Thanksgiving is a wonderful time filled with family, friends, and of course, fantastic food. As we gather to celebrate, it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle. However, amidst the preparations and festivities, we need to remember our furry family members. Many traditional Thanksgiving staples and situations can pose significant risks to cats and dogs. Ensuring their safety allows everyone, including your pets, to enjoy the holiday without a stressful trip to the emergency vet.
Feast Foes: Dangerous Foods for Pets
The Thanksgiving table is often laden with delicious dishes, but many of these are hazardous for our pets. Sharing the feast might seem like a loving gesture, but it can lead to serious health problems. Here’s a breakdown of common culprits:
The Main Course Concerns
- Turkey Bones: Cooked bones, especially poultry bones, become brittle and can easily splinter. These splinters can cause choking, internal punctures in the digestive tract, or intestinal blockages. Never give cooked bones to your pets.
- Turkey Skin, Drippings, and Gravy: These are often high in fat and seasonings. Large amounts of fatty foods can trigger pancreatitis, a painful and potentially dangerous inflammation of the pancreas. Rich gravy often contains onions or garlic, which are toxic.
- Stuffing: Often contains onions, garlic, leeks, chives, sage, and other ingredients that can be harmful. Onions and garlic belong to the Allium family and can damage red blood cells in both dogs and cats, leading to anemia. Sage can sometimes cause stomach upset.
Side Dish Dangers
- Onions and Garlic: As mentioned, these are toxic and are found in many Thanksgiving recipes, from casseroles to mashed potatoes. Even small amounts can be problematic, especially for cats.
- Grapes and Raisins: These are highly toxic to dogs and can cause acute kidney failure. Keep fruit salads, desserts, and cheese platters containing these well out of reach.
- Mushrooms: While store-bought mushrooms are generally okay in small amounts if cooked plain, some wild mushrooms are extremely toxic. If you’ve incorporated any foraged mushrooms, ensure pets cannot access them.
- Corn on the Cob: The corn itself isn’t the main issue (though high amounts can cause digestive upset), but the cob is a major choking and blockage hazard if ingested.
Desserts and Drinks Don’ts
- Chocolate: Most people know chocolate is bad for dogs, but it’s toxic to cats too. Darker chocolate and baking chocolate contain higher levels of theobromine, the toxic compound.
- Xylitol: This artificial sweetener is extremely dangerous, especially for dogs. It can cause a rapid drop in blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and liver failure. Xylitol is found in many sugar-free baked goods, candies, gum, and even some peanut butters. Always check labels.
- Alcohol: Pets are much smaller than humans and far more sensitive to the effects of alcohol. It can cause intoxication, respiratory distress, coma, and even death. Keep alcoholic beverages and food containing alcohol away from pets.
- Nuts: Macadamia nuts are particularly toxic to dogs. Other nuts, while not always toxic, are high in fat and can cause pancreatitis or gastrointestinal upset. They can also be choking hazards.
Critical Food Warning: Many common Thanksgiving foods can cause severe illness in pets. Fatty foods like turkey skin and gravy can lead to pancreatitis. Onions, garlic, grapes, raisins, chocolate, and xylitol are toxic and require immediate veterinary attention if ingested. Always keep human food out of your pet’s reach and inform guests not to share their plates.
What CAN they have? If you want to give your pet a special treat, offer small amounts of plain, cooked turkey meat (no skin, no bones), plain steamed green beans, plain cooked carrots, or a dollop of plain pumpkin puree (not pie filling). Ensure these are unseasoned and given in moderation.
Kitchen Chaos and Counter Surfing
The kitchen is the heart of Thanksgiving preparations, but it’s also a minefield of potential dangers for curious pets.
- Hot Surfaces and Spills: Hot stovetops, oven doors, and spilled hot liquids can cause serious burns. Keep pets out of the cooking area, especially during peak times.
- Sharp Objects: Knives, skewers, and other sharp utensils might be left on counters. Ensure these are secured and not easily knocked down.
- The Tempting Trash Can: The garbage bin after Thanksgiving dinner is a treasure trove of dangerous items – bones, wrappers, string, fatty scraps, foil, plastic wrap, and potentially toxic food remnants. Ensure your trash cans have secure lids or are kept behind a closed door. A determined pet can easily knock over an open bin.
