How To Have A Safe & Happy Thanksgiving With Your Dog
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Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends, and food. For dog owners, it can also be a time where they struggle to find healthy but yummy food for their four-legged family members. Read on for tips and tricks to have a happy and safe Thanksgiving with your dog!
The Thanksgiving Foods You Shouldn’t Feed Your Dogs
Keep it simple and avoid fatty foods for dogs
There’s a lot of conflicting information out there about what’s good and bad for animals. Things like carbs, fats, and sugars can be hard for animals’ bodies to process. They’re also really high in calories which can lead to obesity in dogs.
So we should be sure not to give them too many fatty foods and keep it simple with a diet high in protein and low in carbohydrates.
Avoid onions, garlic, and anything in the onion family
Onions and garlic may make dogs very sick: Dogs have a higher concentration of sulfuric acid in their saliva than humans do, which means that they are more prone to onion or garlic poisoning.
Garlic contains a substance called thiosulfate, which is associated with hemolytic anemia in dogs, as well as sulfa-containing antibiotics used for humans.
Keep Your Dog Away From Bread Dough
Why is bread dough bad for dogs? When dogs eat bread dough with yeast, their stomachs cannot digest the yeast and it ferments, which can be deadly. Yeast can also expand, causing a blockage.
Don’t feed your dog any table scraps or leftovers from dinner (this is especially important if your dog has a sensitive stomach)
The best way to feed your dog is to use a combination of quality commercial dog food and fresh water. Dog food should be the main part of their diet, supplemented with a minimal amount of table scraps.
You should also avoid feeding your dog any leftovers from dinner since these are often high in salt and fat content.
Even if your dog has a strong stomach, it’s still good to avoid giving food directly from the table scraps. Our Ginger was the best girl, but her one bad habit was drooling all over you in hopes you’d sneak her some food.
One Thanksgiving, she sneakily begged for snacks from the kids, who happily obliged. She ate so much she couldn’t even move! The next day, we were driving the 3 hours back home and had to keep the windows rolled down the whole way from how gassy she was and how bad the car stunk! Luckily she was fine by the next day!
The Dangers of Pancreatitis in Dogs
Pancreatitis is a medical condition that affects your dog’s pancreas. The pancreas is an organ located in the abdomen and it produces hormones and enzymes that help with digestion.
The main cause of pancreatitis is due to high levels of triglycerides or fat in the bloodstream.
When the dog has pancreatitis, these enzymes and hormones start building up in the body, and activating too soon. This causes inflammation of the pancreas, which can lead to death if not addressed correctly.
Some signs that your dog may have pancreatitis are abdominal pain, fever, loss of appetite and weight loss. These signs will vary depending on other underlying problems like diabetes or low blood sugar levels, so it’s important to check with your veterinarian at the first sign of your dog not feeling well.
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What to Feed Your Dog for Thanksgiving
Wondering what you can feed your dog on Thanksgiving? There are a few great options to treat your dog to a yummy Thanksgiving dinner, while still being healthy.
I personally prefer the dark meat for us humans, so that leaves plenty of low-fat white meat for our dogs. I make sure to clean off the skin with all the seasonings, and just give them the clean white meat.
You can also boil some green beans when making a green bean casserole, and set that side for the pups. A bit of unsalted mashed potatoes is a great option too.
If you’ve got a bit of time, you can make this yummy homemade dog food recipe for your fur babies. It’s easy to cook in the Instant Pot, so you can spoil your dog while keeping them healthy!
A Few Other Thanksgiving Safety Tips for Dogs
Dogs love to explore and get into trouble, and it’s our job to keep them safe. These tips will make sure everyone has a fun and safe Thanksgiving, including our dogs!
Keep Your Dog From Escaping the House
With so many visitors coming in and out, you need to make sure your dog doesn’t wander away from home. If your dog can’t be trusted around open doors, it’s best to keep them in a safe, secure area such as their dog crate or the bedroom.
Make Sure Visitors’ Belongings are Secure
When company comes, have a designated place for their purses and other belongings that your pet can’t access. This will keep them from accidentally ingesting dangerous items (especially chocolate and gum with xylitol, which can quickly turn fatal) and also keep them from destroying expensive accessories.
