DEAR PET TALK: Thanksgiving is coming, and it’s so tempting to feed our dog table scraps. We won’t do it, but how can we make Thanksgiving special for her? – Pup-arazzi
DEAR PUP-ARAZZI: Great timing on your question, and no – table scraps are definitely verboten! In just a couple of weeks, dogs and cats all over the country are pricking up their ears at the sound of extra bustle in the kitchen (and ready to savor all the smells!).
We put the question to our “Be PAWSitive” community and Jenn Bragdon of Fitchburg responded. “This is tough, unless you are giving your pet something that is specifically for pets. Normally, we add butter, salt and other seasons to our food at Thanksgiving. This turns some foods, which are normally okay, into something dangerous for pets.”
So let’s start with what’s absolutely off the list: poultry bones (choking hazards), turkey skin (nutritionally unsound), garlic and onions (contain thiosulphate). If you dog accidentally gets into these items, the results could be shortness of breath, lethargy, vomiting and diarrhea. You already know not to give chocolate to your dog, but add nuts, raisins, grapes, all sweeteners, milk and nutmeg to that list.
Arya, the Bragdon beagle travels to the family’s Thanksgiving Day gathering. “I make sure to save her some sweet potato that I set aside, before we add everything to make it into a casserole. I also take a small amount of turkey breast (no skin or grease), and she gets that as a Thanksgiving treat. She would love to eat absolutely everything, but I know where that would get us.”
Arya does have one holiday tradition, which definitely can be safely shared among many pets: “She sports her Thanksgiving bandanna every year,” says Bragdon. As readers can see, it reads: “Leftovers Are For Quitters.” Happy T-day to one and all.
Sally Cragin is the director of Be PAWSitive: Therapy Pets and Community Education. We welcome questions about pets! Send to sallycragin@gmail.com or text 978-320-1335.