- Electrical Cords: Extra appliances like electric knives or mixers mean more cords that could be chewed, leading to electrical burns or shock. Keep cords tidy and inaccessible.
The safest bet is often to designate the kitchen as a pet-free zone while you’re cooking and cleaning up. Use baby gates or closed doors if necessary.
Handling Holiday Guests and Pet Anxiety
Thanksgiving often means a house full of visitors, which can be overwhelming and stressful for pets, even normally social ones. New faces, loud noises, and changes in routine can trigger anxiety.
Managing Interactions
- Escape Artists: With guests coming and going, doors might be left open more often than usual. Ensure your pet is wearing proper identification (collar with tags and ideally a microchip) just in case they slip out. Consider keeping them in a separate room or securely leashed when guests are arriving or leaving.
- Well-Meaning Feeders: Politely but firmly inform your guests not to feed your pets any table scraps or treats without your explicit permission. Explain that many human foods are harmful to them.
- Overstimulation: Constant attention, loud talking, and unfamiliar people can be too much for some pets. Watch for signs of stress like excessive panting, pacing, hiding, flattened ears, or tucked tails.
Creating a Safe Haven
Provide your pet with a quiet, safe retreat away from the main festivities. This could be a crate in a bedroom, a comfy bed in a quiet office, or simply their usual resting spot with some added comforts.
Verified Safe Space Tip: Designate a quiet room or area as your pet’s sanctuary. Equip it with their bed, fresh water, a favorite toy, and perhaps some calming background music or a white noise machine. Encourage guests, especially children, to leave the pet undisturbed when they are in their safe zone. This gives your pet a place to decompress when feeling overwhelmed.
Make sure this space is truly secure and comfortable. Check on them periodically, but allow them their peace if they choose to stay there. A long walk before guests arrive can also help burn off excess energy and promote calmness.
Deck the Halls, Not the Digestive Tract: Decoration Dangers
Holiday decorations add festive cheer, but some can be hazardous if investigated by curious paws or mouths.
- Plants: Certain popular holiday plants can be toxic. Lilies are extremely poisonous to cats. Poinsettias, while often cited, usually only cause mild irritation or stomach upset, but it’s still best to keep them out of reach. Mistletoe and holly can cause more serious problems if ingested. Opt for pet-safe plants or artificial ones.
- Candles: Open flames pose a burn risk and a fire hazard if knocked over by a wagging tail or curious cat. Use flameless LED candles instead for peace of mind.
- Electrical Cords: Holiday lights mean more cords. Secure them properly and consider using cord protectors to prevent chewing.
- Ornaments and Tinsel: Small, breakable ornaments can cause cuts if broken. Tinsel, ribbons, and garlands can be tempting playthings, especially for cats, but if swallowed, they can cause dangerous intestinal blockages requiring surgery.
Place decorations strategically where pets cannot easily access them. Supervise pets around decorated areas, especially when introducing new items.
Travel Troubles: Hitting the Road (or Staying Home)
If your Thanksgiving plans involve travel, consider your pet’s needs.
Traveling With Pets
If bringing your pet along, ensure their safety and comfort during the journey. Use secure carriers or restraints in the car. Never leave them unattended in a vehicle. Pack their food, water, bowls, medications, leash, waste bags, and a familiar item like a bed or toy. Ensure their ID tags and microchip information are up-to-date.
Leaving Pets Behind
If your pet isn’t traveling with you, arrange for reliable care. Options include a trusted pet sitter who visits your home, having a friend or family member stay over, or boarding them at a reputable kennel. Book these services well in advance, as holiday spots fill up quickly. Leave detailed instructions regarding feeding, medication, exercise, and emergency contacts.
A Safe and Happy Thanksgiving for All
Thanksgiving should be a time of joy and gratitude, not emergency vet visits. By being aware of the potential hazards and taking simple precautions, you can ensure the holiday is safe and enjoyable for every member of your family, including the four-legged ones. Pay attention to food safety, manage the environment during cooking and guest arrivals, provide a safe space, secure decorations, and plan travel carefully. A little extra vigilance goes a long way in protecting your beloved companions.
If you suspect your pet has ingested something harmful or is showing signs of illness, contact your veterinarian or an emergency animal hospital immediately. Have their contact information readily available. Wishing you and your pets a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving!
