Give a dog a bone! Every dog loves a good bone but should dogs eat the bones left over from the Thanksgiving dinner? NO! Poultry bones are especially dangerous for dogs. They are known to splinter and lodge in the digestive system of the dog. This can be excruciatingly painful and require extensive surgery to remove them. If you want to give your dogs a treat, give them some of the leftover meat, free of bones, to satisfy their appetite. You can also buy some special dog treats or bones from the pet store to help your pet celebrate the holiday safely.
With dogs around you should also be mindful of the turkey itself, whether it is thawing before you put it in the oven, or resting after it’s cooked. Without supervision clever pets have been known to find a way to get to a meal, even if it seems to be out of reach on a table or a counter. It would be wise to keep your dogs in another room free from the smells of temptation.
The hours of planning and work needed to put together a holiday feast can be exhausting, and the prospect of cleaning up afterwards can seem daunting. We all know we have to do it, but when our bellies are full of such scrumptious goodies it is hard to get the motivation to clean. However, for the safety of your pets be sure to throw away the turkey carcass in a garbage can with a secure lid so that your dog can’t gain access while you are sleeping. Enjoy your cornucopia of food this Happy Thanksgiving!
