Keep in mind these Thanksgiving safety tips for pets during the holidays. Let’s make sure it’s not a dangerous time for your furry friend! Enjoy time with your family and avoid a visit to your veterinarian by following this guide:

 Cut the fat:

Fatty or rich foods like beef fat, poultry skin, and gravy can cause severe gastrointestinal issues in pets, including:

• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Excessive gas
• Serious diseases like pancreatitis. Pancreatitis is a severe inflammation of the pancreas, an organ that produces digestive enzymes. On the mild side, pancreatitis can cause vomiting and a decrease in appetite, but can potentially be fatal.

If you want to treat your pet, it’s best to stick to a pet treat or a couple of small bites of lean poultry or unsalted/unbuttered vegetables.

Bones are bad:

Although bones from our holiday birds look good to pets, they are dangerous and can cause intestinal upset and may even splinter once digested.

Watch the packaging:

Make sure you dispose of any turkey or other food packaging quickly and appropriately.

All strings, plastic holders and bags that have a meat smell to them can be very attractive to a pet. Once ingested, these items can cause damage or blockage of the intestines.

Chocolate is particularly toxic:

Consider all the cookie and desserts offered during the holidays, many of which contain chocolate.

Chocolate is dangerous for dogs in particular because it contains theobromine, a caffeine-like ingredient that can be toxic to your pet. Dogs are not able to metabolize theobromine as quickly as humans. Complications include:

• Digestive issues
• Dehydration
• Excitability
• Slow heart rate

Later stages of theobromine poisoning include epileptic-like seizures and death. Keep your pet away from dark, semi-sweet and baker’s chocolate because they contain higher levels of theobromine.

We hope these Thanksgiving safety tips for pets were helpful!

Source: Banfield