7 Things Your Pets Vet Says ‘Please Don’t Feed’ at Thanksgiving

Is your dog or cat a total member of your family? Will they have a special dinner at Thanksgiving or Christmas too? Well, before you go ahead and start feeding them their own Turkey dinner, there are a few things that your Veterinarian wants you to think twice about.

The Humane Society says sharing your Thanksgiving feast with your dog or cat is a bad idea. The organization says veterinarians see a spike in sick pets during the holidays, in large part because holiday meal table scraps can make dogs and cats really sick. Vets say even small amounts of scraps can lead to big problems for pets. They say turkey bones can break and lodge in pets' throats and the sodium in ham can set off an upset stomach.

So remember, don't let your furry friends get ahold of these things:

• No alcohol, keep the glasses up out of their reach. Most pet alcohol consumption is because they have access to their 'parents' glass.
• Milk and Dairy products because they can cause stomach upset and even diarrhea.
• Onions and garlic. Again, a little bit of these can cause some tough stomach issues and vomiting.
• Raisins and grapes, probably the worst things that you can feed your dog or cat, because they can cause kidney failure.
• Chocolate. Yep, this is a big one, most pet owners already know that this is a no-no. If you have ever had a dog get into the old Halloween candy then you have seen what happens, when they eat chocolate.
• Nuts are not good to give your little ones, because they contain a high amount of fat, which leaves a potential for pancreatitis.
• Anything high in oil or fats, this includes bacon. Yep, the thing that dogs love the most.

If you think that your little one got ahold of something that you think that they shouldn't have and they start vomiting, diarrhea or acting not like themselves, call your veterinarian. If it is after hours, you might want to take your pet to the emergency vet. The emergency vet contact info, is something that you might want to keep in your phone.

As a recent trip to the emergency vet taught me, the closest emergency vet might not be the one who can actually see your pet.

• Animal Emergency Clinic, Poughkeepsie, 84 Patrick Lane, Poughkeepsie, NY 12603
• Animal Emergency Clinic, Kingston, 1112 Morton Blvd, Kingston, NY 12401
• Katonah Bedford Veterinary Center, 546 N. Bedford Rd. Bedford Hills, NY 10507
• Orange County Animal Emergency Service, 517 Rt 211 East, Middletown, NY 10940
• Guardian Veterinary Specialists, 4 Hardscrabble Heights, Brewster, NY 10509