Pet owners who are hosting large gatherings of family over the Thanksgiving holiday are being reminded to take steps to keep their furry friends safe. Animal Rescue League (ARL) of Iowa executive director Tom Colvin says even the most social pets can become anxious during the holidays with visitors coming and going. “If your pet is stressed out, they should be put in a quieter area of the house,” Colvin says.
It’s also a good idea to inform your guests about how they should interact with your pets and not feed them scraps from the Thanksgiving feast. “We’ve spoken with an emergency (pet) hospital and they reported they do see an increase (at Thanksgiving) in the number of cases of turkey bones getting stuck in a pet’s throat,” Colvin says. He notes chocolate is also “very dangerous” for pets. Colvin says while a nibble or two of turkey should be safe for most dogs, it’s best to keep them on their regular diet as much as possible.