Here are the foods your furry babies can safely enjoy this Thanksgiving
Every time those googly eyes stare at you while you’re eating, the strong temptation to give them food always kicks in, but fur parents know better: Never give in as pets can’t eat everything.
We’re betting your Thanksgiving spread will include the usual favorites with turkey as the centerpiece but amid all the family storytelling and non-stop eating, let’s not forget that most of the foods aren’t safe for your furry babies.
While there could be tons of choices, these holiday foods can cause detrimental effects on your pets—they can be sick or even be fatal when given the wrong food.
Most of your pets can be chicken-fed, and thinking that turkey is of the chicken family, you might assume that it’s safe. Well, yes and no. If the turkey was cooked but unseasoned, it’s okay for your pets to eat, but other than that, it’s a big no.
Ensure #Thanksgiving foods stay on the dining table and out of pet food bowls! 🥧🍪🍗 Baked goods can contain a sweetener linked to liver failure in #pets and bones are a choking hazard for #cats and #dogs like Mulan the Shiba. https://t.co/qfDDToXtlo pic.twitter.com/Gr3WY7Ytfc
— Pet Food Institute (@uspetfood) November 22, 2023
Also, turkey bones are bigger than regular chicken bones, so they can break into smaller pieces and possibly damage your pets’ small intestines.
You may also like: Your dog might be pretending to be sick, experts say
Best pet safe Thanksgiving foods
Since we don’t want them to be left out on the Thanksgiving table, we’ve rounded up a list of Thanksgiving goods that would leave your pets wagging their tails.
- Sweet potatoes
- Turkey (cooked and unseasoned)
- Raw green beans
- Unseasoned carrots
- Pumpkin
- Apples
- Bread (baked)
- Corn
- Cooked eggs
Forbidden Thanksgiving foods
- Bones, fats, skin
- Desserts
- Onions
- Garlic
- Butter
- Gravy
- Turkey stuffing
- Grapes, raisins
- Green beans (cooked)
- Mushrooms
- Alcohol
- Raw eggs
- Mashed potatoes
- Nuts
- All types of sweets
Now that you’re aware of what to avoid and what’s the best pet-safe Thanksgiving foods, don’t forget these other precautions:
- Let them wear their ID tags as guests come in and enter the door. You don’t want them running away.
- Make sure the food spread is not within your pet’s reach.
- Keep the post-feast trash outside and away from your pets.
Make this Thanksgiving safe for you and your pets, too, fur-real.
