Health & Fitness

5 Thanksgiving Foods to Keep Off Your Dog's Menu

Animal Rescue League of Boston offers ideas for keeping your canine companion healthy and happy this Turkey Day.

Editor's note: article submitted by the Animal Rescue League of Boston 

Few holidays are as food-focused as Thanksgiving. From the turkey to the trimmings to the pumpkin pie, sharing a celebratory meal with family and friends is the culinary highlight of the fall season.

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For many of us, including our dogs in holiday meal plans goes without saying.  According to the Animal Rescue League’s behavior counselor Kim Melanson, CPDT-KA, however, many Thanksgiving staples can actually be very dangerous for your pet.

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“Tasty and safe for you does not equal tasty and safe for you dog,” she explains.

 Here are five Thanksgiving foods the ARL says leave off your dog’s holiday menu:

1. Turkey Bones. We’ve grown accustomed to the idea of “giving the dog a bone,” but turkey bones are small and can become lodged in your dog’s throat, stomach, or intestinal tract.

Additionally, these bones may splinter and cause severe damage to the stomach and could puncture the small intestine.

2. Fat Trimmings. Fatty meat, especially turkey skin may be the tastiest part, but it’s also very dangerous for your pet. Fatty foods like turkey skin and gravy are difficult for dogs to digest and consuming turkey skin can result in pancreatitis.

Symptoms for this serious disease include vomiting, extreme depression, reluctance to move and abdominal pain.

3. Dough/Cake Batter. If your mother ever told you not to eat the cookie dough, she wasn’t just trying to make sure you didn’t spoil your appetite.

Since dough and cake batter contain raw eggs, the first concern for people and pets is salmonella bacteria. What’s more, dough may actually rise in your dog’s belly. This can lead to vomiting, severe abdominal pain, and bloating.

4. Raisins/Grapes: Grapes commonly make the list of foods dogs should avoid, but we like to remind people that they are very dangerous. Though the causes of their toxicity are unknown, ingesting them can cause kidney failure.

4. Mushrooms: Good for you, not for your dog. Mushrooms can damage your dog’s internal organs, including kidneys, liver, and the central nervous system. If your dog does eat mushrooms, you can expect the following symptoms: seizures, coma, vomiting and possibly death.

Melanson suggests giving your dog special treats and chews as an alternative to human fare. “Offer him good-for-doggie treats or stuff a Kong with his or her favorite wet food, peanut butter, or low-fat yogurt.”

Need to keep your canine pal busy while you’re busy in the kitchen or entertaining?

“Food puzzles and interactive toys like Kongs or Buster Cubes are a great way to entertain your dog when you’re busy and distracted getting the turkey in and out of the oven,” says Melanson.

For more helpful tips about dog and cat health and behavior, visit arlboston.org/helpfultips/

About the Animal Rescue League

Founded in 1899, the Animal Rescue League of Boston is dedicated to rescuing domesticated animals and wildlife from cruelty, abandonment, and neglect.  The ARL receives no government funding and relies solely on the generosity of supporters to help animals in need.


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