Tis the season for sharing and caring. But if you care for your dog, here are 11 things you should not share with your four-legged love this Thanksgiving.
Note: This list comes from the ASPCA’s list of hazardous foods for dogs. Of course, some dogs have stomachs of steel and can eat everything from light bulbs to onion sandwiches, but this list is for folks who want to be extra careful. 🙂
11 Foods Your Pup Should Avoid This Thanksgiving
1. Salty Turkey Skin
Your Thanksgiving turkey will be basted in a number of tasty herbs and spices, like sage or dill, which can upset some dogs’ stomachs. The fatty skin, added salty brine, and added butter isn’t very good for dogs either. When they start throwing the puppy dog eyes, you can give those pups a tiny piece of turkey breast though!
2. Turkey Bones
When the turkey’s gone, the bones that remain are NOT a good chew toy for your dog. They are brittle choking hazards that easily splinter if chewed.
3. Stuffing
This Thanksgiving staple often contains onions, which are toxic to dogs. If your pup ingests a lot of onions they can develop a condition called hemolytic anemia which can damage their red blood cells.
4. Garlic Bread
Garlic is an allium, a member of the onion family. If your dog eats a lot of garlic it can really hurt them. Also– if you have a cat in your family, garlic is significantly more toxic to cats.
5. Fruit Salad
Many fruit salads contain grapes which are some of the most toxic things a dog can eat. Unfortunately, grape and raisin toxicity can be fatal for your dog because it can lead to acute kidney failure.
6. Sausage
Sausage can be dangerous for your pup because it is more than meat. Many sausages also contain onions, garlic, and spices that can upset your dog’s stomach.
7. Pecan Pie
Nuts are another one of those items to add to your pup’s “DO NOT EAT THIS” list. Nuts, while delicious to dogs, can cause gastric intestinal issues or obstructions. If a nut, like a walnut or pecan, has mold it can contain tremorgenic mycotoxins (toxic chemical products produced by fungi) which can cause seizures or neurological symptoms.
8. Booze
Whether wine or beer, alcohol is simply not good for dogs. Grapes and hops are both toxic to dogs, and so is the alcohol itself.
9. Pumpkin or Sweet Potato Pie
This one’s tricky. Both pumpkin and sweet potatoes are good for dogs. But for Thanksgiving, many people and nutmeg to their pumpkin or sweet potato dishes which can cause a tummyache. If you want to have a pup-safe pie, check out the Homestyle Pumpkin Pup-Pie from BarkShop!
10. Ice Cream
Just like humans, some pups handle dairy just fine– others get a tummyache. It really depends on your pup. If the ice cream contains xylitol, do not give any ice cream to your dog. Xylitol is toxic to pups.
11. Coffee
While a couple sips of a cup of coffee probably won’t do a thing to your dog, be careful of coffee grounds or tea bags– these can be extremely dangerous to small pups.
For more food Check with the ASPCA.
