Thanksgiving Safety Tips for Your Dog

The last thing anyone wants is to have to run their dog to the emergency vet on Thanksgiving Day!

It’s never fun to deal with an emergency with your dog, but it’s particularly unpleasant when it happens on Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving should be all about spending quality time with your family, watching football, remembering what you are grateful for in your life and, of course, stuffing yourself with all the turkey, mashed potatoes and pie you can eat. What Thanksgiving should not be about is sitting in the waiting room of an emergency veterinary clinic, but that is exactly where many dog owners end up. However, there are many things you can do to avoid this fate. Here is a list from our veterinarian in South Bellmore of a few tips to help you keep your dog safe this Thanksgiving:

#1. Make sure your guests are informed.

Your guests should not be surprised that you have a dog, so take a moment to make sure that they know that your dog is there. That way they will know to be careful when they come in to not leave it wide open. This is also a good time to tell them about anything specific to your dog, such as that your dog hates loud noises or will go nuts if they ring the doorbell.

#2. Get your dog’s tags and microchip up to date.

Even if you’ve warned your guests about your furry friend, with all of the hustle and bustle of the holidays, sometimes, accidents happen. If your dog does happen to get out some way or another, it’s essential that their microchip and/or tags are up to date with your contact information. Before the big day, take a moment to ensure that all of that information is up to date.

#3. If necessary, make alternative arrangements.

Most people will want their dog at home with them, but if your dog is particularly antsy around big groups of people, then it might be wise to make alternative arrangements. Consider boarding your dog or leaving them with a sitter who will be around and who you trust to care for them. This is, of course, an important step if you’ll be spending the holiday out of town, but even if you’ll be home and you’re just planning on having a big group over, it could make a huge difference.

#4. Supervise your dog around kids and other guests.

Stress and anxiety can affect dogs in many different ways. Even dogs who are normally calm and friendly can bite or otherwise act aggressively when they are stressed or anxious. Keep a close eye on your dog when they are interacting with your guests, particularly kids.
Don’t be one of those people stuck in the emergency veterinary clinic on Thanksgiving Day! These are just a few things you can do to ensure that your dog is safe for the holiday. Stay tuned to learn more, and if you have questions or concerns, please contact us.

The holidays can be a rough time for dogs, but there are many things you can do to keep your dog safe this Thanksgiving.

Every year, many dog owners find themselves sitting in emergency veterinary clinics because their dog ate or did something they shouldn’t. With all of the commotion and guests, the holidays can be particularly rough for dogs, but luckily, there are many things you can do to make the holidays safer and less stressful for both you and your dog. Check out our last blog to learn about the tips our Levittown veterinarian has already covered, and keep reading to learn more tips to keep your dog safe this Thanksgiving.

#5. Know what’s safe and what’s not safe for your dog to eat.

While, ideally, your dog won’t eat any table scraps, sometimes, it’s downright impossible to say no to those big, soulful eyes. However, if you give in to your dog’s incessant begging, you better be 100 percent sure that what you are feeding them is safe for them to eat. A few definite no-no’s include cooked bones, chocolate, mushrooms, onions and turkey skin. When in doubt about whether something is safe or not for your dog to ingest, DON’T FEED IT TO THEM!

#6. Be careful with your decorations.

Decorating your home for the holidays is half the fun, but when you have a dog, it pays to be cautious with how you do so. If you’re using more electrical cords than you typically do, make it a point to keep it out of your dog’s reach, because if they were to chew on an electrical cord, they could get electrocuted. But really, anything your dog could potentially chew or ingest should be safely out of their reach, electrical or not, as dogs are known for swallowing foreign objects that typically have to be fished out surgically later on.

#7. Make it a point to clean up properly.

Not only is the actual food you prepare tempting for your furry friend, but so is the garbage can when it’s full of bones and table scraps. Rancid food that is left in garbage cans is full of nasty bacteria that can make your dog sick; plus there’s likely table scraps in the garbage that are toxic for your dog. Make it a point to take any garbage that contains food scraps outside right away, or just make sure that it’s in a location your dog can’t get to.

#8. Provide your dog with plenty of exercise.

In all of the stress of planning out your meal, decorating your home and getting everything on the table, it’s easy to push aside your dog’s exercise needs — after all, it’s just one day! But, Thanksgiving is not like any other day, and your dog will almost certainly pick up on the little bit of additional stress that’s in the air. If you skip the walk, this could make your dog even more keyed up and unpredictable. Don’t neglect giving your dog the exercise they need, especially on Thanksgiving!

We hope these tips will help you to enjoy a safe, stress-free Thanksgiving with your furry friend! If you have any questions or concerns, please give us a call!