Thanksgiving Safety Tips

 

Turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie… Who’s ready to celebrate Thanksgiving with friends and family? While you’re enjoying the good food and even better company, however, make sure you take a few moments to keep your dog safe this Thanksgiving.

Here are a few tips so that your dog has a fun and safe holiday.

All Good Things in Moderation

Since you’re going to be indulging in foods that you don’t normally eat every day, it’s natural to want to share some of these special treats with your dog. However, while it may be okay to add a few small (boneless, fully cooked) pieces of turkey, sweet potatoes, or green beans to your dog’s dinner, be careful not to give your dog too much. Eating too much unfamiliar food can give your dog an upset stomach. And if you have an SSD dog, remember – no feeding from the table!

A good idea to keep your dog occupied and give them a special holiday treat is to fill a Kong or empty marrow bone with pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling), dog food, small pieces of turkey, sweet potatoes, and frozen green beans. Freeze this for a few hours before giving it to your dog. Not only is it a tasty treat, but it’ll take them a while to eat it.

Just Say No

The following foods can be harmful to your dog. Please don’t feed them to him, or let your dog have access to them.

• Turkey bones
• Onions
• Raisins
• Grapes
• Raw bread dough
• Fatty foods, such as turkey skin
• Chocolate
• Anything in the garbage

A Tired Dog Is a Good Dog

We know you might be busy preparing the Thanksgiving meal, but please take some time to exercise or play with your dog before the festivities start. If your dog is already tired, she’ll be more likely to be calmer when your guests start arriving. Plus, she may even sleep through the meal!

Don’t Forget the ID

Although some dog owners remove their dog’s collar and ID tags when the dog is in the house, it’s a good idea to keep the collar on while guests are coming and going. In all the activity, your dog may slip out of the house, and you want to be sure that the dog can be easily identified and returned to you.

A Little Peace and Quiet

Finally, make sure your dog has a quiet place to go if the festivities get to be too much for him. Our SSD dogs are crate trained, and our dogs will often retreat to their crate or their bed when they need some quiet time.

We wish you and your family a happy Thanksgiving!