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Holiday Safety Tips for Pets This Thanksgiving

Keep Pets Safe this Thanksgiving


                This week we celebrate Thanksgiving, remembering everything for which we are grateful with family and friends, recalling the Pilgrims first harvest and, of course, eating the Thanksgiving feast!  As always, we want our pets to share in our holidays—they are part of our families after all.  But, we also want to keep them safe and healthy now and in the coming years so Patton Veterinary Hospital offers the following tips to keep pets protected this Thanksgiving.

  1. Let’s talk turkey—and other holiday foods while we’re at it: While it may be tempting to sneak a piece of turkey to your pet or even offer up a plate with a taste of everything to your pup or kitty, rich holiday foods often lead to stomach upset, diarrhea and maybe worse with illnesses like pancreatitis.  Intestinal obstruction could also occur if your dog or cat decides to forage through the trash finding bones or non-edible items like aluminum foil or plastic wrap that may have tasty food remnants attached. 

Ask your guests not to feed your pets any food from the table, no matter how terrible Aunt Bethany’s gelatin mold is this year and make sure pets do not have access to trash—put a lid on it, take it outside, or otherwise secure your garbage cans so pets can’t get into it.

If Snoopy or Garfield does become ill after eating holiday foods (obtained accidentally, of course!) or manages to raid the trash anyway, contact your vet or an animal emergency center if needed.Patton has regular hours from 8AM to 8PM on November 23, 2018, but we want you to spend those hours shopping Black Friday deals, not sitting in our office!

  1.  Holiday guests—some pets can become overwhelmed by new people arriving for dinner, loud noises such as Uncle Eddie screaming at the TV when his favorite football team makes a bad play or little Ruby Sue trying to give your dog or cat a big hug or pull her tail.  Doors can be left open a little too long giving pets an opportunity to escape.  Let’s face it, Thanksgiving is fun, but it can be hectic, too.  Make sure pets have a safe, quiet place to go if they need a break from the chaos, have your pet microchipped so he can hopefully be safely returned to you should he make the great escape and, if your dog or cat is a real Nervous Nellie, consider asking us for a “Doggie Glad Pack” or “Kitty Calm Kit” (anti-anxiety drugs) to make it all a little more bearable.
  2. Over the River and Through the Woods—Traveling for the holidays can mean reuniting with far-flung family and friends, but it can also mean sitting in traffic for hours or navigating busy airports. Consider boarding your pet if she doesn’t travel well or if you are flying. If you must take your pet with you, be sure to have all proper documentation (health certificate if flying, rabies certificate) and pack any pet food or pet medications your pet needs.  If you are driving, make sure pets are properly restrained in a crate or with a seatbelt device and don’t leave pets unattended in cars.

     We hope these tips help both the two- and four- legged members of your family have a safe and relatively sane holiday.  Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours from the Patton Veterinary Hospital!

                This blog brought to you by the Patton Veterinary Hospital serving Red Lion, York and the surrounding communities.

https://www.avma.org/public/PetCare/Pages/thanksgiving-pet-safety.aspx

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