Thanksgiving table foods: what pets can and can't share

Your dog has been planning for Thanksgiving since roughly last Thanksgiving. Your cat is pretending not to care while sitting eighteen inches from the turkey. And somewhere at the table, a soft-hearted relative is already sneaking bites under the tablecloth.

We get it. Sharing food is how a lot of us show love. So here is the same rundown we give in the exam room: what is fine to share in small amounts, what should stay on your plate, and what to do if someone (no names) helps themselves.

What is okay to share

Think plain and think small. A few bites added to their regular dinner is plenty.

• Turkey meat. Fully cooked, boneless, skinless, and without the gravy or seasoning. White meat is the leanest choice.
• Plain green beans. Before they turn into casserole.
• Plain sweet potato. Cooked, with no butter, sugar or marshmallows.
• Plain pumpkin. Cooked or canned pumpkin on its own, which is a very different thing from pumpkin pie filling.

The trick is to set a little aside while you are cooking, before the butter, onions and salt go in. Cats usually only care about the turkey, and a couple of small shreds will make their whole day.

What to keep off their plate

Most Thanksgiving trouble comes from two things: rich, fatty food and a handful of ingredients that are truly toxic to pets.

• Turkey skin, gravy, drippings and buttery sides. Fatty foods are hard for pets to digest, and even a small amount can set off pancreatitis, a painful condition that often means a hospital stay.
• Bones. Poultry bones can splinter and injure the digestive tract. No bones for dogs or cats, cooked or otherwise.
• Stuffing and dressing. Almost always made with onions and garlic, which are toxic to both dogs and cats (cats are especially sensitive).
• Grapes and raisins. These can cause kidney failure, and they hide in salads, stuffing and desserts.
• Chocolate and desserts. Chocolate is toxic, and pies and sweets are too rich for pets anyway.
• Anything sugar-free. Xylitol, a sweetener used in some sugar-free baked goods, candy and gum, can be deadly for dogs.
• Raw yeast dough. Unbaked roll or bread dough keeps rising in a warm stomach, which causes painful bloating and can lead to alcohol poisoning.
• Alcohol. Keep drinks up off the coffee table. Pets do not need to join the toast.

Watch the trash and the counters

A lot of the calls we get the day after a holiday start with "he got into the garbage." The turkey carcass, the string, the foil, the greasy paper towels: to a dog, that bag smells like the best thing that has ever happened.

Take the trash out as you go, and put the carcass in a tied bag inside a closed bin, ideally outside or behind a shut door. Push cooling dishes to the back of the counter. Cats can jump higher than you think, and so can a determined Lab.

Give your guests the rules

You can do everything right and still get undone by a kind uncle with a plate of scraps. A quick "please don't feed the pets" when people arrive goes a long way, especially with kids.

If you want to give folks something to do, put out a small dish of your pet's regular treats or that plain turkey you set aside, and let guests hand those out. Everybody gets to feel generous and nobody ends up at the vet.

If your pet gets overwhelmed by a full house, a quiet room with a bed, water and a favorite toy is a nice gift for them, too.

If your pet eats something they shouldn't

Please do not wait for symptoms, and skip the home remedies. Call us and tell us what they ate, about how much, and when. During clinic hours we can often see sick pets the same day, so call ahead and we will be ready for you.

If we are closed (and we know Thanksgiving trouble loves a holiday), call an emergency hospital or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a consultation fee may apply). The Nashville area emergency hospitals we work with are listed on our emergency info page.

Signs that should never wait include repeated vomiting, a swollen or painful belly, weakness, trembling, or a pet who just seems very off.

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us

A few plain bites of turkey, a closed trash can and a heads-up to your guests will cover most of it. Then you can get back to the important business of arguing about whether it is called stuffing or dressing here in Middle Tennessee.

If you have questions about what your pet should be eating the rest of the year, or you are working on a weight plan, we are always happy to talk food. You can read about nutrition counseling on our services page, or give us a call.