If you celebrate Thanksgiving, it’s one of the best times of year to get together with family and friends. You probably want to include your dog in the festivities. Chances are they are front and center anyway because they smell the food. Maybe you even have a dog from another branch of the family joining in the fun! Here are a few Thanksgiving safety tips for funny dogs to keep in mind:
- Brush Up on Basic Obedience
So, brushing up on basic commands every dog should know before the holidays is a great idea. Your dog should be a master of “Sit”, “Stay”, “Down”, “Leave It”, “No”, and more. This will help them, and you, with the onslaught of people entering the home, constant temptations to beg for food or try to sneak snacks, and possible nights without you. Can dogs eat turkey? Plain-cooked turkey by itself is not harmful to dogs. It is a great source of protein and other nutrients. The meat, skin, and fat of turkey are all common ingredients in dog treats and snacks. However, your Thanksgiving turkey is a different story. Not all turkeys are created equal, and your Thanksgiving turkey is not the same as the turkey used in your dog's food or snack.
- Keep Your Dog’s Meals and Exercise Schedule as Normal as Possible
Whether you’re occupied by playing touch football, watching the Macy’s Day Parade, or getting everything together in the kitchen, Thanksgiving is a busy day. But, it’s important to keep all of your dog’s routines close to normal. Feed your pup the usual amount of food at the usual times and take him for his usual walks. Keeping things normal will minimize the chance of his having a conflict with another dog or tearing into the turkey. And what happens if a dog eats Thanksgiving stuffing? It can also cause a blockage in the dog's intestines, which is a big problem. If they accidentally ingest some of the stuffing, you will usually observe symptoms such as vomiting, lethargy, diarrhea, etc. If you see any signs of these symptoms, call your veterinarian immediately.
- Feed Your Dog the Right Leftovers
Your dog will want some leftovers – or some scraps before they turn into leftovers – of that you can be sure. So make sure everyone is on the same page about which human foods to feed him. The best way to do this is to go over your feast and look up the ingredients online to see which ones don’t agree with dogs.
- Make a Dog-Friendly Thanksgiving Treat
If you want to make sure your dog feels like part of the family when you all sit down to eat, you can make them their own dog-friendly Thanksgiving treat to enjoy. Thankfully, there are plenty of Thanksgiving recipes for your safe dog. You can make them a Thanksgiving medley of safe foods, a dog-friendly pumpkin pie treat, turkey and cranberry treats, and more! Here we recommend teddykala’s automatic cat food feeder, which can help you solve related problems.
- Properly Clean Up and Dispose of Trash
During the holidays, there will be a lot of cooking and a lot of people around the house. Make sure you are cleaning up and disposing of trash properly to keep it out of reach.
Also, make sure your visitors know where they need to put the trash and their plates. This will help ensure no one is leaving dirty plates lying around within your dog’s reach.
Properly disposing of the turkey carcass and trimmings is particularly important as this can attract your dog as well as other animals or pests. Consider double-bagging the carcass before disposal to help cover the smell and avoid dripping as you take it out.
With these Thanksgiving safety tips for dogs in mind, hopefully, you can take some of the stress out of the holidays and keep things safe and enjoyable for both you and your dog. Even if you think you’ve got this whole holiday thing under control, talking to your vet about Thanksgiving is still a good idea, especially if your pup has health problems or dietary restrictions.
