Lana and Turkey

Thanksgiving Pet Safety: Keeping Your Pets Safe During the Holiday

Thanksgiving is all about family, friends, and plenty of delicious food and for many of us, our pets are part of the family too! While it may be tempting to let your dog or cat join in on the feast, some of our favorite Thanksgiving foods can cause anything from an upset stomach to a veterinary emergency.

Food isn’t the only concern, either. A house full of visitors, frequently opening doors, overflowing trash cans, and unfamiliar decorations can create unexpected hazards for pets.

Here are a few simple ways to keep your four-legged family members safe this Thanksgiving.

Can My Pet Have Thanksgiving Dinner?

Your pet doesn’t have to miss out completely! A few small portions of plain, unseasoned foods can be safe for many healthy dogs and cats.

Some pet-friendly options include:

  • Fully cooked, boneless turkey with the skin and excess fat removed
  • Plain cooked sweet potato no butter, sugar, marshmallows, or seasonings
  • Plain green beans
  • Plain cooked carrots
  • Plain pumpkin not pumpkin pie filling
  • A small amount of their regular treats or food served in a special bowl or puzzle toy

Keep portions small. Even foods that aren't toxic can cause vomiting, diarrhea, or pancreatitis when pets suddenly eat large amounts of rich or fatty foods. We recommend that any turkey offered to pets be fully cooked and completely free of bones.

Foods That Should Stay Off the Pet's Plate

Unfortunately, many traditional Thanksgiving dishes contain ingredients that aren't safe for pets.

Avoid giving your pet:

  • Turkey bones: Cooked poultry bones can splinter, become lodged in the digestive tract, or cause serious internal injuries. 
  • Turkey skin, drippings, and fatty foods: Rich, fatty foods can trigger significant stomach upset and may contribute to pancreatitis.
  • Stuffing and casseroles: These frequently contain onions, garlic, or chives, which can damage red blood cells and are toxic to both dogs and cats. 
  • Gravy:Gravy is often high in fat and salt and may contain onions, garlic, or other unsafe seasonings.
  • Grapes and raisins:Keep raisins, grapes, and dishes containing them completely away from dogs. Ingestion can cause potentially serious kidney damage.
  • Chocolate: Chocolate can cause vomiting, diarrhea, abnormal heart rhythms, tremors, seizures, and other serious problems.
  • Xylitol: This artificial sweetener may be found in sugar-free baked goods, candy, gum, and other products. Xylitol can cause dangerously low blood sugar and potentially liver damage in dogs. 
  • Raw bread dough: Yeast dough can expand inside the stomach and produce alcohol as it ferments, making it particularly dangerous for pets.
  • Alcohol:Keep alcoholic drinks and foods prepared with alcohol out of reach.

When in doubt, skip the table scraps and give your pet one of their regular treats instead.

Watch the Front Door!

Food may get most of the attention when we talk about Thanksgiving safety, but an open front door can be one of the biggest holiday risks for pets.

Guests are arriving, children are running in and out, packages are being delivered, and someone is inevitably standing in the doorway saying goodbye.

A pet can slip outside in seconds.

Before company arrives:

  • Make sure your pet's ID tag and microchip information are current.
  • Remind guests that you have pets and ask them to close exterior doors immediately behind them.
  • Don't assume someone else is watching the dog or cat when people are coming and going.
  • Consider using a baby gate or keeping pets away from the entryway during busy arrival and departure times.
  • If your pet is particularly likely to bolt, place them safely in another room while guests are arriving.

A simple reminder to your guests "Please watch the door; we have pets!" can prevent a frightening Thanksgiving search for a missing family member.

Give Overwhelmed Pets Somewhere Quiet

Thanksgiving can be a lot for pets. New people, unfamiliar voices, children, doorbells, music, and changes in routine may be exciting for some animals and stressful for others.

Give your pet access to a quiet, comfortable space away from the activity. Their bed, favorite toys, water, and perhaps some soft music can make the room feel familiar.

Most importantly, don't force a nervous pet to socialize. Allow them to decide whether they'd like to participate in the festivities.

We also recommend reminding overnight guests to keep medications and other personal belongings safely out of pets' reach. 

Don't Forget About the Trash

After dinner, that trash bag may smell like the greatest buffet your dog has ever encountered.

Turkey bones, cooking string, foil, plastic wrap, fatty scraps, desserts, and discarded food can all end up in the garbage.

Use a trash can with a secure lid, keep garbage somewhere your pets cannot access, and take full bags outside promptly. We specifically recommend paying extra attention to Thanksgiving garbage because it can contain numerous food hazards at once.

A Safe Thanksgiving Is a Happy Thanksgiving

Our pets don't need an entire Thanksgiving plate to be included in the celebration. A little plain turkey or a few pet-safe vegetables, some extra attention, and a cozy place near the family can be more than enough.

Keep unsafe foods out of reach, secure the trash, watch those exterior doors, and make sure guests know the household rules for your pets.

And if your pet does manage to eat something they shouldn't, don't wait for symptoms to appear before asking for help. Contact your veterinarian promptly and let them know exactly what your pet ate, approximately how much, and when it happened.

From all of us at Markham Woods Animal Hospital, we wish you and your four-legged family members a happy, healthy, and safe Thanksgiving!Â