The short of it is, your dog can enjoy lots of the food we enjoy at Thanksgiving but everything in moderation and without seasoning. A word of warning, Thanksgiving weekend is infamous in the veterinary world for dogs suffering from pancreatitis, vomiting and diarrhea. This happens when dogs eat too much rich food.
It’s often our family members that are to blame for our sick dog, they sneak her extra treats under the table, but often dogs will also help themselves to the counter, table or garbage can. Either way, this can lead to temporary or even long-term illness for your dog.
Therefore, it is advisable to do the following:
· Tell your guests not to feed your dog without your permission, especially dogs with known allergies or a sensitive stomach.
· Set aside the tidbits for your dog, so you know how much she is eating throughout the day.
· Avoid fatty cuts of meat.
· Avoid dairy products.
· Stick to minimal seasoning on any food you give your dog.
· Use baby gates to keep your dog out of food prep areas.
· Consider crating your dog or confining her to another room if she has a reputation for being a food thief.
· Secure the turkey carcass and other garbage in a can that your dog cannot open or access.
What Food Can My Dog Eat on Thanksgiving?
Our dogs can eat lots of plain unseasoned vegetables, but in case you are concerned here is some help:
Turkey: Offer you dog only a small amount of cooked meat. The skin usually is higher in fat, salt and seasoning, so avoid this. The gizzards and organ meat are a great tasty treat but they are also very rich, so they don’t need too much, or give it to them over several days.
Ham: Small amounts of cooked ham is great, but ham is notoriously fatty and salty so be careful.
Mashed potatoes: Just plain without the butter but avoid the gravy.
Carrots: Your dog can enjoy the carrots both raw and cooked, but not with seasoning.
Sweet potatoes: Plain with no seasoning.
Pumpkin: Plain canned pumpkin is an excellent healthy treat for dogs. You can even make your own dog treats with it.
Pumpkin pie: Pumpkin pie has a lot more sugar in it than plain canned pumpkin, personally I avoid feeding this to my dog because of the sugar content, but if your dog sneaks a bite, they will enjoy it for sure!
Green beans: Plain cook beans are an excellent treat for your dog.
Cranberries: Plain and cooked cranberries are safe for your dog, however the cranberry sauce out of the jar is very high in sugar and other preservatives, so you should avoid this.
Err on the Side of Caution
There are many Thanksgiving foods that your dog can enjoy but much of it is fatty or overly seasoned, therefore err on the side of caution.
The simplest option is to set aside your dog’s “meal”, or even several meals ahead of time in plastic containers, so you know how much she will be getting. If she has a sensitive stomach avoid the mess and stick to her regular diet, she will forgive you.
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