Keeping your pets healthy during Thanksgiving
MARQUETTE TOWNSHIP — It’s the time of year when many of us are planning to stuff ourselves with turkey and all the fixings.
During the feast, you may find yourself wanting to let your four-legged friends partake in the festivities, but what’s good for you may not be so good for your dog or cat.
“With our holidays, it’s always so tempting to give our cats and dogs table scraps, things that we’re eating. They’re usually very adorable, sitting there, staring at us, wanting to eat those things,” said Ericka McCarthy, an Associate Veterinarian at the Animal Medical Center of Marquette, “but truthfully, they can cause a lot of GI upset with our pets. The holiday season oftentimes brings around lots of things like grapes and raisins, which can be toxic to our pets. Onions can also be toxic. A lot of our holiday things include onion or onion powder.”
It’s recommended that you feed your pets their own food at the same time you eat to keep them entertained and happy.
Having guests over for the holiday can be also be stressful for pets, so owners should have a quiet place for pets to go. Guests should advised not to feed pets table scraps or leave out items – such as medications – that could get pets into trouble.