Thanksgiving is almost here! With the table full of food, you just can’t help but share some with your dog. But are all foods safe for them to eat? Accidental poisoning, upset stomachs, vomiting and diarrhea can happen if you’re not careful as a pet owner. You can always include your pet in the Thanksgiving celebration, just be mindful of what you give them. Here we list out the foods you can share with your furry companion as you celebrate Thanksgiving this year!
Sweet Potato
Sweet potatoes not only taste good, it’s also good for them! They are a nutritious snack low in fat and rich in vitamins B6, C, and A. Additionally, sweet potatoes are also rich in fiber, helping prevent the overgrowth of any bacteria and helping the colon recover. Since raw sweet potatoes are hard for dogs to digest, always cook them before serving them. Make these separately, ideally without any butter, garlic, sour cream, bacon, marshmallows, brown sugar, or other flavorings. You can easily give your dog a nutritious treat by simply skinning, cutting, and roasting a sweet potato. But like many other fruits and vegetables, this should be given to your dog in moderation and as occasional treats, not as part of a regular diet. Even if something is healthy, it should never be given in excess as this could cause an allergic reaction or intolerance.
Pumpkin
Pumpkins are also another traditional Thanksgiving ingredient that you can give to your dog. It provides fiber, potassium, iron, and vitamins A and C. Plain pumpkin is great for dogs. Cooked and mashed pumpkin without added salt can help calm an upset stomach, improve digestion, reduce anal gland problems, prevent hairball buildup, and help dogs with both constipation and diarrhea. When feeding pumpkin from a can, make sure it is pure pumpkin and not the pre-seasoned pie mix.
Turkey
As long as it’s not prepared with any seasonings, turkey is good Thanksgiving food for your dog. When prepared with spices, oil and butter, it can cause pancreatitis and other issues. Remove all the other ingredients and make sure they’re only getting turkey meat. Large quantities of garlic and onions are toxic to dogs and will cause digestive upset. Take the skin off the turkey. Even for humans, the skin is usually the least healthy part of the bird because it has the highest fat content and is frequently served with a lot of seasoning. Make sure you feed them in only small quantities!
Apples
Apples contain a good amount of fiber and vitamins A and C. If you make apple pie, save a few slices and mash or chop them up for your dog. Just make sure the seeds and skin have been removed, as apple seeds can be poisonous.
Green Beans
Green beans are a great source of vitamins and minerals for your dog. You can give them canned, frozen, fresh, cooked or raw green beans. Just make sure they are plain and do not contain any additional ingredients. You can certainly put green beans on your dog’s Thanksgiving plate, but you shouldn’t give your dog a green bean casserole. Along with the fat, casseroles frequently include toxic ingredients for dogs like onions and garlic.
Avoid foods with fatty proteins, stuffing, mashed potatoes, chocolate and even the smallest amount of alcohol. If you’re having guests over for dinner, make sure to tell them not to feed your dog any of the dangerous stuff. Or, to be sure, tell them to feed the dog nothing at all. Always keep a close eye on your dog during the holidays and have a happy Thanksgiving!
