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Don't let your pets sink their teeth into these Thanksgiving foods
While you may enjoy many of the foods featured on the following list, they may lead to a visit to the veterinarian if your pets ingests them. Here's the list of dangerous foods for pets and why they pose a risk to their health:
- Bones: turkey bones become brittle after cooking and can splinter easily. If your pet swallows a splintered bone, they could choke or suffer internal injuries.
- High-fat foods: fatty foods, such as rich sauces, turkey skin, and buttery mashed potatoes, can lead to gastrointestinal upset in pets and may trigger pancreatitis, a life-threatening condition.
- Onions and garlic: onions and garlic are commonly used to season Thanksgiving side dishes, but these members of the Allium family can cause injury to your pet’s red blood cells, leading to anemia.
- Grapes and raisins: some stuffing recipes call for grapes or raisins, which can lead to kidney failure in dogs. Raisins are also toxic to cats.
- Bread dough: yeast dough can expand in your pet’s stomach, leading to bloating and discomfort. In addition, rising dough produces alcohol, which can result in alcohol poisoning in pets.
- Alcohol: many people enjoy adult beverages during the Thanksgiving festivities, but even a small amount can be dangerous for pets. Alcohol affects pets much more severely than humans, leading to vomiting, difficulty breathing, tremors, and seizures.
- Chocolate: chocolate is always on the list of Thanksgiving foods pets should avoid. It contains theobromine, which is toxic to dogs and cats. The darker the chocolate, the more dangerous.
- Xylitol: this sweetener found in sugar-free desserts, gum, and some peanut butter, is highly toxic to pets. Ingesting xylitol can cause blood sugar to drop rapidly, leading to seizures, liver failure, and possibly death.
- Macadamia nuts: macadamia nuts are highly toxic to dogs and cats and can lead to weakness, vomiting, tremors, and hyperthermia.
Veterinarians invited to share biosecurity experiences
Veterinarians are invited to participate in one of three related surveys being conducted through the University of Kentucky as part of a National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program (NADPRP) project. The purpose of this survey is to assess veterinarians' biosecurity education practices, the barriers they encounter when communicating biosecurity recommendations, and their resource needs related to animal disease prevention.
Fill out the Veterinarian Biosecurity Survey.
The survey will take approximately 10-15 minutes. Participation is voluntary, and respondents may skip any question or stop at any time. The survey will not ask for a name or other direct identifying information.
While there is no compensation planned for participation, the results may help guide development of practical biosecurity education, training, and resources for veterinarians and the animal owners and producers they serve. Thank you for all you do to protect and advance animal health.
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