Thanksgiving is a time of family, celebration and food, which makes it easy to feel sorry for your kitty or pooch. They will make sad eyes, beg and even try to steal when you aren’t looking. Cooked turkey bones and even raw bones can be very dangerous to your dog or cat’s health. Cooked bones splinter very easily, getting lodged in your pet’s mouth, throat or GI tract. The result could be an emergency vet trip and even surgery. If you do give your pet turkey this Thanksgiving, make sure you remove all the bones. They don’t really need them and would much rather be healthy then have a bone to chew.
The beginning of the holiday season can mean more chocolate is making its way into your house. Make sure you immediately put any chocolate in a place where your furry friend can’t reach it such as a drawer, closet or counter. Milk chocolate can make animals quite sick and baker’s chocolate is toxic.
Many people start putting up festive Christmas decorations in their house around Thanksgiving. Items like tinsel and lights may look very pretty but to a playful cat or curious dog these objects spell danger. Make sure to hang ornaments and other tempting decorations up above eye level or at a level that your pet can’t easily reach. This will dissuade them from attempting to play with these holiday items.
Tree lights are also decorations that cats and dogs are tempted to chew on. Start stringing lights higher up on the tree to keep them at a safer distance from your pet and keep excess dangling cords to a minimum. Turn off and unplug tree lights when you aren’t home and at night. To deter chewing you can also invest in a bitter spray to put on electric cords to make them taste unappetizing.
Most houses have a lot of guests and family members coming and going during Thanksgiving. With cats, you may want to keep them in a closed bedroom or bathroom with food, water and a litter box to prevent accidental escape. For dogs, you can put a leash on them before company arrives and simply grab the leash as people walk in to keep them from sneaking out.
Hopefully these simple tips can help you and your pets celebrate Thanksgiving safely.
