5 Thanksgiving Foods Your Pet Needs to Avoid

Leave These Foods Off Your Pet’s Holiday Menu

Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks, eat great food and enjoy the company of our family and friends, which often includes our pets. While it’s wonderful to include your pets in your holiday traditions, it’s important to limit the amount and types of food that your pets consume on Thanksgiving. Foods that are fine for humans (and would seem okay for dogs) can actually be very dangerous for your pet.

The following foods should be avoided on Thanksgiving, no bones about it!

1. Turkey Bones
   Turkey bones are small and can become lodged in your dog’s throat, stomach, or intestinal tract. They may also splinter and cause severe damage to the stomach or puncture the small intestine.
2. Fat Trimmings
   Fatty foods like turkey skin and gravy are difficult for dogs to digest, and consuming turkey skin can result in pancreatitis. Symptoms for this serious disease include vomiting, extreme depression, reluctance to move, and abdominal pain.
3. Dough/Cake Batter
   Since dough and cake batter contain raw eggs, the first concern for people and pets is salmonella bacteria. What’s more, dough may actually rise in your dog’s belly, which can lead to vomiting, severe abdominal pain, and bloating.
4. Raisins/Grapes
   Though the causes of their toxicity are unknown, ingesting grapes can cause kidney failure in dogs.
5. Garlic, Mushrooms, and Onions
   All three of these foods can damage your dog’s internal organs, including kidneys, liver, and the central nervous system. Symptoms can include seizures, coma, vomiting, and possibly death.

 Keep your vet's number handy.

Should your pet become ill and show any of the above symptoms, be sure to have your veterinarian’s phone number and the local animal emergency hospital’s number on hand. A quick call to either of them can give you life-saving advice or even help you avoid a trip to the ER.