Written by Mara Brown
With Thanksgiving this month, I want to share some potential dangers of feeding table scraps to your dog. It is often hard to ignore those pleading eyes staring hopefully up at you from under the table. But before you sneak your dog a tasty morsel to show them how much you love them and how thankful you are for their love and devotion, let me share some interesting information:
A 5 oz serving of dark turkey meat fed to a small dog is equivalent to a person eating an entire pie by themselves. And if that meat has gravy on it, that can be potentially deadly to your dog.
Those extra calories will quickly add up and your pup may become overweight. An overweight dog is not a healthy dog. Those extra pounds can lead to diabetes, arthritis, discomfort, and many other ailments, and can shorten your dog’s life.
If you think giving your dog a turkey bone as a special treat is harmless – it is NOT. Cooked turkey bones can cause choking and/or damage/punctures to your dog’s throat or digestive system.
Stuffing and potatoes that are cooked with garlic, onions or scallions will also be potentially toxic to your dog. Do not give your dog anything cooked with spices. Even items that you think are healthy for a dog (green beans, sweet potatoes, white turkey meat) can be harmful if cooked in spices.
Show your dog how much you love them and are thankful for them by keeping them safely away from the table scraps. Instead, you can get them some fun dog-healthy pies or treats. You can find some great “Pups-giving” morsels your dog will love and that are healthy for them at websites like www.theDogBakery.com.
Keep the trash safely away from your dog’s yearning nose and mouth. Dogs can be quite crafty in figuring ways to get into trash with all those tasty scraps inside. But if your dog snags a bone, or grabs some other above-mentioned food off the table or from the garbage, ACT FAST. Immediately call your vet and/or the Pet Poison Helpline (800) 213-6680. The sooner you seek treatment, the potential better outcome for your dog. Quick action can save you tons of potential heartache.
This Thanksgiving take a moment to be extra thankful for your amazing dog!
I wish you all a healthy, happy, tail-wagging Thanksgiving! For more tips and info call Mara Brown at (310) 467-2334 and visit her website at www.lifecoachingfordogs.com
