Fido may not be so thankful for feast
Thanksgiving is for family. So if some of your family is four-legged, it seems only right to share with them, too.
But the results aren’t always festive, as Sandi Garcia of Denver learned the hard way on her first holiday with Holly, a golden retriever. Before dinner, Garcia gave Holly turkey and stuffing topped with gravy.
“She gulped it down in two seconds flat,” Garcia said. “Just as we were about to dig in, Holly appeared in the dining room and proceeded to throw up.”
Fortunately, Holly didn’t suffer any long-term consequences. The same couldn’t be said for the holiday meal.
“Needless to say, nobody had an appetite after that,” Garcia said.
Holly’s reaction isn’t surprising. Giving dogs food they aren’t used to, even a new kind of dog food, can easily lead to an upset doggy stomach, says Dr. Ken Drobatz, director of emergency medicine at the University of Pennsylvania veterinary school hospital. More serious problems also can occur when pets help devour the holiday meal. Exercise caution and moderation to keep pets safe for many holidays to come.
Foods to avoid
“Too much fat is associated with pancreatitis, which can result in mild vomiting to potentially life-threatening illness,” Drobatz said. So don’t give pan drippings or gravy, and it’s safest to remove turkey skin, which is fatty.
Also, don’t give pets poultry bones. They can splinter and cause serious injuries.
Another potential risk is onions in stuffing or other dishes. “Lots of onions can cause red blood cells to break down and cause anemia,” Drobatz said. “Even onion powder can be dangerous.”
Hidden hazards
For dogs, the danger can be not just food but anything that has come into contact with food. That includes toothpicks, string and food wraps.
Christi Lopez of Fremont, Calif., knows firsthand how food-related products can be a hazard. Last year, her Airedale Abbey swallowed a 4 ½-inch metal turkey skewer that had fallen on the floor.
“I tried to pry her mouth open. It was like trying to pry a vise open,” Lopez said. Realizing the dog had already swallowed, Lopez raced Abbey to the vet, where surgery was done to remove the skewer.
Abbey was fine, but the bill for the surgery was more than $2,000.