In the next few days, many people will be celebrating the Thanksgiving holidays with friends and family members, which includes our pets as well. Make sure to keep the following tips in mind to make sure the holidays are safe and enjoyable for your four-legged friends!
Make sure animals are secure while you are entertaining. More guests mean more chances for your dog, cat or other companion animal to slip out unnoticed; be sure he is always wearing a collar and ID tag in case of escape.
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Animals can feel holiday stress too. Make sure animals are not forgotten in all the activity, but provide them with a quiet retreat when the festivities get too stressful. Keep the animal's schedule as close to normal as possible and remember to spend some quality time together.
Stress or feelings of neglect can lead your companion animal to seek out undesirable or unsafe things to chew on, such as furniture or electrical cords. Make sure you provide healthy chew toys.
Resist giving animals table food, especially fatty foods like gravy and poultry skin, which can cause severe gastrointestinal upset. Likewise, do not give them poultry or steak bones, which can splinter or lodge in the throat, stomach or intestinal tract.
Chocolate is poisonous to dogs and cats and can even be fatal depending on the animal's size and the amount and type of chocolate ingested. Unsweetened or baking chocolate can be especially toxic. The safest rule, however, is to keep all chocolate out of reach.
Lighted candles should never be left unattended, especially with animals around.