1. Stay away from giving your pets any turkey bones! They can get lodged or stuck and obstruct the gastrointestinal tract, which could require surgery. The safest bet is to get made-for-pet bones if you want your furry friend to have something to chew on.
2. Fatty foods, like gravy, bacon, butter, and meat scraps can cause your pet to have pancreatitis. Warning signs of pancreatitis are loss of appetite, abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea.
3. Along with fatty foods, nuts can also cause pancreatitis in pets. The macadamia nut in particular is very dangerous, causing the complications of pancreatitis as well as your pet presenting a drunken-like state, with wobbly movement and confusion.
4. Let everyone say hi to your pet! But keep a close eye on the door so that your pet doesn't get out while everyone is coming into the home. Make sure your pet's microchip information and tag are up-to-date just in case!
5. Remind your guests to resist the puppy dog pout! Scraps from the table could choke your pet or upset its stomach. Maybe give your guests some of your pet's treats so they aren't tempted to feed them the food from the table.
6. No desserts. Chocolate and Xylitol, a commonly used artificial sweetener, are toxic to dogs. Xylitol confuses the body into thinking that real sugar was consumed, causing the pancreas to produce lots of insulin. The insulin produced after the Xylitol breaks down too much of the real sugar in the body and will severely drop the blood glucose of your pet. Low blood glucose can cause many side effects, such as weakness, lethargy, disorientation, seizures, heart palpitations, and loss of consciousness.
7. Be careful with the decorative plants- some flowers and festive plants can be toxic to dogs and cats. Hydrangeas, some ferns, Baby's Breath, and amaryllis are just a few of them that pose risks. You can find a full list on the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) website.

If you think your pet ingested something toxic, the ASPCA's Poison Control Hotline is 888-426-4435. We will be closed on Thanksgiving, but the emergency veterinary offices will be open. Coastal will open back up at 8am on Friday!

We hope everyone has a fun, safe Thanksgiving!