Thanksgiving is Thursday, and many families want to show their pets that they're grateful for their company with a special meal.
Dr. Marie Lance with Lance Animal Hospital in Gainesville said if you're serving your pets a plate, there are a few things to keep off of it.
"Turkey skin is out, as delicious as it might be, it's not good for your pets," Lance said. "It can contain a lot of fat that, if they're not used to, can trigger some pancreatitis or some other digestive problems."
Also, don't throw the dog a bone.
"Now bones of any kind are no-no," said Lance. "Bones tend to splinter and fracture and can cause problems in the intestines going through, so make sure that the trash is put out of reach and nothing falls on the floor."
She also said watch out for "counter surfers" who may try to grab yeast rolls that are rising on the counter.
Lance made her comments Thursday on WDUN's Mornings on Maine Street. She said there are the usual things you should never feed your pet, including artificial sweeteners (Xylitol specifically,) grapes, raisins, garlic, and onions.
There are some foods you can feed Fluffy and Fido though. Lance recommends making their plates during preparations to avoid the additives like cream, butter, and salt that are ok for humans.
"Plain cooked potatoes, plain cooked sweet potatoes, plain pumpkin, apples, turkey meat is okay on its own, without the skin," said Lance. "Green beans are great. In fact, if I'm trying to get a dog to lose weight, I tell them that take a handful of kibble out and put in green beans as replacements. And green peas as long as they're not creamed or with all that all that butter and stuff on them are good. Cats might even like your those peas and pumpkin... and certainly for turkey and carrots are great for them. A good dessert for them is just a plain yogurt, maybe with a little bit of applesauce in it."
Lance recommends serving pets their Thanksgiving meal, whether its a homemade plate or just kibble, in another room and away from the big dinner.
