NOVEMBER 26, 2014
Tips to keep pets safe on Thanksgiving Day
PHOENIX – While you enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday, don't forget to keep an eye out for dangers to your four-legged family members.
The Arizona Animal Welfare League & Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (AAWL & SPCA) is reminding people of a few things that people might not think of as Turkey Day dangers:
1. Counter surfing. If you have a canine companion that is tall enough, or one that is creative enough to figure out how to make it work, you need to watch out for some serious counter surfing opportunities on Turkey Day. Don't forget that our feline pets are almost always agile enough to access kitchen counters. Even pets that don't normally try to get goodies off the counter might find Thanksgiving Day goodies too good to resist.
2. Watch the dinner guests. Make sure that any guests you have over to your home know the house rules with your pets and table scraps.
3. Take out the trash. All that Thanksgiving Day trash can be very attractive to our pets… including even the trash bag, paper plates, and napkins.
4. Keep an eye on the doors. If you plan on having a busy house on Thanksgiving, make sure to keep doors closed to keep pets indoors and safe.
5. Watch the little guests, too. If you plan on having children in your home on Thanksgiving that your pets are not used to, some extra precautions and supervision may be needed. Sometimes kids' quick movements and general excitement can be overwhelming to pets. A little extra attention to the situation can help keep pets and kids safe.
6. Dangerous foods for pets. There are lots of things that we enjoy as humans that are not healthy for our pets, and some can be quite dangerous. Here is a small list.
Grapes
Raisins
Onions
Leeks
Chives
Chocolate
Bones and turkey legs
Sage
Bread dough
Batter with raw eggs
Macadamia nuts
Rich or spicy foods
Alcohol
What CAN you do to make the holiday enjoyable for your pet?
While you are chowing down, give your cat or dog their own little feast. Offer them Nylabones or made-for-pet chew bones. Or, stuff their usual food – perhaps with a few added tidbits of turkey, vegetables (try sweet potato or green beans) and dribbles of gravy – inside a Kong toy. They'll be happily occupied for a while, working to get the food out of their toy.
A little extra planning for the big day will make it happy for both people and pets.
