Thanksgiving is a special time of year to gather with friends and family to celebrate with a feast of traditional foods. Sharing this festive holiday includes family and client’s pets as well. Sadly, Thanksgiving also means an increase in emergency vet visits due to unsafe human food that dogs or cats might inadvertently consume.
Dogs are natural hunters, and some are quite adept at rooting through the kitchen garbage can. After carving the turkey, take the carcass to an outside dumpster (before you sit down to your feast) Clear the kitchen counter of food left in abandoned pots and pans from counter-surfing dogs and prowling cats! Take all garbage promptly outside once your dinner is complete and plates are scraped of uneaten food and turkey bones.
Turkey bones, the skin and meat and any food that has been seasoned shouldn’t be shared with your dogs or cats.
Other No-No foods:
- Gravy
- Stuffing
- Casseroles
- Mashed potatoes
- Creamed peas
- Chocolate and Sweets
- Alcoholic beverages
- Raisins and Grapes
- Onions, Scallions, and Garlic
- Ham
- Yeast dough
- Fatty Foods
Safe & Healthy Foods you can share:
- Sweet Potatoes
- Boiled or Baked Potatoes (unbuttered/unseasoned)
- Seedless apples
- Unseasoned, skinless Turkey meat
- Unseasoned Green beans
- Plain peas
- Pure Pumpkin (not Pumpkin Pie mix)
Make sure house guests don’t succumb to soulful eyes begging at the table and share the wrong “treat” from their plate! House rules should also include keeping purses and luggage zipped tight in guest rooms, especially if medications, children’s diapers or toys with small parts were packed. Curious canine noses might sniff out the wrong accessory to savor.
Preparing a safe, quiet room for pets may be necessary if they are prone to fear or anxiousness around large crowds, loud noises or new people. Consider a bully stick or interactive toy for quiet and lasting enjoyment. We recommend EcoKind All-Beef Chew Sticks as featured in our Preferred Vendors section for Members Only. Calming products may be necessary for super anxious pets.
Holiday decor, especially floral arrangements should be pet friendly. Every pet sitter should know what plants toxic to pets are, in order to maintain a safe home environment. For an in-depth list of harmful plants, visit: https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants
Despite a designated safe room, be sure to guard all entrance and exit doors. Open doors during guest arrival and departure risks unintentional escape for a dog or cat. Despite a dog’s recall training, many won’t come when called during a moment of unleashed freedom and exploration of the great outdoors.
As always, be safe, healthy and happy. Enjoy this season of thanks and joy.
Join us for abundant resources to help you achieve new heights in your pet-sitting business. We’ve made it easy and cheap to become a member (only $10/month!): https://www.associationofpetprofessionals.com/join-us
photo attributions: featured image by Andre-griffith-files. Dog with spoon in mouth: by seasonal-love@tumbler.com. Funny meme by Schnauzers-rule.com