 

Although turkey bones might seem like a low-fat option, Dr Aarbo has a warning about them too:

"Cooked small bones can actually fragment and be quite sharp and cause tummy upset or a puncture of the intestines as they go through, so those can be a big concern as well."

There are some thanksgiving foods that are safer for your furry friends. White turkey meat, carrots, and peas can all be tolerated in smaller amounts.

Even some common flavour enhancers like onions and garlic can cause unwanted issues for your pet.

"Both (onions and garlic) can actually cause destruction of the red blood cells and severe anemia," Dr. Aarbo said.

Most people know sugary treats, like chocolate and other desserts, are not good for your dog or cat but surprisingly neither is raw bread dough.

"There's actually a reaction that happens, if they eat a bunch of bread dough, it ferments in the stomach and leads to alcohol toxicity and they could actually die from that," warned Dr. Aarbo.

Preparing a big meal for your family can lead to distractions, which can make it hard to pay attention to what your pets are eating.

Designating a family member to keep an eye on the food and make sure your pet does not have access to it is an easy way to keep your fur baby healthy this Thanksgiving weekend.

 

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