Musings from your Bradcierge!
Welcome to the official CPH Blog! We’ll be using this space to share tips, how-to’s, articles, thoughts, and other things that may not fit on our social media pages.
Firstly, we want to take a moment thank our fans, social media viewers, and clients…without you, we would not have any reason to be here! Caring for your pets is more than a job to us — it’s our passion, pleasure, and honor!
Today, we’d like to talk about your Thanksgiving feast…and your furry ones!
Our simplest piece of advice would be to NOT allow your dog or cat to get to anything on your holiday spread. Any changes to their diet can cause GI upset, at best, and at worst, send your little one to the ER.
But if you’re itching to give some scraps, here is an “okay” list:
Turkey — make sure any access fat and skin are removed. High levels of fat can cause pancreatitis. Also, make sure anything you give your pet is not seasoned very highly.
Mashed potatoes — but watch what gets added! If onions or lots of fatty things (cheese, butter, sour cream…mmmmmmm) get thrown in the mix, best to skip that helping.
Cranberry sauce — but be careful…these can be high in sugars, so please use moderation.
Mac and Cheese — better would be just plain pasta, and my dog scarfs so fast, he wouldn’t notice!
Green beans — if they’re plain!
If you happen upon Uncle Ralph dangling the following in front of Fluffy’s face, smack it away:
Anything you know to upset your pet’s stomach! I know this sounds obvious, but you know your animal better than anyone, and what will get them sick. On that note, try not to introduce so many new foods at the same time.
Onions, Garlic, Leeks, Scallions — Alliums in large quantities can cause anemia, leading to organ damage and failure.
Chocolate — you never want your fur-baby to get to your Whatchamacallit, but baking chocolate is even more toxic. The darker the chocolate, the worse it is for your pet.
Grapes and Raisins — research is inconclusive as to why, but we know that some dogs cannot tolerate even the smallest amounts of grapes or raisins. It’s not worth the risk to see if your dog can tolerate them at all.
Artificial sweetener (xylitol) — found in a lot of sugar-free items (gums, mints, peanut butter, etc), xylitol is extremely toxic and can cause death in dogs.
Macadamia nuts — something about these nuts can cause lethargy and possibly rear-end paralysis.
Alcohol — pets are more susceptible to the effects of booze than you are. Plus, Mitzy really doesn’t need that espresso martini, right??
If you have any questions throughout this holiday season — or, like, ever! — please reach out to us! Have a happy, healthy, and safe Thanksgiving from all of us at Companion Pet Hospital!