5 Tips to Remember When Feeding Pets Thanksgiving Leftovers

pug-thanksgiving

We all want our pets to enjoy Thanksgiving too. If you want your dog to have a treat you just need to be aware of what is safe for them and what is not. It's important to make sure our pets stay as healthy as possible.

Some Thanksgiving food can be excellent for your dogs by providing protein and some of those leftovers are bad for a pet and shouldn't be shared with them. If you follow these tips your dog will be satisfied and stay as healthy as possible too.

Tips for giving Thanksgiving leftovers to your pets are:

Yes to Mashed Potatoes
Potatoes are a great, filling vegetable to share with your pet. However even though the potatoes themselves are not harmful to pets, be aware of additional ingredients used to make mashed potatoes. Cheese, sour cream, butter, onions, and gravies are no-no’s in a pet’s diet.

No to Xylitol
While you may be making the healthier choice by cooking with artificial sweeteners over the real thing, sweeteners containing Xylitol are poisonous to animals, and potentially deadly to dogs.

Yes to Macaroni and Cheese
If you know your pet’s stomach handles dairy alright, macaroni and cheese is a safe leftover to share. If you are unsure though, it may be best to just give plain macaroni. Cats often develop lactose intolerance when they become adults.

No to Grapes
Many people are unaware that grapes, and subsequently raisins, can be toxic to pets. The fruit has been shown to cause kidney failure in dogs.

Yes to Turkey
Turkey can be a wonderful lean protein to share with your pet. You will just want to be sure to remove any excess skin or fat, stick with white meat, and make sure there are no bones.

As you can see your pet can still enjoy many of those amazing Thanksgiving leftovers. As long as you remember not to give them anything with artificial sweeteners or any of those grapes they should be safe. This way you can make them their own special plate of food. It will definitely make their day and you will feel good knowing they weren't left out.

For more tips when feeding your pet Thanksgiving leftovers, visit Pet MD.



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